Zucchini Lasagna (Dairy-free, Gluten-free)

INGREDIENTS

For the ricotta "cheese":

-2-3 cups raw almonds/walnuts/cashews/macadamia nuts

-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

-2 Tablespoons dried basil

-2 teaspoons dried oregano

-1 tablespoons lemon juice

-about 1 teaspoon salt

-2 cloves garlic (or more if you prefer)

-1/2 cup water (+ more if needed)

-28-36 oz of marinara or pasta sauce (the amount depends on how saucy you like your lasagna)

-one medium onion, chopped

-3-4 medium zucchini sliced with a mandolin (I personally like them sliced quite thick with the peeling left on.)

-Optional: 1/2 - 1 lb. ground beef (or your choice of meat)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place nuts in a bowl of water to soften overnight. If you're unable to do this ahead of time. place them in a sealed container covered with boiling water for 10-15 minutes until soft.

2. If adding meat to your lasagna, cook it on the stove top with the chopped onion. Add the pasta sauce to your pot of cooked meat.

3. Preheat oven to 375° F.

4. For the ricotta "cheese": Add softened nuts to a food processor or blender, along with nutritional yeast, garlic, basil, oregano, lemon juice, a splash of olive oil (optional), salt, and water. You may need to add more water as you blend, as you're looking for a well-pureed mixture/paste. Taste test your cheese once you're done blending and add more of what you're missing. Add more nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor and lemon juice for brightness. You'll probably want to add a bit more salt also.

5. Pour about 1.5 cups of meat sauce into a 9x13 inch pan (or any similar size) baking dish. Make a nice even coating in the bottom of the dish.

6. Stack your zucchini slices on top of the meat sauce. If your zucchini slices are thin, I recommend layering them.

7. Scoop small amounts of your ricotta cheese onto the zucchini slices. Use the back of a spoon to spread this evenly. (As you layer your lasagna, always place the ricotta cheese on top of your zucchini so you can spread it, as it's nearly impossible to spread on the meat sauce.)

8. Next, spread on an even layer of meat sauce.

9. Keep layering until you run out of space or ingredients! Meat sauce, zucchini, cheese, repeat!

10. End your layering with meat sauce on top.

11.Bake covered for 45 minutes, then remove cover and bake for at least 15 min. You'll know when it's done by sticking a fork thru the lasagna, making sure the zucchini are soft.

12. Let lasagna cool for 10-15 minutes before serving so that the sauce sets up and isn't too liquid-y.

***This can also be cooked in a crockpot! I suggest cooking it with the lid off for the last 20 minutes or so, as it gets pretty liquid-y.

Recipe inspired by https://minimalistbaker.com/8-ingredient-zucchini-lasagna-gf/