This is what you’ve been waiting for-a recipe that is ultimate comfort food and perfectly healthy at the same time! Butternut Lasagna is made with no pasta, but used squash roasted with out oil. And instead of ooey-gooey cheese, there is creamy goodness made from low-fat tofu and a cashew béchamel sauce.
No-one will believe that this is oil free and made from whole plant foods! It has a soft, luscious texture from the tofu to the squash.
Pasta Alternatives
If you are looking to avoid processed pasta, squash is a wonderful substitute and extremely healthy. There are lots of other vegetables you can use as well:
- potato
- zucchini
- eggplant
- cabbage
Filling Ideas
Also I think this recipe would be great with other fillings as well:
- mushrooms
- artichokes
- spinach
- basil
This recipe is also perfect for making ahead of time, allow it to cool and cut into individual portions to freeze. When you re-heat, just add a little extra sauce on top so it’s nice and juicy!
- 1 pack extra firm tofu, pressed
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 1½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup cashews, soaked 1 hour, then drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- black pepper to taste
- 1 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes (whole and peeled)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 pinch black pepper (or to taste)
- ½ butternut squash, roasted
- 1 cup San Marzano tomato sauce (see recipe) (save the rest for serving lasagna)
- 1 recipe tofu ricotta (see recipe)
- 1 cup cashew cream sauce (see recipe)
- 2 cups greens, chopped
- Garnish: more tomato sauce, cashew cream, fresh tomato and fresh basil
- Pre-heat your oven to 400 F.
- For the San Marzano tomato sauce, open the can of tomatoes and drain the juice. Place the tomatoes in a food processor, along with the sea salt, oregano, chopped garlic, and black pepper. Pulse until a chunky sauce has formed.
- For the Tofu Ricotta, remove the tofu from the package and discard the liquid. Place the block of tofu on a plate lined with 2-3 paper towels. Place a few more paper towels on top of the tofu and press gently down on the block. You can also place another small plate on top of the tofu and weight it with a bag of rice, or some other weight. Press until much of the water has been pressed out.
- Transfer the pressed tofu to a medium sized mixing bowl and crumble with your hands. Mix in the lemon juice and zest, sea salt and black pepper. Set aside
- For the Cashew Bechamel, blend the cashews with the water, nutritional yeast and sea salt until smooth.
- For the roasted butternut squash, cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Place the butternut on a sheet pan, cut side down and roast for 1 hour at 400 F. The squash is ready when you can easily pierce it with a knife. Remove the squash from the oven and slice into ¼” thick slices across the squash horizontally. Remove the skin carefully from the edge of each slice. Set aside until ready to build the lasagna.
- To build the Butternut Lasagna, take 9” square cake pan and spread some of the San Marzano tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan in a thin layer.
- Spread a layer of roasted butternut squash slices over the tomato sauce.
- Spread half of the tofu ricotta over the butternut squash. Drizzle some of the cashew béchamel generously over the ricotta. Top with tomato slices and greens.
- Cover the greens with another layer of butternut squash slices.
- Spread another layer of marinara, followed with the rest of the tofu ricotta, and some more cashew béchamel.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes at 400 F and then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes uncovered.
- Heat the rest of the tomato sauce in a small sauce pan or in your microwave.
- Ladle more hot tomato sauce sauce on top before serving, and drizzle with cashew béchamel. Garnish with fresh basil and tomato.
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