Vegan Cashew Ricotta Zucchini Lasagna

Vegan Cashew Ricotta Zucchini Lasagna- a light and healthy take on classic Italian lasagna made with cashew ricotta, marinara and fresh basil. Just as delicious and satisfying as the original! (gluten-free).

If you’re not vegan, please don’t let that word scare you away from this recipe! When I said in the description above that it’s just as good as the original, I meant it. In fact I’d feel confident serving it to the biggest cheese-lovers out there. Because I’m one of them.  :)

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CASHEW RICOTTA

2 cups raw cashews, soaked in water*

juice of 2 lemons

1 teaspoon salt

16 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted

FOR THE LENTIL MUSHROOM MARINARA**

1 small yellow onion, diced

8 ounces mushrooms (such as cremini), chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

6 ounces tomato paste

2 teaspoons dried basil

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

2 cups cooked brown lentils (about 3/4 cup dry)

1 (15 ounce) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes

1 (15 ounces) can diced tomatoes with herbs

1/4 cup dry red wine (optional)

FOR THE LASAGNA

3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/8″ thick

1/2 cup whole grain or gluten-free breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

fresh basil for topping

DIRECTIONS:

To make the cashew ricotta: Drain and rinse the soaked cashews then transfer them to a blender or a food processor, along with lemon juice and one teaspoon of salt. Blend on high until smooth with a texture similar to ricotta cheese. You will probably need to use a spatula to scrape down the sides in between blending. Spoon the cashew cheese out into a large bowl and set aside. Once the frozen spinach has defrosted, place it in a strainer. Fold a few paper towels together and use them to press on top of the spinach so that the excess water strains out of the bottom. Repeat this step until the spinach is mostly dry. Add it to the bowl with cashew cheese and a dash of salt & pepper then stir everything together until well-combined.

To make the lentil mushroom marinara: warm one tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan/skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and the mushrooms, sprinkle with salt & pepper, stir together and cook for another 3 minutes. If you have red wine on hand, pour in 1/4 cup and turn the heat up slightly so that the wine simmers for about 5 minutes. Next add the dried herbs, both cans of tomatoes and their juices and the tomato paste. Cover the pan and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Then stir in the cooked lentils and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Assemble the Lasagna: Preheat the oven to 400°F then lightly grease an 8 x 8″ baking dish. Arrange 4 zucchini slices along the bottom. Depending on the width of your zucchini, you may have to cut one piece in half lengthwise to make them fit. Spread 1/3 of the cashew cheese mixture on top of the zucchini then top with 1/3 of the lentil mushroom marinara. Layer another 4 slices of zucchini on top and repeat the same steps twice more, until you have three layers total. Combine the breadcrumbs and the nutritional yeast in a small bowl. Sprinkle it on top of the lasagna, cover with foil and bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting into separate pieces. Garnish with fresh basil and enjoy!

*Place 2 cups raw cashews in a large bowl and cover with water by a few inches. Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight.

**I prefer to make this with lentil mushroom marinara for extra protein and flavor but feel free to substitute your favorite marinara if you prefer. Depending on how flavorful your sauce is, you may want to add garlic and herbs to the cashew ricotta mixture. Also, please note that the recipe for the lentil mushroom marinara will make more than you need. I like to freeze the leftover sauce to add to pasta or zucchini noodles later on. If you don’t want leftovers, you can halve the recipe for the marinara.