Heart Healthy Vegan Lasagna

Here’s a statistic that could make your heart skip a beat: the World Health Organization estimates that cardiovascular disease causes approximately 17.5 million deaths per year worldwide. That’s the bad news. The good news is that simply exercising regularly, maintaining a healthful weight, and eating smart can prevent 80 percent of cardiovascular disease. Try this vegan lasagna recipe and treat your heart to health.

Ingredients:

For The Tomato Sauce

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 6-oz. can tomato paste
• 3 28-oz. cans peeled plum tomatoes, chopped with juices reserved
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 ½ tsp. dried oregano
• ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Lasagna

• 1 Tbs. salt
• 1 lb. dry uncooked eggless lasagna noodles
• 2 16-oz. pkg. firm tofu, drained
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

• To make Sauce: In a large, heavy saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice, basil, parsley, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cover and simmer over low heat about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. When water boils, add salt and noodles. Cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain, rinse with water and drain again.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Crumble tofu into a medium bowl. Add garlic, basil, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir until well blended.
• Spoon about 1 cup sauce over bottom of a 13×9-inch baking dish. Add a layer of noodles and top with one-third tofu mixture. Spoon over about 1 1/2 cups sauce and top with another layer of noodles. Cover with the one-third tofu mixture and top with 1 1/2 cups of sauce and another layer of noodles. Top with the remaining tofu mixture and 1 cup sauce.
• Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand about 15 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve with remaining sauce.

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