Cashew Ricotta Lasagna
Cashew Ricotta Lasagna
Looking for a dairy free lasagna that doesn’t use that gross fake cheese? This is it! Using only real, whole foods with flavor and texture that is out of this world!
You’re gonna want to make this ASAP!
I fell in love with this cashew ricotta recipe after my friend Jaclyn shared the Stuffed Shells recipe from Kristin Cavallari’s cook book.
I decided stuffing shells was way too much work and I couldn’t find GF shells, so I turned it into a lasagna!
If you’re looking to cut out dairy or gluten OR just want a healthier version of lasagna, this is it!
The best part? Your family will LOVE it!
Definitely one of my most popular dishes!
serves 8
INGREDIENTS
1 lb lean ground turkey or grass fed beef
1 tsp each garlic powder, paprika, and oregano
salt + pepper
1 onion chopped
1- 15 oz. jar of organic, sugar free spaghetti sauce (I like Rao’s)
2 cups raw cashews*
Pink Himalayan salt
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 egg
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 TBL dried oregano
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 package brown rice lasagna noodles (I like Tinkyada)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350
Bring a large pot of water and a pinch of salt to a boil. Add lasagna noodles. Turn water to a slow boil and cook for about 5 minutes, just until soft. Place noodles on a plate and put aside.
To make the cashew ricotta, place the cashews in a high-powered blender or a food processer and add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons water. Add the lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt. Blend on high speed until smooth, using a spatula to scrape down the sides of the blender as needed.
Place cashew mixture in a medium bowl. Add the spinach, egg, basil, oregano, a pinch of salt, and the garlic. Stir to combine.
Cook turkey or beef in a pan with chopped onion until browned. Season with garlic powder, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper.
Layer a 9 x 13 baking dish, layer your ingredients: 1/3 of the sauce, a layer of noodles, 1/2 ricotta, 1/2 the cooked meat, 1/3 sauce, noodles, ricotta, meat, noodles, the rest of the sauce.
Cover with foil and cook in the oven until cooked through. About 30 minutes. If you like, remove the foil and broil on low for 5 minutes.
Garnish with more fresh basil, red pepper flakes and enjoy!
I like to serve my lasagna with roasted green beans or broccoli- just toss with olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, throw on a baking sheet and add to oven with 20 minutes left of the ricotta time.
*if you want to make your ricotta extra creamy, boil your cashews in water for 10-15 minutes before adding to the blender
most of my recipes are inspired by what I find online and are modified to fit my dietary preferences. I often use the picture from the originating website and do not claim ownership of these photos or recipes.