Sicilian Vegan Lasagna with Ferla Spice

Makes a 9” x 13” tray to serve 8.

Eggplant lends a deliciously meaty texture to this vegan lasagna. It’s a crowd-pleaser recipe — even meat-eaters will ask for seconds!

For the eggplant:
1 eggplant, cut lengthwise into ½-inch slices
2 tablespoons Ferla Spice
Olive oil 

For the tofu 'ricotta:'
1 package extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 cup hummus (any flavor)
½ cup nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons Ferla Spice

For the cashew herb sauce:
1 cup cashews, soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes
1 tablespoon white wine or champagne vinegar
1 cup chopped herbs such as parsley or cilantro (or a mix of what you have on hand)

1 can (25 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles

Prepare the eggplant  Preheat the oven to 350º F. Pour 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil on a sheet pan and use your fingers to spread it evenly over the pan. Lay the eggplant slices on the pan in a single layer. Drizzle another 4–5 tablespoons of olive oil over the eggplant and sprinkle on the Ferla Spice. Bake until lightly golden, 15–20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Make the tofu ricotta  Crumble the tofu into a medium bowl. Stir in the hummus, nutritional yeast, and Ferla Spice. Mix well.

Make the cashew herb sauce  Put the cashews, vinegar and herbs into the jar of a blender. Process until creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary.

Assemble the lasagna  Grease a 9” x 13” baking pan. Spoon a third of the crushed tomatoes on the bottom of the pan and spread out evenly. Add a layer of noodles covering the sauce, then spread half of the tofu on top of the noodles. Top the tofu with a layer of eggplant slices. Repeat. Finish with another layer of noodles and the last third of the tomatoes.

Dot the top with the cashew herb sauce (it doesn’t need to be smoothed edge to edge).

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.