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smoky skillet lasagna in the pan, topped with crispy lentils and fresh herbs
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4.94 from 45 votes

Smoky Skillet Lasagna with Crispy Lentils

Crispy, smoky lentils on top of lasagna noodles in a creamy sauce make this smoky skillet lasagna totally addictive. And it's ready to eat in less than an hour!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: smoky skillet lasagna
Servings: 4
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the crispy lentils:

  • 3/4 cup cooked brown lentils or canned drained
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

For the pasta:

  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 3 to 4 ounces of sliced mushrooms
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons Italian herbs
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour or use gluten-free flour
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup water or broth
  • 15 ounce can full fat coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 7 no-boil lasagna sheets, or Use 5 regular lasagna sheets, broken up. Or use about 5 ounces of pasta of choice.
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 3 tablespoons vegan parmesan
  • 1/2 cup frozen spinach thawed

For garnish:

  • more vegan parmesan, black pepper, fresh herbs such as basil, oregano
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the crispy lentils.

  • Drain the cooked lentils, let them drain for at least 15 minutes before using, so that any excess moisture dries out. You can drain it in a strainer, and then put some paper towels under the strainer to absorb any excess moisture.
  • Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and then add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the lentils to the skillet and spread them out evenly and let them cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, stir or flip and continue to cook them until they start to get puffy and start to crisp up on some of the edges. This can take anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes, depending on your skillet and the stove.
  • Once the lentils are starting to get puffy, brown and crispy on the edges, add in the soy sauce, maple syrup, and the spices, tossing to coat the lentils really well. Continue to cook the lentils to crisp them up a bit more, another 2 minutes or so. Taste and adjust flavor, add a bit of salt, if needed, (add a few drops of liquid smoke for extra smokyness) then remove the lentils from the skillet.

Make the pasta:

  • Add the teaspoon of oil to the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, mushroom, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Mix well, and continue cook until the onion starts to turn translucent. 3-4 mins. Then, add in all of the dry spices and herbs and the flour and mix, then cook for a minute, then mix in the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and half the water. Mix really well, so that all of the flour mixes in and there are no lumps. Then, add in the coconut milk, nutritional yeast, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Mix in and bring to a boil.
  • Add the broken up lasagna sheets/pasta to the skillet, remaining water, and mix and press the lasagna sheet pieces into the mixture.
  • Cover the pan with a lid, and cook for 15 to 18 minutes. Stir once in between to make sure that the sheets are not sticking to the bottom. If the pasta needs more liquid, then add in another 1/2 to 1 cup of hot water.
  • Once the lasagna noodles are cooked to preference, add in the pepper flakes, vegan parmesan, and spinach and mix in. Cover the lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 minutes or so, then turn off the heat.
  • Then, let the skillet sit for a few minutes, open the lid, and either or transfer the lasagna into serving bowls and top those bowls with the crispy lentils or top the skillet itself with the crispy lentils and some fresh herbs, black pepper, and more vegan parmesan, and serve.
  • Store: refrigerate for upto 3 days. Store the lentils separately so that they don’t absorb too much moisture from the lasagna. Reheat in the microwave or skillet

Video

Notes

This recipe is nut-free.
Coconut-free:  use other non-dairy cream. I like to use cashew cream, which makes it super creamy: blend 1/2 cup of cashews with 3/4 cups of water and use. Add 2 cups water/broth to cook the pasta and add cashew cream once the pasta is cooked, along with parm and spinach. Mix and bring to boil.
Glutenfree: use gluten-free lasagna noodles or other gluten-free pasta, tamari instead of soy sauce, and gluten-free flour.
To make this recipe soy-free, omit the soy sauce and use coconut aminos 
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 290kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 562mg | Potassium: 507mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2799IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 3mg