Lasagna with Seitan Ragù
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: 30 min
- Cook time: 1 h 10 min
- Serving: 8
- Cost: Average
- Note + 40 minutes for cooking the ragù
PRESENTATION
Lasagna with seitan ragu totally mixes that old-school comfort from Central Italy with a fresh, plant-based twist. It is both familiar and new, you know? In Lazio, lasagna's always been a hearty, family-style dish. The kind that fills the house with those rich, slow-cooked smells on a Sunday.
The switch to seitan gives the vegan lasagna a surprisingly tender bite. Really, it’s like the classic but with its own mellow flavor. Plus, it soaks up all the tomato sauce and herbs. You still get that moist and saucy layering everyone loves. Even skeptics at the table might be shocked at how the plant-based lasagna keeps all the tradition and comfort but leaves the meat behind.
Folks who know their ragù will catch that same cozy, savory feeling here. But honestly, it feels lighter, kind of making room for new ways to gather around the table. And the magic? Some people in Lazio say it's how it brings everyone together, and this seitan ragu version keeps that spirit strong.
Instead of heavy meat, seitan soaks up flavors from garlic, onions, and that slow-simmered tomato sauce. So, you end up with a golden top and crispy edges just like nonna’s—awesome, right?—but with a twist that works for vegetarians or anyone trying something different. It's a dish that really fits anywhere—special Sunday lunches, casual weeknights, or big gatherings—because it holds onto everything people love about traditional lasagna, just with a nod to today’s tastes.
Vegan lasagna like this shows you don’t have to lose any of that savory, nostalgic feeling, even if you swap out the meat. Whether you’re all-in on vegetarian food or just want to try something new, this approach to plant-based lasagna keeps the door open for everyone. Mixing old memories with new ideas, making sure nobody misses out on the good stuff. Add a fresh salad and some crusty bread, and look, you've got a meal that's both satisfying and inclusive, perfect for any occasion. It's a tasty reminder that embracing change doesn't mean leaving tradition behind. For real.
INGREDIENTS
- Ingredients for a 12x8 inch baking dish
- Lasagne egg pasta 21 - sheets
- Grana Padano PDO cheese 8.8 oz (250 g) - (to be grated)
- For the béchamel
- Whole milk 4 ¼ cups (1 l)
- Butter 7 tbsp (100 g)
- Type 00 flour 0.67 cup (80 g)
- Nutmeg to taste
- Fine salt 1 pinch
- For the seitan ragù
- Seitan 2.2 lbs (1 kg) - fresh organic
- Carrots 1.8 oz (50 g)
- Celery 2.1 oz (60 g)
- Red onions 2 oz (60 g)
- Tomato purée 1 cup (400 g)
- Tomato paste 2 tsp (10 g)
- Extra virgin olive oil 1 ⅓ tbsp (20 g)
- Fine salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Dry white wine ⅔ cup (150 g)
How to prepare Lasagna with Seitan Ragù
To prepare the seitan ragù, start by preparing the vegetables for the classic aromatic base. Peel the onion, celery, and carrot; cut them into large pieces 1. Place everything in a food processor 2 and blend until you get a very fine mixture 3.
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the aromatic base 4. Let it sauté over low heat for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is dry. Meanwhile, take care of the seitan. Insert it gradually into a meat grinder 5 to obtain a mince 6. If you don't have a meat grinder, you can finely chop the seitan with a knife.
Add the seitan to the sautéed vegetables 7 and let it brown for a few minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon. At this point, deglaze with white wine 8 and let it evaporate. Once the ragù is dry again 9
add the tomato purée 10, rinsing the bowl with a little water to collect all the purée and make the ragù a bit more moist 11. Mix well and add the tomato paste 12.
Continue cooking over low heat for 40 minutes, stirring often to prevent the ragù from sticking 13. Towards the end of cooking, add salt and pepper 14 and mix well. The seitan ragù is ready 15.
Then proceed with preparing the béchamel: in a saucepan, heat the milk 16, flavoring it with nutmeg 17 and a pinch of salt. In another pot, place the butter 18
And when it's melted, remove it from the heat and add the sifted flour 19. Stir vigorously with a whisk 20 to obtain a lump-free mixture (the roux). Then put the pot back on the heat to lightly brown the mixture. Add the hot flavored milk and stir vigorously with the whisk 21; let it thicken, cooking the béchamel over low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring often.
It's time to assemble your lasagna! Take a 12x8 inch rectangular baking dish, spread some béchamel on the bottom 22 and lay the egg lasagna sheets on top: 4 sheets, placed horizontally and slightly overlapping, to create a thick layer 23. Cover with a thin layer of béchamel 24,
spread it well and then distribute the ragù 25 on top in an even layer. Finally, distribute a little grated Grana Padano PDO 26, sprinkling it evenly. Cover with a second layer of lasagna, this time laying 3 sheets, in a vertical direction opposite to the first layer so that they are crossed 27.
Cover this layer with béchamel 28 and continue with the ragù, the parmesan, and a new layer of lasagna placed horizontally. Continue like this, alternating ingredients and the direction of the egg lasagna layers, until you get 6 layers. Finish by sprinkling the last layer with plenty of parmesan 29, then bake the composed dish in a preheated static oven at 390°F for about 30 minutes (or in a fan oven at 355°F for 20-25 minutes), until the layers are soft and the parmesan crust is golden brown. Your lasagna with seitan ragù is ready to be enjoyed!