Embrace the intersection of pumpkin season and slow cooker season and make my Vegan Slow Cooker Pumpkin Lasagna. It’s my favorite weekend dinner because it cooks in about 2 hours. If you don’t do soy you could sub nut ricotta, and it has an oil-free option too!
Is your slow cooker still in the cabinet? If you’ve been neglecting your slow cooker, it’s time to put it back on your kitchen counter. Make this pumpkin lasagna your new best friend and last-minute weekend dinner.
This recipe is from my very first book, The Vegan Slow Cooker
Why make vegan slow cooker pumpkin lasagna?
It’s the perfect dish to serve at a dinner party or for family dinner on Saturday night. Not only that it’s easy to make, but also hearty enough for non-vegans to enjoy. Just add a green salad and some garlic bread and everyone will be happy!
What if I’m allergic to soy?
This vegan version is a twist on the traditional ultra-heavy lasagna. Instead of pre-made vegan ricotta, it uses a homemade pumpkin tofu version. If you are allergic to soy, you could use nut ricotta or even Kite Hill’s pre-made almond ricotta.
I love adding pumpkins as my main ingredient in some of my recipes. They are incredibly rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Their low-calorie content makes them a weight-loss-friendly food.
Pumpkins are nutritious powerhouses, that’s why they’re considered a superfood. Whether cooked sweet or savory, made into soup, added into bread, pumpkins are very filling.
How do I make pumpkin-tofu ricotta?
Blend the olive oil (or water or Aquafaba to make oil-free) and the rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor until a paste forms. There may still be some lumps, but don’t worry, it’s just okay.
Add the remaining ricotta ingredients and blend until creamy. If the mixture is too thick, you add a little water. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Where do I store my pumpkin-tofu ricotta?
You can store your ricotta in an airtight container in the fridge. Once you open it, you can consume it within 3-6 days.
What if I don’t have sun-dried tomatoes?
If you don’t have sun-dried tomatoes, canned tomatoes will work but the sauce will be thinner. You can also use canned plum tomatoes or Italian San Marzanos.
Sun-dried tomatoes have a considerably stronger sweet-tart flavor than fresh tomatoes, so a small amount goes a long way. They also have a more chewy texture.
You’ll need to rehydrate your sun-dried tomatoes with liquid unless you buy them packed in oil. Sun-dried tomatoes should be covered in warm water and soaked for two hours at room temperature as a general rule. Another way to increase the flavor is to soak them in wine or broth rather than water.
Ingredients to make vegan pumpkin lasagna
To make the pumpkin-tofu ricotta:
You’ll need olive oil, or make it oil-free with or Aquafaba. Then gather Sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated, tofu (silken, soft, or firm), pumpkin puree, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, onion powder, minced garlic, salt and pepper.
To make the lasagna:
- Marinara sauce
- Whole-wheat lasagne noodles
- White beans drained and rinsed
How to make pumpkin lasagna
First, spray the crock with olive oil so you won’t have a nightmare clean-up on your hands later on. Spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of the slow cooker.
Break off the corners on one side of each noodle so they fit snugly in the slow cooker. You can add the corners in as well. Place a single layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles.
Spread another thin layer of sauce over the ricotta and sprinkle one-third of the white beans on top of that.
Repeat the layers two more times, ending with the last layer of lasagne noodles, and then top that with more sauce. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or on high for 1½ to 2 hours, until a fork, will easily go through the middle and the pasta is al dente.
Here’s a tip: you may add ½ cup (120 ml) extra sauce or water if you need to leave it an hour or two longer.
Can you make lasagna in a slow cooker?
Yes, of course! But it is not a dish that you throw together on a workday morning and come home to at night. Pasta in the slow cooker is a little touchy.
What does touchy mean? Well, I’d make this the moment you get home so you can keep an eye on it.
If your slow cooker runs hot it will be done faster. But once you make it once, you can adjust it to cook perfectly in your slow cooker all the other times.
Be sure to check out my slow cooker faq page for more slow cooker info, including how to pick out a slow cooker for you.
More Pasta recipes
I love veganizing this Lasagne al forno recipe. That usually means meat but this starts of swapping the mushrooms for the meat. All you have to do is use vegan cheeses, butter, and plant-based milk to make this delicious dish vegan!
Slow Cooker Protein Packed Pumpkin Lasagna
Ingredients
PUMPKIN-TOFU RICOTTA INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , or use water or aquafaba to make oil-free
- 3 medium sun-dried tomatoes , rehydrated (pour boiling water over them and let them sit for 5 minutes)
- 1 pound tofu (silken, soft, or firm)
- 1.5 cups pumpkin
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 cloves garlic , crushed
- Salt and pepper , to taste
LASAGNA INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 14 ounces whole-wheat lasagne noodles , about ¾ package
- 1.5 cups white beans , drained and rinsed
Instructions
- the night before:
- To make the pumpkin-tofu ricotta: In a food processor, blend the olive oil (or water or aquafaba to make oil-free) and the rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes until a paste forms. There may still be some lumps.
- Add the remaining ricotta ingredients and blend until creamy. Add a little water if the mixture is too thick. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- in the morning:
- To make the lasagna: Spray the crock with olive oil so you won’t have a nightmare cleanup on your hands later on.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of the slow cooker. Break off the corners on one side of each noodle so they fit snugly in the slow cooker. You can add the corners in as well.
- Place a single layer of noodles over the sauce. Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles.
- Spread another thin layer of sauce over the ricotta and sprinkle one-third of the white beans on top of that.
- Repeat the layers two more times, ending with a last layer of lasagne noodles, and then top that with more sauce.
- Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or on high for 1½ to 2 hours, until a fork will easily go through the middle and the pasta is al dente.
- Note: Add ½ cup (120 ml) extra sauce or water if you need to leave it an hour or two longer.
Nutrition
Melissa says
Wow this sounds good. I am going to have to try it asap!
Deb Bixler says
Sounds great and is just the kind of recipe I love. I am definitely making this one. Thanks, Deb
Anna Down Under says
What size jar of marinara sauce do you use? I have to convert to Australian (metric) sizes so I’m wondering if it’s closer to the 500g or 733g size jar.
Kathy Hester (geekypoet) says
Hi Anna – here are some of the conversions for this recipe. Please email me if you need any others. I’m planning to update the site for both measurements, but I’m not sure when this year I will do it.
1 jar (24 ounces, or 672 g) marinara sauce, store-bought
1 package (15 ounces, or 420 g) silken, soft, or firm tofu
1⁄4 cup (24 g) nutritional yeast
About 3⁄4 package (10 ounces, or 280 g) whole wheat lasagne noodles (the regular kind, not the no-boil noodles)
1 can (141⁄2 ounces, or 406 g) white beans, drained
and rinsed, or 11⁄2 cups (340 g) homemade
Kathy Hester (geekypoet) says
Oh – and all the recipes in the cookbook have both measurements already. It’s just the website I need to update.
Anna Down Under says
Thanks heaps. Of course, our products come in different sizes, even with the conversion. That’s always a problem for me when I try to make some of the vegan recipes I find online. For instance, I can’t get tofu in packages of 340g (12oz) or 425g (15oz). So I’ve either got to use less, or buy two packages and throw some out. And strangely enough, I’ve never found any lasagna noodles here that were NOT the no-boil kind. Maybe they won’t work then? I’ll give it a try and let you know. I’m an American who moved to Australia 8 years ago, so I’ve had a lot of product differences like this to adapt to.
Beth says
How many does it serve, please? Thanks, Beth
Kathy Hester says
It serves between 4 to 6 depending on what you have on the side.
Margaret Harris says
This looks amazing. Lately I’ve seen silken tofu in two sizes — 16 oz. refrigerated and a smaller size packaged for long shelf life. Which one of those do you use here?
Kathy Hester says
I use the smaller ones that are shelf-stable.
Heidi L. says
If I don’t have a slow cooker, is there an oven version?
Kathy Hester says
If you have any lasagna you make now in the oven with dry noodles it should cook about the same amount of time. I would cook at 350 degrees for 40 to 60 minutes.
Julie says
Do you need to cook the noodles before putting them in the crockpot, or do you put them in dry? This recipe looks amazing BTW!
Kathy Hester says
Put them in dry, they will cook fine in the casserole.
Cara O'Sullivan says
Hi, do you know if this would work well in an electric pressure cooker?
Kathy Hester says
I’m sorry, but I have no idea. I’ve not made a lasagna in my pressure cooker before.
Debbie C says
In the years since you first posted this the recipe for the pumpkin ricotta has apparently gotten lost – could you repost it? Or maybe I’m just not seeing it?
Kathy Hester says
I switched recipe plugins and I think it got lost. It’s added now. Thank you for letting me know <3
Debbie C says
Got it – Thanks!
Kelly says
I don’t see the pumpkin ricotta recipe – can you please repost? Thanks 🙂
cynthia says
I can’t see the pumpkin ricotta recipe, either. Please repost — this looks amazing!
Kathy Hester says
I switched recipe plugins and I think it got lost. It’s added now. Thank you for letting me know <3
cynthia says
thank you — this works now. can hardly wait to try it!!
EMC says
I’ve made this before but it was on a weekend…. which was great, don’t get me wrong! But I was wondering if I assembled the night before, kept it in the fridge until I got home from work and then plugged it in….. would it be a mess? Soggy? Do you think there’s a chance it might work?
Catherine @ Ten Thousand Hour Mama says
I’ve now made this recipe a half-dozen times from your book, and it’s DELICIOUS every time. I am making it again this week!
Sharon says
If we’re SOS free, any suggestions on what to blend with sun dried tomatoes instead of oil?
Kathy Hester says
You can just use water or aquafaba.
Alyna says
What temp should the recipe be made at? That’s missing from the instructions.
Kathy Hester says
Sorry about that – I’ve updated the whole recipe. I lost part of it when I switched recipe plugins.
Victoria staples says
For the pumpkin ricotta could I use tinned pumpkin instead of fresh or would it be too watery?
Kathy Hester says
You can use tinned pumpkin.
Carla Sokol says
I have 3 oz bags of sun dried tomatoes. How much would you suggest I use instead of 3 medium ones?
Kathy Hester says
Maybe 1 tablespoon?