Fresh, healthy ingredients make this dish a winner
When it comes to dishes like lasagna, I have always hesitated to go vegan and raw. I love the warmth of the bubbly gooey mozzarella cheese and the steaming noodles drenched in tomato sauce. So I was reluctant to try sister Tina’s recipe.
But she urged me to try it. She fell in love with the dish at the restaurant inside Better Health at Frandor and tinkered and tweaked until she came up with this version that she believes comes close to theirs.
So I gave it a try. My only disappointment is that my photo of the dish does not do it justice. But trust when when I say that this lasagna is incredible. Filling. Tasty. Completely satisfying.
But get startd early. It requires a lot of work and a lot of waiting.
INGREDIENTS
Cashew and pine nut “cheese” - great as a spread, too
For the Nut “Cheese”
2 C raw cashews - soaked 4 hours or more in filtered water
1 C pine nuts (damn, they’re expensive)
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T nutritional yeast
2 T olive oil
1 t salt
Up to 1/2 C water
To make the nut “cheese”: Buzz all the ingredients in a food processor using just enough water to reach a nut paste consistency that’s spreadable.
Tomato Sauce
Tomato sauce
2 C sun-dried tomatoes - soaked in water 2 hours or more (do not use the ones packed in oil)
4 medjool dates - pitted and soaked in water
2 cloves garlic
1/2 sweet onion - chopped
2 C roma tomatoes - seeded and chopped
1 T oregano or Italian seasoning
2 T olive oil
2 T fresh lemon juice
To make the tomato sauce: Buzz all the ingredients in a food processor
Basil Pesto
Pistachio-basil pesto
2 C washed basil leaves - tightly packed
1/2 C shelled pistachios
1 clove garlic
1/4 C olive oil
1 t salt
1 t fresh lemon juice
To make basil pesto: Buzz all the ingredients in a food processor
Fresh Tomato Layers
6 roma tomatoes - washed and dried
Sprinkling of salt
To make tomato layers: Cut off ends of tomato and squeeze out extra juice. Slice tomatoes into quarter-inch slices and sprinkle with salt. (Let stand for a half hour to draw out more water and discard the extra water.)
Zuccini Noodles
5 zucchinis (courgettes) - sliced thin using a mandolin or Feemster
4 T olive oil
Black pepper
To make zucchini noodles: Put ingredients in a bowl to marinate
Spinach Topping
4 C washed baby spinach - remove big stems
1 T olive oil
Sprinkle salt
To make spinach topping: Put all ingredients in bowl at least an hour before assembly to spinach starts to wilt
Assembly
Here is the order of the layers beginning at the bottom of a lasagna pan (or the French white ceramic Corningware I used):
- Lay a layer of zucchini noodles on the bottom of the pan, overlapping the “noodles”
- Place half the nut “cheese” on top, spreading it as you would riccotta cheese
- Layer half the pesto on top and spread it to the edges
- Use a silicone scraper to spread half the tomato sauce on top
- Layer roma tomato slices on top
- Repeat the zucchini, nut cheese, pesto, tomato sauce and tomato layers
- Put the wilted spinach on top
Wrap your finished dish in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for at least an hour (two or three is better). You want the flavors to marry and the dish to firm up, which makes slicing easier.
Slice like traditional lasagna and serve on individual plates.
