Vegan Pesto Spinach Lasagna with Cashew Ricotta

Preheat oven to 350°

 

 

Cashew Ricotta Filling

3 cup cashews, soaked for 2 hours or more

2 Tbs. Nutritional yeast

1 t. salt, ½ t. white pepper

 

 

Spinach Pesto

1 lb. pk org. froz. chopped spinach

1 onion,

1 Tbs. chopped garlic

¾ cup pesto

 

Sauce

1 32 oz. Jar Organic Marinara Sauce

2 Tbs. minced garlic

1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes

1 onion

1 yellow or orange organic pepper                                           1 lb Miyoko’s Cashew Mozzarella cheese,

¼ cup white wine                                                                        grated

1 box organic rice lasagna noodles

½ cup chopped parsley

 

Directions

Make pesto according to directions below.

For sauce, sauté onion, garlic and pepper in olive oil in stock pot. When soft, add ¼ cup white wine. Cook for 5 minutes, then add marinara sauce, can of diced tomatoes and ¼ cup chopped parsley.

Meanwhile, drain the cashews and pulse in food processor with 3 cups water, nutritional yeast, Salt and pepper. Pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust S & P.

In a skillet, sauté the onion with garlic, until translucent. Defrost the spinach and squeeze out all excess water. Add spinach to the onions and garlic, and sauté for a few minutes. Add ¾ cup pesto to the spinach mixture. Save the remaining pesto for another time.

 

Assemble the Lasagna

Cover bottom of lasagna pan with sauce, Then add a single layer of dry lasagna noodles, right out of box. Spread ½ of cashew ricotta filling over noodles. Add ½ of the spinach pesto over the cashew ricotta and sprinkle with 1/3 of grated mozzarella cheese. Cover with a layer of sauce, and then repeat, with the noodles, ricotta and spinach. Cover with sauce, add one more layer of noodles, cover with sauce, and the remaining grated Miyoko’s mozzarella cheese. Cover with tin foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, uncover and cook for another 20 minutes, until a fork pierced into noodles are soft. Garnish with remaining ¼ cup of fresh chopped parsley.

 

Vegan Pesto

 

4 cups Basil leaves

8 cloves garlic

¾ cups toasted pine nuts

1 cup Olive Oil

1 Tbs. nutritional yeast

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ t. pepper

 

 

In food processor, pulse the basil until finely chopped. Add garlic

cloves, salt, pepper and pine nuts. Pulse some more, scrapping down sides to incorporate all of the mixture. When fully pureed, add the olive oil while the food processor is running. The mixture will become thick. Add the nutritional yeast and mix.