> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.paperweightmag.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Plant-based lasagne that everyone will enjoy - URL: https://www.paperweightmag.com/plant-based-lasagne-that-everyone-will-enjoy/ - Published: 2026-09-05T20:36:17.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-05T20:36:17.000Z - Description: Keir James-Tough melds layers of the traditional Italian dish with plant-based tricks that will please the staunchest of meat-eaters - Author: Keir James-Tough - Tags: At Home, Recipes It's always a tremendous compliment when a vegan friend commends your plant-based cooking. But it's far more satisfying to receive praise from those who eat quite a lot of meat. This recipe has been perfected over a period of six years, and I've come to realise that there's no greater dish to serve a large table of differing dietary requirements. I hope that you'll give it a try, and thit becomes a staple in your household even if you aren't vegan. Moreover, plant-based cooking isn't always healthier - not that I lose too much sleep over calories - but this lasagne is certainly much lower in fat than its beef-based counterpart, for those that do. If you're terrified by vegan cheese, I completely understand. The rich oat-based béchamel in this recipe is more than enough to leave cheese - plant-based or otherwise - off the menu, but there are options for both below. Serve it with focaccia bread or a rocket or watercress salad. --- Before we begin, here are a couple of helpful tips: - Dried lasagne sheets are far better for lasagne than fresh, which go mushy when baked and often contain egg anyway. - In my experience, frozen soya mince - and often the supermarket’s own brand - is the best vegan mince for when you cook it in liquid for a long time. - Cooking the onions separately for the first hour allows them to sweeten and maximises caramelisation, and these instructions guide you through that process. You’ll need a rectangular oven dish, and for this recipe I use one that’s about 32cm x 24cm, and 5cm deep, but any similar size will work well. --- ### Keir's Vegan Lasagne Prep **30 mins** Cook **2 hours, 40 minutes** Cool **30 mins** Serves **6** Suitable for **vegans** For the ragu: **3 tbsp olive oil** or rapeseed oil **2 medium brown onions**, finely diced **2 medium red onions**, finely diced **2 carrots**, peeled & finely diced **2 celery stalks**, finely diced **500g frozen vegan soya mince** **3 tbsp tomato puree** **2 cans of chopped tomatoes** **200ml red wine** **100ml oat milk** **500ml vegan beef stock** (vegan vegetable stock will work just as well) **4 garlic cloves**, minced **1 tbsp balsamic glaze** **1 tbsp Henderson’s Relish or Marmite** **1 tbsp dried oregano** **½ tsp dried chilli flakes** **2 tsp sea salt flakes** **1 tsp freshly ground black pepper** For the vegan béchamel: **75g vegan butter or vegan margarine** **75g plain flour** **900ml oat milk** **1 tsp sea salt flakes** **A hearty pinch of grated nutmeg** For the final assembly: **400g dried lasagne sheets** **125g vegan cheddar** or vegan mozzarella(optional, as this recipe works just as well without) Add the onions to a medium saucepan or frying pan with 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp sea salt flakes over a medium heat for an hour, stirring occasionally. We’ll need these later. Prepare the vegan stock according to its instructions, making 500ml of liquid. Meanwhile, in a separate large saucepan, add the diced celery and carrots, followed by the soya mince. Once warmed through, add the tomato purée, chopped tomatoes, and red wine. Stir to combine, and then add the 100ml oat milk and vegan stock. Then add the minced garlic, balsamic glaze, Henderson’s Relish (or Marmite), chilli flakes, and oregano. Finally, add the sea salt flakes and pepper. Cook for just under an hour, stirring occasionally, allowing the separate pan with onions to cook for the full hour. Keep an eye on the onions and if they’re sticking, turn down the heat slightly or add a splash of water. After the hour’s up, add the onions to the ragu in the large saucepan. At this stage, add in 400ml water and stir (this is to ensure that the ragu has enough liquid later on, for the dried lasagne sheets to absorb some of it). You’ll now need to cook the combined sauce for a further hour on a gentle simmer, again stirring occasionally. When the ragu has roughly 30 minutes left, start making the béchamel by adding the vegan butter or margarine to a separate pan over a medium heat. Once melted, gently add the flour in spoonfuls and then, using a spatula, stir and scrape the base & sides of the pan so that the mixture forms a paste, creating what’s known as a roux. Continually stir the roux for 3-4 minutes until you can’t see any unmixed flour. Then, it’s time to very slowly add the oat milk. At first, add just 1 tbsp of oat milk, and stir until the roux has absorbed it. Repeat this step 6 or 7 times. Then, once the paste has loosened a little, you can gradually add more and more oat milk, whilst continuously stirring and scraping the base and sides of the pan with the spatula for approximately 10 minutes, until it produces a thick and smooth béchamel. Stir in 1 tsp sea salt flakes and your grated nutmeg. By this time, the ragu should have had a total of 2 hours simmering, and with the béchamel ready, set your oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Begin assembling the lasagne by using a ladleful of ragu to coat the base of your oven dish. Place a layer of lasagne sheets on top of this (the dimensions of your dish will dictate how many you need. Once I’ve covered as much as I can with whole sheets, I often snap off bits to fill any gaps). Now spoon two ladlefuls of ragu over the sheets, and then one ladleful of bechamel over the ragu. Top with another layer of lasagne sheets. Gently push down on each layer of lasagne sheets to ensure every layer is evenly dispersed. Repeat this process until the dish is full, but take care to have enough bechamel to cover the entire last layer of the lasagne. This recipe is designed not to need any cheese at all, vegan or otherwise, which makes it perfect for those who don’t like it. But if you want to add vegan cheddar or mozzarella, sprinkle it on top of your lasagne now. Once your oven reaches the correct temperature, place the oven dish on the middle shelf and bake for 30-35 minutes until it is bubbling and golden on top. When you take it out of the oven, if you can, leave it to cool slightly for 30 minutes so that it will hold its shape when serving. **Make-ahead note:** you can make this up to three days in advance by assembling the lasagne (but not baking) and keeping it in the fridge - if so, add 10 minutes to the baking time to account for it being fridge-cold. **Recipe variations:** if you have them, bay leaves or finely chopped mushrooms are welcome additions. Just add either (or both!) to the large saucepan when you start making the ragu.