Healthy Holiday Lasagna: Vegan Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe

By: Barb Biagioli

Something about lasagna sounds like home. But traditional lasagna is often laden with heavy cheeses and semolina pasta; and while delicious, these ingredients can often be upsetting for the stomach, especially at holiday gatherings. Instead, try a twist on this year’s lasagna recipe – with homemade cashew ricotta, layers of zucchini, and homemade marinara sauce – a dairy-free, egg-free, sugar-free, gluten-free holiday staple that’s just as delicious as it’s meat and cheese counterpart.

A great dish to make to feed a crowd, hosts and guests alike will be appreciated for this contribution to the holiday round-up.

 Vegan Gluten-Free Lasagna Recipe

 Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 60 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes | Servings: 8-10

INGREDIENTS

• 2 medium zucchini

• 1 box brown rice lasagna noodles, uncooked

Cashew Ricotta:

• 4 cups raw cashews, soaked

• 3 lemons, juiced

• 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tablespoon dried basil

• 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 tbsp water

Marinara

• 2 28 oz whole peeled tomatoes

• 2 medium yellow onion, lightly chopped

• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled but left whole

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak the cashew for at least 4 hours in a bowl of water. Once soaked, rinse and add to a blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients, blend until smooth, and set aside. (Note: add in the water in small spurts, otherwise your cheese will become liquid. You may need more or less water than is accounted for in the recipe depending on your blender).

2. Meanwhile, prepare the marinara. Add all of the ingredients to a pot and simmer for 30 minutes, until the onions and tomatoes have cooked down and are "melty". Add to a blender or use an immersion blender to blend into a sauce, based on your preference of consistency.

3. Preheat the oven to 375F and slice the zucchini into long strips and set aside.

4. Assemble the lasagna. Add sauce to the bottom of a casserole dish and begin by adding the noodles. Layer with ricotta and zucchini, then sauce. Repeat the process until you reach the top of the pan. Add extra sauce to the outside of the casserole dish to ensure that the noodles are covered and cook down.

5. Cover the casserole dish and bake the lasagna for 50-60 minutes. Remove the cover and allow to cool for another 5 – 10 minutes until slightly crisped. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

* I don't cook with aluminum foil. Instead, I used a large cookie sheet to cover the casserole dish and it cooked down great. I also added a bit more marinara sauce halfway through.

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