A few weeks ago I posted a recipe for the Ultimate Grilled Vegetable Sandwich and today I wanted to follow up with a recipe for a grilled vegetable lasagne.

During the summer I absolutely love making a variety of dishes I can from fresh, seasonal vegetables I pick up at the farmer market weekly. Playing around with cooking techniques, adding sauces, condiments, fresh herbs and other ingredients is when I am at my happiest.

The charred flavors of the vegetables add another dimension and depth of flavor and texture to the lasagne that roasting them in the oven doesn’t achieve. We use a smoker with some wood chips to achieve those extra ‘outdoor cooking’ aromas and flavors and it’s absolutely amazing!

This grilled vegetable lasagne is a summer dish that is definitely not going to leave meat eaters saying they left your table hungry – this is packed with lots of meaty vegetables, mushrooms, cheese and a homemade tomato sauce that is flavorful enough to eat on its own.

I would absolutely encourage you to use fresh tomatoes if you’re making this in the summer and when this gorgeous fruit is in season. There is nothing fancy you need to add to this sauce when using fresh tomatoes at the height of their growing season, just a little garlic, olive oil, and basil – that’s the beauty of seasonal cooking!

However, if you don’t have access to fresh tomatoes for some reason or want to cook this recipe in the winter, I recommend using fire-roasted canned tomatoes if possible.

Eggplant is another vegetable I would take advantage of eating during the summer and I suggest avoiding it at all costs during the winter. This time of year (late summer) they are at their peak with sweet flavors and have the best texture. My biggest pet peeve is seeing vegan recipes with loads of eggplants during the winter – just don’t.

Eggplant is a wonderful partner to basil and mozzarella and ricotta, among other things, which is why you’ll see it often starring in vegetable lasagne and other Italian dishes. In this lasagne, I chose three different eggplants just for different texture and flavor, like the globe/purple eggplant, a Japanese (long and slender) and a traditional Italian eggplant.

Choose eggplants on the smaller side always, as they are sweeter with fewer seeds, and thinner skin.

The other main vegetables in this dish are zucchini and yellow summer squash. These provide light and fresh elements to the meal and again, are at their tastiest during the summer. Fresh zucchini is always best, so if you can pick some up at your local farmer market I highly recommend it – so much sweeter and creamier than store-bought zucchini that has been sitting around for days!

If you’re not a fan of mushrooms, you can omit them, but I chose to include them because they offer a ‘meatiness’ that my husband really likes and I also think complements the other vegetables. I would recommend opting for wild mushrooms and not regular button mushrooms, as the wild varieties such as maitake, oyster and lion’s mane have a more desirable texture and flavor that blends better in this dish.

In this blog post, I also give you a recipe for homemade vegan ricotta. You can purchase store-bought ricotta if you don’t want to bother with making it from scratch but believe me when I say it’s so worth it!

The flavor and texture are superior, and I much prefer using almonds to cashews, as it gives it a deeper flavor but either will work just fine. It’s super quick to make and will keep in the fridge for about 1 week. In addition to using it for this lasagne recipe, add it to pasta dishes, top on salads and fold into vegan omelets. Yum!

Finally, the bêchamel sauce ties it all together. It adds richness and creaminess to the acidity of the tomato sauce, the earthiness of the mushrooms, and a contrast to the crispy vegetables. Nobody is going to miss meat in this lasagne!

Wine Pairing Recommendation

I would definitely go for a medium-bodied red wine here with good acidity such as the 2019 Passopisciaro Contrada R Rampante Terre Siciliane. Made from 100% Nerello Mascalese, the grapes for this gorgeous Sicilian wine grows on the highest contrada in the region at over 1,000 m above the ocean.

It’s a delicate and aromatic wine grown on the slopes of the Etna volcano and is the last to be harvested due to the heights where it’s located. The results are ripe red fruit like crushed raspberries and pomegranate, and sour cherries intermingled with savory umami-like tomato notes and spices like clove and fennel seeds.

The wine is juicy with bright acidity and a well-integrated tannic profile. The smokiness from the volcanic soils comes out adding even more depth to the already perfumed and complex wine. I love that although the tannins are there they are very finessed and still soft in texture. This is a highly structured wine that is a pure joy to drink!

I found this to be an absolutely magical pairing. The savory tomato notes in the wine mingled beautifully with the tomato sauce, while the smoky qualities of the wine came out when biting into the grilled and charred veggies in the lasagne. The herbal (thyme in particular) and earthy tones of the wine intermingled with the earthy and umami notes of the mushrooms.

The bright acidity of this wine was both a congruent and contrasting sensation with the acidity in the tomatoes and the creaminess of the bêchamel. Finally, the sweet juicy red fruit in the wine mimicked the sweetness of the grilled onions and peppers.

If you’re into trying other wines with this dish, I’d suggest a Chianti Classico or a Barbera d’Alba, both of which are medium body with good structure, acidity and depth of fruit.

This is not a cheap wine, retailing at about $90 but it’s worth every dollar in my opinion!

As always, the best pairing is the one you enjoy so feel free to experiment!

The Ultimate Grilled Vegetable Lasagne

Makes 8 servings

1 packet oven-ready lasagne sheets (about 12 sheets)*
2 medium green zucchini, sliced lengthwise into ½-inch thick slices
2 medium yellow summer squash, sliced lengthwise into ½- inch thick slices
2 medium eggplants (can be a mixture of different kinds), cut into ½-inch thick rounds
2 red bell peppers
2 small red onions, sliced into 1-inch rounds
1 lb (1/2 kilo) wild mushrooms (like oyster, lion’s maine, maitake), stems trimmed
10 oz (280 grams) spinach, sautéed until lightly wilted
2 cups (500 grams) homemade ricotta (recipe to follow)
8 oz (225 grams) vegan mozzarella cheese, sliced **
Couple of handfuls of fresh basil
1 recipe bêchamel sauce (recipe to follow)
1 recipe tomato sauce (recipe to follow)

To make the lasagne:

Cook the lasagne sheets according to the package directions, if not using oven-ready sheets. Place the sheets on clean kitchen towel (insert pic) while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

For all the vegetables, brush them with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and place on your grill. Cook them on both sides until nicely charred and set aside.

Alternatively, you can roast them in the oven – spread them in an even layer on 3-4 sheet trays, roast in the oven for 20 minutes at 400℉ (200℃).

Combine the ricotta cheese with the chopped basil and set aside.

Clean the peppers by removing the core and seeds and slice into thin strips. Dice the grilled onions and mushrooms, and add all these vegetables along with the sautéed spinach to a bowl and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃).
Grease a 13 x 9 inch (33 x 23 cm) roasting pan with a little oil.

To arrange the lasagne:

Coat the bottom of the pan with about ¾ cup of the tomato sauce, then line with 4-5 of the lasagne sheets. Follow with some of the slices of zucchini and eggplant rounds, top with a cup of the bechamel sauce, then ½ the pepper-onion-mushroom-spinach mixture, then top with a few dollops of the basil-ricotta cheese, followed by half the mozzarella.

Add more tomato sauce on top and keep layering as described and top with the mozzarella.

Cover the lasagne with foil and bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and lightly browned on top.

Let the lasagne rest for about 20-30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes:

*Please note that not all oven-ready lasagne are vegan, so make sure to check ingredients. I ended up purchasing a brand I cooked for 4 minutes first, before adding to the pan and baking in the oven.

** For vegan mozzarella, some of my favorite brands include Miyoko’s, Go Veggie or Follow Your Heart. Or you can have a go at making your own!

Vegan Ricotta Cheese

2 cups (300 grams) raw almonds, blanched
¾-1 cup (1.75-2.5 dl) water
Juice of 1 lemon
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
Kosher or sea salt, pepper to taste

Blanch the almonds by pouring hot water over the almonds. Once the water has cooled a bit, squeeze the almonds out of their shells. Drain and add to a high speed blender with most of the water, lemon juice, garlic clove, optional nutritional yeast and a generous pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Blend until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. If needed, add more water to get the right consistency. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Store in an airtight glass container in the fridge until ready to use.

Vegan Bêchamel Sauce

1 stick (113 grams) vegan butter
½ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
1 quart (1 liter) organic unsweetened soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup (50 grams) vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper to taste

To make bêchamel sauce:

Add the vegan butter to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Once melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk until the butter is well incorporated, making sure not to brown the flour.

Slowly add in the soy milk little by little, and keep whisking for a few minutes. Add the ground nutmeg and vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast, and continue cooking until you reach a fairly thick consistency, the sauce should coat the back of a spoon.

Set aside until ready to use.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

About 2 lbs fresh tomatoes, chopped or 1 x 28 oz (800 grams) can of tomatoes
¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Handful of basil, roughly chopped
Salt, pepper to taste

To make the tomato sauce:

Add the olive oil to a large sauce pot over medium-low heat, then add in the garlic cloves with a pinch of kosher salt and red pepper flakes and toast the garlic cloves for 2-3 minutes, making sure they do not burn but turn a golden color.

Throw in the tomatoes with a couple of big pinches of salt, turn the heat back up to medium and cook down until the sauce thickens, about 30 minutes or so. Towards the end, add the fresh basil, season with salt and pepper, and set aside until ready to use.

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