Vegan Lasagna Zucchini Boats

If you want all of the flavors of lasagna, but in a low-carb, veggie vessel, then you need to try these Vegan Lasagna Zucchini Boats! Zucchini is shelled out and filled with layers of tofu ricotta and saucy vegan “meat”. Baked until tender and then served with oil-free vegan pesto – this pesto recipe has sneaky veggies too! This is a tasty vegan dinner idea!

Step One: Make the “Meat” Filling

The vegan “meat” filling is simple to make but so tasty – I was holding myself back from eating this with a spoon!

You will need:

• olive oil
• yellow onion
• garlic
• Impossible ground “beef” – or sub Beyond Meat
• Italian seasoning
• salt & pepper
• sun-dried tomatoes
• marinara sauce

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion & garlic and allow to cook for 1 minute. Add the Impossible meat and crumble with a wooden spoon. Add salt, pepper & Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently, until the “beef” is no longer pink.

Add in the sun-dried tomatoes & 3/4 of the jar of marinara. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Step Two: Make the Vegan Ricotta

This Tofu Ricotta recipe has been on my site for years! It is the perfect addition to lasagna – it adds that creamy cheese flavor plus it boosts the protein.

You will need:

• firm tofu – drained & patted dry
• vegan parmesan
• garlic 
• lemon juice
• olive oil
• salt & pepper

Add all of the tofu ricotta ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.

Step Three: Assemble & Bake

Next we need to prep the zucchini boats. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and use a spoon to remove the filling – don’t discard it, we’ll use it in the pesto!

Once the boats are ready, grab 1 or 2 baking dishes – this will depend on the size of your zucchini. Be sure to see how the zucchini boats will fit before assembling.

Add the rest of the marinara to the bottom of the baking dish. Place the empty zucchini boats in the baking dish. Spread some of the vegan ricotta in the bottom of each zucchini. Add the “meat” filling on top of the ricotta. Finish the zucchini off with some dollops of vegan ricotta – use whatever you have left. Cover the baking dish (or dishes) and place in the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and allow to bake for another 15 minutes – turn the oven to broil for the last few minutes if you want a crispier top!

Step Four: Make the Oil-Free Pesto

I mentioned that this oil-free pesto had some sneaky veggies. And that’s because we’re not going to waste that leftover zucchini. Instead we’re going to add it to the pesto.

To a food processor, add the zucchini, fresh basil, garlic, vegan parmesan, pistachios, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Blend until smooth – the zucchini adds water to the pesto, so that will thin it out, rather than using oil.

Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed – I added extra garlic because sometimes you’re just in a garlicky mood!

Step Five: Serve

Once the zucchini boats are done baking, pull them out of the oven and add to plates. Top the boats with the pesto, more vegan parmesan and fresh basil.

These are great straight out of the oven, but you can also reheat these for lunches. The zucchini will get more tender when you reheat. If you prefer your zucchini to have more of a bite, then you may want to underbake them slightly.

I hope you love this fun take on lasagna!