Cashew ricotta and spinach-filled gluten-free vegan lasagna.
This is the best gluten-free vegan lasagna I have had so far. Not only has my main family tasted it, but my extended family, as well as some of my closest friends. It is a hit with everyone, even the kids.
Eliminating cheese in a vegan diet can be challenging, but over time I have learned various ways to make different types (and still learning… I have no idea how to make a gooey, stringy cheese). Ricotta and mozzarella are typically used in traditional lasagna. Here I use cashews to make a replacement for the ricotta, and I also use my homemade Vegan Parmesan Cheese (again made with cashews) sprinkled all over the top layer.
To make this one a bit more simple, I only added spinach as my main vegetable (aside from the tomato sauce). When I began my interest in creating my own version of a lasagna, the previous few lasagnas I made had shredded butternut squash in the layers along with the spinach. I do really like it with but in this recipe I wanted to simplify it… to be honest, I also get lazy at times and want to just skip the process of peeling and shredding the butternut squash to save on some time. I have yet to add other vegetables in but I say go for it, add your favourites, switch it up. I am bound to do the same at some point once we get bored of this one.
Yes, the finished product here looks like it’s dry and cracked but I promise you it is not dry. Those gluten-free noodles don’t always want to hold their shape. I find if I spread my last layer of sauce thicker in the middle part it helps this issue, but really overall it holds its shape as long as you don’t pre-boil the noodles for too long.
Savoury Gluten-Free Lasagna
The best gluten-free vegan lasagna that is simple but full of flavour. This baked casserole dish will be a hit with everyone.
- high speed blender
- Baking dish
- 12 gluten-free lasagna noodles
- 2 cups cashews (, pre-soaked)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar ((or lemon juice))
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 clove of garlic
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 4.5 cups pasta sauce
- 2 cups spinach (, packed (divided into 3))
- ½ cup Vegan Parmesan ((follow the link for my recipe))
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Noodles
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and boil the lasagna noodles for 4 minutes (unless otherwise specified by the ones you get). Once they are done, lay them out on a non-stick mat or parchment paper.
Cashew Ricotta
To a high-speed blender, add soaked cashews, water, apple cider vinegar, nutritional yeast, garlic, onion powder, and sea salt. Blend until smooth.
Assembly
Spoon 1 cup of pasta sauce into a baking dish (I use one that is 11 x 6.5 x 2 inch) and spread it evenly along the bottom.
1st, 2nd, and 3rd layer
Add 3 lasagna noodles gently and evenly on top of the sauce.
Add ½ cup of cashew ricotta on top of the noodles and spread it evenly.
Add 1 cup of pasta sauce, and spread it evenly again.
Sprinkle ⅓rd of the spinach.
Top layer
Mix the remaining pasta sauce and cashew ricotta together and spread evenly on the last row of lasagna noodles.
Evenly sprinkle the top with ½ cup Vegan Parmesan.
Baking
Bake for 30-40 minutes, uncovered.
Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Add any vegetable you want in your layers. Get creative and switch it up when you get bored.
- When I started to create my own lasagna, I began following a recipe that included shredded butternut squash (I’d give credit to who or where if I could remember, but thank you to them regardless). It is yummy with that along with the spinach.
- After 30 minutes in the oven, I check on mine every few minutes. If you are finding that the top is burning, you could cover it to protect it while it finishes to cook. (I tend to use a cookie sheet laid right over it when I am warming up any leftovers).
- This makes a great freezer meal. I let mine defrost before warming it up.
Did you make this recipe?
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