Vegetarian Lasagna

by Nicole
vegetarian lasagna

I am so happy to share with you my newest recipe creation, Vegetarian Lasagna that is both gluten-free and dairy-free.

Who doesn’t love lasagna!? Such a wonderfully warm and comforting dish that makes your belly happy. It’s a great dish to feed the whole family or bring to a potluck gathering. You can easily freeze pieces to enjoy later for a quick meal.

When Core and Rind sent me their Cashew Cheesy Sauces in 3 flavors, I knew right away I wanted to create my very own vegetarian lasagna recipe.

You can see how I used the other two flavours in my recipes for “Cheesy” Broccoli Soup and “Cheesy” Potato Pierogies. They were also a huge hit!

Keeping things gluten-free and dairy-free, this lasagna recipe turned out just great! It’s incredibly filling but also easy on your stomach. I chose to use the Bold and Spicy flavor.

You can use a variety of vegetable combinations, or even add lentils into the mix. I really enjoyed the ones I chose here: zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, red bell pepper, eggplant, spinach, onion, and cherry tomatoes.

Core and Rind

Although it requires quite a few steps, the end product is definitely worth it. This was a hit with both veggie and meat lovers in my household.

Vegetarian Lasagna – gluten-free, dairy-free

Filled with veggies, and absolutley delicious. This dish does not disappoint! Made with Core & Rind's Cashew Cheesy Sauce. This recipe has a lot of steps and moving parts, but it's well worth the hard work!

Equipment

  • Food processor
  • oven
  • Stovetop
  • cookie sheet x2
  • lasagna baking dish

Ingredients

  • 1-2 packages gluten-free lasagna noodles Depending on how many layers you're doing
  • 1 jar Core and Rind Cheesy Cashew Sauce 6 tbsp will be used in the ricotta filling below, and some will be spread on top.
  • 2 cans or jars spaghetti sauce

Veggie Layer

  • 4 large carrots, small dice or sliced
  • 1/2 eggplant, small dice or sliced
  • 1 zucchini, small dice or sliced
  • 225g mushrooms, small dice or sliced approx 10 mushrooms
  • 2 red bell pepper, small dice or sliced
  • 1 small package spinach, roughly chopped
  • 1 255g package cherry tomatoes if you don't love the sweetness of tomatoes in your lasagna, you can leave this out
  • 1 white onion, small dice
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2-3 tsp italian seasoning

"Ricotta" layer

  • 1 medium cauliflower, steamed
  • 1 19 oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, rough chop
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, rough chop
  • 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 6 tbsp Core & Rind's Cashew Cheesy Sauce I used the Bold & Spicy flavor
  • 1 lemon, juiced

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Veggie Layer

  • Prepare 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper
  • To a large bowl add the chopped carrots, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and onion. Toss with a tablespoon of olive oil and 2-3 tsp italian seasoning. Spread out in a single layer over the 2 cookie sheets. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway, until vegetables are soft and tender.
  • In a medium frying pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and the minced garlic. Fry on medium heat for a few minutes until the garlic is lightly browned. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.
  • Add the spinach to the frying pan. Continually stirring over medium heat until the spinach completely wilts. You might want to add the spinach in smaller bunches at a time. Set aside.
  • Remove the roasted veggies from the cookie sheets and put in a large bowl. Toss in the fried garlic, and stir to combine.

"Ricotta" layer

  • Add cauliflower to a steaming pot to steam until tender.
  • Once the cauliflower is steamed, add it to a food processor. Add the rest of the "Ricotta" ingredients except for the basil and parsley. Blend until creamy and fully combined.
  • Add the basil and parsley to the food processor, and pulse a few times to combine. Pour mixture into a bowl and set aside.

Lasagna and Construction

  • Cook the lasagna noodles as per the package instructions.
  • Now the fun part = Construction!
  • In the bottom of your lasagna baking dish, spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce.
  • Add a layer of lasagna noodles (my dish allowed for 3 noodles side by side. Depending on the side of your dish, you might need to cut noodles to make them fit).
  • Spread on a layer of "ricotta".
  • Spread on a single layer of your veggie mix.
  • Using your hands, separate pieces of the wilted spinach and spread across the veggies.
  • Spread on a thin layer of spaghetti sauce.
  • Add a layer of pasta and repeat! I did 3 layers of veggies, with 4 layers of pasta (including the bottom layer and top layer).
  • For the top layer, on top of your lasagna noodle, spread on a thin layer of spaghetti sauce, and then drizzle on a thin layer of Core and Rind Cashew Cheese sauce. I used a spoon to spread it all in, and mix it together.
  • Put the constructed lasagna into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until you see the edges of the noodles start to curl.
  • Remove from the oven and let stand for about 15 minutes before serving.

I’ve added some additional photos here below to accompany the above recipe, to help you get a visual of how it all came together.

gluten free pasta
Roasted Veggies
Sauteed Spinach
“Ricotta” mixture
veggie lasagna

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