In partnership with Impossible Foods.
When it comes to recipes, I am never a traditionalist. I always cook through instructions at least once, and then I start to tinker to my heart’s content — a few extra cloves of garlic, a dash of cream, shrimp instead of scallops, whatever! I always joke that this tendency likely has my Italian-American grandmother just twirling in her grave, but as I often write about in my newsletter Sunday Sauce, cooking is all about self-expression!
So when I got my hands on some Impossible Ground Beef from Plants, I decided to incorporate it into one of my classic recipes — lasagna. Impossible Meat is a great substitute for those who love the taste of animal meat but don’t always want to eat it, whether that’s for environmental reasons or health reasons. (All reasons are valid!) I was pleasantly surprised that Impossible Ground Beef not only looked like animal meat but tasted like it too! It worked into my recipe completely seamlessly, and save for a few seasoning adjustments, I didn’t have to change much of anything.
This lasagna is definitely labor-intensive, but it freezes like a dream and can be made in multiple stages, so you can prep a little when you have the time. And if you’re a little wary of plant-based meat, don’t be. I fed this to my fiancé and didn’t tell him I’d made the switch and he had no idea. Not to say you should be ~sneaky~, but even meat eaters will love this lasagna. Here’s how to make it:
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 – 12 oz packages Impossible™ Ground Beef From Plants
- 3 – 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 – 1 lb box lasagna noodles
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 6 cloves of garlic, grated
- 1 lb whole milk ricotta
- ½ lb mozzarella, shredded
- 1 egg
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 tablespoons, plus two teaspoons garlic powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and garlic, and sauté to sweat but do not brown.
- Add in your Impossible Ground Beef and season with 1 tablespoon of parsley, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally to break up the meat, until it is fully browned.
- Add in canned tomatoes, plus the other tablespoon of both your parsley and garlic powder. Stir, and then add 1/2 a can of water to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer, and then turn the heat down and let cook for about an hour.
- In another larger pot, boil your lasagna noodles for five minutes only — they should still be very stiff. Drain and run under cold water until cool. (Don’t worry! They’ll continue to cook while they bake.)
- In a large bowl, mix your ricotta, most of the shredded mozzarella (set aside ¼ cup for topping), eggs, parmesan (save about 2 tablespoons for topping), 2 teaspoons of parsley, 2 teaspoons of garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- In a 9 x 9 baking dish, lay down a thin layer of sauce. Place a layer of noodles on top, making sure they overlap slightly.
- Using a slotted spoon or strainer ladle, scoop your sauce, shaking it a bit to remove excess. You want the extra sauce to fall away from the meat so that the filling is mostly seasoned meat. Spread the mixture over the noodles, making sure they are well covered and the meat is evenly distributed.
- Dot small dollops of the ricotta mixture over the lasagna, making sure they’re evenly spaced. Top with another layer of noodles, gently pressing as you lay.
- Repeat steps 7 and 8 two or three more times, depending on how deep your lasagna pan is. You should end up with a clean layer of noodles on top. Spread some more sauce on top and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over it.
- Gently cover your lasagna and bake in a 375 degree oven for an hour. Then, remove the foil and let it cool for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10-20 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!
