baked tofu lasagne – Simple Meal Plans

baked tofu lasagne
serves 4

Robyn requested something bake with tofu because her husband it a little tired of tofu stir fries. Which got me thinking… why not slice the tofu and use it instead of lasagne sheets? Brilliant (if I do say so myself)!

Feel free to add in veggies like grilled eggplant or zucchini or spinach for that matter.

6 cups tomato passata or puree
100g (3.5oz) butter
600g (21oz) firm tofu, finely sliced
500g (1lb) full cream ricotta
3 large handfuls grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F).

2. Place a large fry pan or skillet on a high heat. Add passata or puree and butter and simmer to reduce for about 10 minutes.

3. Place a layer of sauce in the base of a small lasagne dish. Cover with a layer of tofu slices then top with more sauce, a little ricotta and parmesan. Repeat until you’ve used up all the ingredients (you may not need all the sauce). Finishing with the cheese.

4. Bake, uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until well browned and bubbling.

prepare ahead?

Feel free to make this a week in advance and bake when you’re ready. If baking straight from the fridge, add and extra 5-10 mins.

leftover potential

Will keep for a week or longer in the fridge.

variations for fun

carnivore – replace the tomato sauce with your favourite bolognese sauce. Or brown 500g (1lb) ground or minced beef in the skillet before adding the tomato puree. If using meat, you won’t need as much butter.

dairy-free / vegan – replace the ricotta and parmesan with grilled eggplant slices from the deli (you’ll need about 16 slices.) Serve with finely grated brazil nuts and fresh basil. And soften an onion in olive oil before adding the tomato puree to replace the butter .

more substantial – toss in 2 drained cans of lentils with the tomato passata.

more veg – layer in grilled slices of eggplant or zucchini. Or try some wilted spinach.

herby – serve with fresh basil leaves sprinkled over.

problem solving guide

watery / sloppy – if you use too much tomato puree it can give you a sloppy lasagne. As it cools it will firm up a little. If you’re really worried about it, try patting out the excess moisture with paper towels.

bland – the tofu isn’t bringing much to the party by the way of flavour. Serve with heaps of extra parmesan to give it a flavour boost. Next time spend more time reducing the tomato sauce or try using more of the sauce. It’s also important to slice the tofu into the thinnest sheets you can so the tofu gets evenly dispersed with the

too sharp – if the flavour from the tomato is too acidic and sharp, balance it out with a judicious sprinkling of olive oil and/or more parmesan.

short on time? – skip the sauce cooking step and replace the puree and butter with your favourite tomato pasta sauce.