This Vegan Butternut Squash Lasagna with Caramelized Onions and Spinach features a creamy tofu cashew bechamel sauce and lots of melted vegan cheese. A vegan lasagna recipe perfect for feeding a crowd during the fall holidays.
This vegan caramelized onion butternut squash lasagna is a fall-tastic twist on a classic lasagna with layers of creamy roasted butternut squash, spinach, caramelized red onions, and a creamy cashew bechamel. Simple yet impressive, the ideal pasta dinner to serve during the fall and winter holidays.
There’s something soul-satisfying about the concept of layering vegan “cheese” sauce and pasta noodles and baking it all in a casserole dish. Don’t you think?
Our vegan bechamel sauce is a tried-and-tested combination of blended tofu and cashews to create that perfect silky creamy texture. Miso paste and nutritional yeast are added for cheesiness. A bit of lemon juice helps to reduce the cashew flavor so it won’t taste like nuts at all. Layers or roasted butternut squash and Caramelized onion adds so much flavor and texture.
This lasagna is the perfect easy fall dinner for a crowd. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
- French onion skillet lasagna
- Spinach Alfredo skillet lasagna
- Butter Chicken lasagna bake or skillet
- Vegan Lemon Asparagus Pasta
- Creamy Mushroom Spinach Pasta
Recipe Card
Vegan Caramelized Onion Butternut Squash Lasagna
Ingredients
For the butternut squash:
- 10-12 ounces (283.5 g) cubed butternut squash use double amount for a double layer
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme
For the caramelized onion:
- 1 yellow or red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce optional
- 2 teaspoons oil
For the cream sauce:
- 3/4 cup (96.75 g) raw cashews
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) of firm or soft tofu
- 1.5 tablespoons flour
- 1 3/4 cup (414.03 ml) of water
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons miso use chickpea miso for Soyfree
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the spinach:
- 6-8 ounces (170.1 g) frozen spinach thawed and squeezed lightly to remove excess water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- red pepper flakes to taste
For Lasagna:
- vegan mozzarella shreds as needed about 3/4 cup
- vegan Parmesan and pepper flakes for topping about 1/3 cup
- 12-16 no boil lasagna sheets see note for regular
Instructions
- Bake the squash the caramelized onion: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F(205 c). In a square 9x9 lasagna dish, add the onions, salt, sugar, and oil and toss well.
- In another baking sheet, add the butternut squash and add the oil, salt, pepper, and thyme and toss well to coat. Then spread out evenly.
- Put the onion dish and the butternut squash baking sheet to bake. Check at 12-13 minute mark and mix them around. Add the balsamic vinegar and vegan Worcestershire sauce to the onions and mix in.
- Then continue to bake for another 10 minutes for the onions. Depending on your butternut squash, it might get done in that time, earlier or later. Once the butternut is tender to preference, remove the dish. The onions should also be caramelizing by now. If not, then you can move them around a little bit and then continue to cook for another few minutes.
- Make the cream sauce: by adding all the ingredients to a blender and blending until smooth. Blend for 1 minute then let it rest for 5 minutes and blend again so that the cashews break down really well.
- Thaw the spinach if you haven't already and squeeze it to remove excess moisture. Then add the salt and pepper flakes and mix in and set aside.
- Assemble the lasagna : remove the caramelized onions from the lasagna dish into another bowl. Then add about a 1/4 cup of the blended sauce in the dish, 1/4 cup of water, then place no-boil lasagna noodles (you'll need 12-16 noodles depending on the number of layers).
- Add 3 noodles then add some more of the cream sauce. Put the butternut squash evenly on this layer. Add some more cream sauce.
- Add a layer of the lasagna noodles. Add some cream sauce, some spinach, a little bit of the caramelized onion, and more cream sauce or you can use vegan mozzarella.
- Top it with another layer of lasagna noodles. Add some cream sauce. All of the remaining caramelized onion. Top it with some more cream sauce or you can use a mix of sauce and vegan mozzarella and the next layer of the lasagna noodles.
- Then add all of the cream sauce all over. Then top it with some vegan mozzarella and vegan parmesan and pepper flakes.
- Drizzle another 1/4 cup of water around the edges of the noodles. Then cover the dish with a foil and bake at 350 degrees F (180 c) for about an hour.
- Let the lasagna sit for another 10 minutes then open the foil and serve. Cool compeletely and refrigerate for upto 5 days. Or freeze for upto 2 months. Freeze individual slices tightly wrapped in foil. Reheat in the oven for 20-25 mins.
Notes
- Add a pinch of nutmeg to the bechamel for variation
- Nutfree: Use my nutfree Cauliflower Alfredo or Pumpkin seed Alfredo or creamy tofu sauce instead of the bechamel. You will need a double serving of the sauces.
- Soyfree: omit the Worcestershire , use chickpea miso instead of soy miso. Use 1.25 cups total cashews instead of tofu+cashews
- Regular lasagna noodles : Soak the regular noodles in boiling hot water for 5 minutes, then use. Use 1 1/2 cup water in the sauce
Nutrition
Ingredients:
- Butternut squash offers a delicate sweetness and a wonderfully creamy texture. You can use other winter squash such as acorn.
- caramelized red onions slowly roasted with a mix of sugar, Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar boost the umami
- spinach is added for color and because spinach and bechamel is the best of all lasagna combos
- a vegan bechamel sauce is made by blending cashews with tofu and with olive oil
- some lemon juice is added to reduce the cashew flavor
- miso paste, nutritional yeast, flour, and garlic or onion powder are added for that cheesy flavor
Tips & Substitutions:
- Feel free to skip the spinach if you or your kids are not fans
- a pinch of nutmeg is a great addition to the vegan bechamel sauce
- for an extra smooth bechamel, I recommend silken tofu
- Nutfree: Use my nutfree Cauliflower Alfredo or Pumpkin seed Alfredo or creamy tofu sauce instead of the bechamel. You will need a double serving of the sauces.
- Soyfree: omit the Worcestershire , use chickpea miso instead of soy miso. Use 1.25 cups total cashews instead of tofu+cashews
How to make Vegan Butternut Squash Lasagna:
Bake the butternut squash and make the caramelized onion: preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit(205 c). In a square 9×9 lasagna dish, add the onions, salt, sugar, and oil and toss well.
In another baking sheet, add the butternut squash and add oil, salt, pepper, and thyme and toss well to coat. Then spread out evenly.
Then put the onion dish and the butternut squash baking sheet to bake. Check at 12-13 minute mark and mix them around. Add the balsamic vinegar and vegan Worcestershire sauce to the onions and mix in.
Then continue to bake for another 10 minutes for the onions. Depending on your butternut squash, it might get done in that time, earlier or later. Once the butternut is tender to preference, remove the dish.
The onions should also be caramelizing by now. If not, then you can move them around a little bit and then continue to cook for another few minutes.
Make your cream sauce by adding all the ingredients to a blender and blending until smooth. Blend for 1 minute then let it rest for 5 minutes and blend again so that the cashews break down really well.
Thaw the spinach if you haven’t already and squeeze it to remove excess moisture. Then add the salt and pepper flakes and mix in and set aside.
Now, assemble the lasagna: remove the caramelized onions from the lasagna dish into another bowl. Then add about a 1/4 cup of the blended sauce in the dish, 1/4 cup of water, then place your no-boil lasagna noodles (you’ll need 12-16 noodles depending on the number of layers).
Add 3 noodles then add some more of the cream sauce. Put the roasted butternut squash evenly on this layer. Add some more cream sauce.
Add a layer of the lasagna noodles. Then, add some cream sauce, some spinach, a little bit of the caramelized onion, and more cream sauce or you can use vegan mozzarella.
Top it with another layer of lasagna noodles. Add some cream sauce and all of the remaining caramelized onion. Top it with some more cream sauce or you can use some vegan mozzarella and the next layer of the lasagna noodles
Then add all of the cream sauce all over. Now, top it with some vegan mozzarella or vegan parmesan and pepper flakes.
Drizzle another 1/4 cup of water around the noodles. Then cover the dish with a foil and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 c) for about an hour. Then let the lasagna sit for another 10 minutes then open the foil and serve.
Storage
Cool compeletely and refrigerate for upto 5 days. Or freeze for upto 2 months. Freeze individual slices tightly wrapped in foil. Reheat in the oven for 20-25 mins.
Shelley
This was fabulous – the entire family loved it! Went the soy-free route, adding more cashews. Yum!
Vegan Richa Support
awesome! thank you!
Karen Crabtree
Very delicious! I used a white or brown onion as that’s what I had. Easy to follow instructions. Thank you! Great way to use up my baby butternut squash that came in my veggie co-op box.
Vegan Richa Support
Thank you, Karen! Glad you enjoyed and love that you use the co-op!
DMoney
This was delicious and so smart. Surprisingly easy to put together. I love how efficient your recipes are.
Vegan Richa Support
Thanks so much!
Mila
Is there any sauce that can sub for this one that is nut free?
Richa
Use silken tofu instead of the nuts
Myriam
I just made this. This is delicious, Richa! It reminds me of a lasagna my dad used to serve me when I became vegetarian (before I became vegan). It makes me nostalgic.
Vegan Richa Support
Nice memories.
Kelsey
LOVE this recipe! I made it for my non-veg/vegan family and they loved it as well 🙂 I substituted the water for veggie broth and used kale rubbed w/olive oil and chili flakes rather than spinach (just what I had on hand). Delicious!!
Vegan Richa Support
yummmmyyyy
Kelly
This was very delicious!! I omitted the cheese and added mushrooms in w the onions. Any thoughts on how this may freeze?
Vegan Richa Support
sure, read after step 13# “Let the lasagna sit for another 10 minutes then open the foil and serve.
Cool compeletely and refrigerate for upto 5 days. Or freeze for upto 2 months. Freeze individual slices tightly wrapped in foil. Reheat in the oven for 20-25 mins.
Notes
Diane
If I wanted to use fresh spinach rather than frozen, how much would I use? Should it be precooked, and how?
Vegan Richa Support
about a pound of spinach, cook it first. cvan sautee in oil or water or combination of both
Hilda Deboer
I want to make this but only have a pumpkin. Would that work?
Richa
Yes!
R Deen
Absolutely amazing! I have never made a lasagna before and this came out incredible. I don’t know how you do it, but your recipes are fantastic! Thank you for this!!
Vegan Richa Support
first times a charm, thank you
Connie Moultroup
This recipe deserves about a million stars!!!! I’m not one who usually leaves ratings, but in this instance, I’ll happily review this dish. MAKE IT RIGHT NOW!!! You won’t be sorry.
Richa
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Pearl
Hi! I am hosting our family Thanksgiving get together this year and wanted to make something that really uses fall flavors. This looks like something my parents may actually like ! I am planning to use the regular lasagna noodles as well. Just like one of the other commenters, I haven’t had a good turn out with the ready-to-bake lasagna noodles. I wanted to make sure the water measurement is correct. For the ready-to-bake noodles, you’ve mentioned adding 1/4 cup water with the beginning base sauce. For the regular noodles, the recipe calls for 1.5 cups of water. Is that really the right amount? Just seems like a lot of water! Thanks in advance for the clarification!
Richa
The cashew sauce uses 1 3/4 cup water with no boil noodles. With regular noodles that have just been soaked for 5 mins in hot water, you need 1 1/2 cup water for the cashew sauce. The noodles will absorb enough of the liquid
Domenique
This was incredible! I was nervous the whole time I was making it that it wasn’t going to turn out right because I don’t have a lot of experience with no-boil noodles, but it came out perfectly! I substituted kale for the spinach. My guests loved it.
Vegan Richa Support
great news
Mims
Of course, I made my own tweaks. I used defrosted squash puree I already had, and did the onions on the stovetop. I also used kale as I had no spinach and added to one of the layers a generous amount of soy “beefless” crumbles. I also presoaked the cashews and left out the olive oil from the sauce. It was delicious! My husband did not care for balsamic note in the onions, so next time I will omit, but overall, very delicious and I would serve to company it was that good!
Vegan Richa Support
sounds great
Laura
Delicious! I added an entire block of tofu, because my sauce seemed thin.
Vegan Richa Support
nice adaption Laura
Terri
I just made this today. I added kale since I had no spinach. Holy freaking wow was this comforting! So cheesy with the tofu/cashew beschamel. I wld make this over and over again. 10 cheesy comforting stars!
You will not be disappointed!
Vegan Richa Support
lol 10 cheese stars!! 🧀 ⭐️ ✨
Rosella
Which vegan cheese brands do you recommend? How would the recipe be without (vegan) cheese?
Richa
I use violife mozzarella and good planet parm. You can omit them. There’s enough cheesy sauce. For the topping use a mix of nutritional yeast and breadcrumbs.
Jen
Great flavor and nice fall/winter comfort dish! I hated the Barilla no-boil lasagna noodles though. They became a weird pasty, gummy guck in the lasagna, so I won’t ever use those again. I saw your noodle pre-boil idea in response to another comment, so I’ll try that hack in this recipe next time.
Richa
Oh good to know. I use the Whole Foods 365 brand and they always cook evenly. Yes use regular lasagna noodles!
Liese
If we wanted to use regular lasagna noodles that we cook before assembly, instead of the no boil noodle, do we just omit the water? Any change to the bechamel?
Richa
Soak the regular noodles in boiling hot water for 5 minutes, then use. Use 1 1/2 cup water in the sauce . The regular noodles also will absorb enough water and the sauce thickens on baking, so you would still need enough liquid
Liese
That sounds like a much faster way to use regular lasagna noodles, thanks for the tips!
Vegan Richa Support
yay!