The BEST Vegan Lasagna.

Begin by preparing the eggplants by trimming them and then slicing them into 1/2-inch thick "filets." Then, add a tiny pinch of salt to both sides of each filet to draw out the excess liquid. Place them on a kitchen towel or paper towel for about 15 minutes.

Rough chop your Italian sausage links and place them in a food processor, together with garlic cloves, and walnuts. Pulse for about 30 seconds until you achieve the consistency of small pebbles. Set aside. Then, to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add some extra virgin olive oil, followed by finely diced onion and the Italian sausage mixture. Sauté for about 2 minutes until the onion is fragrant and add finely diced carrots. Sauté for an additional 2 minutes until the carrots are just beginning to get soft. Set aside.

After the eggplants are done "sweating," preheat your oven to 450° F. Then, prepare the tempura batter by whisking together the tempura batter mix, a pinch of salt, and 1 1/4 cup of cold water in a large, but shallow pan (I used a medium brownie pan). Next, add panko to a shallow tray (I used a sheet pan), together with Italian seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Dip each of the eggplant filets into the tempura batter, followed by a light coating of panko. Set them on a baking sheet (I needed two). Give them a good spray with some cooking spray (or a drizzle of oil) and place them in the oven for about 25 minutes. Flip the eggplant and bake for another 7 minutes, until both sides are golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and set them aside.

To make the ricotta layer for this vegan lasagna, simply add your vegan ricotta to a large bowl, and mix it together with the fresh chopped parsley, JUST Egg (or plant-based milk), 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Set that aside.

For the creamy béchamel, begin by adding a little vegan butter to a deep, medium-sized pan over medium heat. When it's just melted, add the flour. Whisk over low heat until the mixture turns bubbly and a light caramel color (about 2 minutes). Whisk in your plant-milk until it becomes thick and bubbly (about 2 minutes). Then, whisk in your vegan mozzarella and continue stirring until the mixture is smooth and creamy (about 2 to 3 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous helping of salt. Then, add your lasagna noodles to the pot and boil lasagna noodles until they are al dente (i.e., about 3/4 of the time they need to be totally cooked). To keep them from drying out and sticking as you assemble the lasagna, keep them submerged in water.

First, preheat your oven to 375° F. Then, to a large casserole dish (12" x 9"), add the following (in this order): 2 cups of the tomato sauce to the bottom of the pan, cooked lasagna noodles (cutting them to make them fit if necessary), 3 to 4 generous dollops of ricotta mixture on each strip of pasta, 3 to 4 large spoonfuls of Italian sausage mixture scattered loosely over the noodles, 4 to 6 breaded eggplant filets, 2 cups of the tomato sauce, cooked lasagna noodles, 3 to 4 generous dollops of ricotta mixture on each strip of pasta, 3 to 4 large spoonfuls of Italian sausage mixture scattered loosely over the noodles, 4 to 6 breaded eggplant filets, half of the creamy béchamel, cooked lasagna noodles, 3 to 4 generous dollops of ricotta mixture on each strip of pasta, 3 to 4 large spoonfuls of Italian sausage mixture scattered loosely over the noodles, remaining tomato sauce, remaining half of the creamy béchamel, and grated parmesan and black pepper.

Place the vegan lasagna in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes. Then, increase the temperature to 450° F and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the top of the lasagna is golden brown. Allow the lasagna to cool and set for at least 15 minutes before enjoying.