Eggplant Zuke Lasagna with Basil Cashew Ricotta
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A noodle-free lasagna with homemade cashew ricotta and a spicy mushroom filling.
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups tomato sauce
  • 1 eggplant, thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • salt to taste
  • ***For the Basil Cashew Ricotta:
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 cups packed fresh basil, stems removed
  • 3 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ***For the Mushroom Filling:
  • 4 oz or about 8 medium sized crimini mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 oz or about 6 shiitake mushrooms; caps sliced, stems removed and minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • pinch of salt
  • ***Optional:
  • ¼ cup breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup shredded Daiya mozzarella
Instructions
  1. Lay eggplant and zucchini slices on a parchment lined baking sheet, then drizzle with olive oil and salt. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes, until tender.
  2. To make the basil cashew ricotta, combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until all of the major chunks are removed, but it’s not completely smooth.
  3. To make the mushroom filling, heat olive oil in a cast iron pan, then add red pepper flakes, minced shiitake stems and garlic. Let those soften for a minute or two, then add in shiitake caps, crimini mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Saute until all the liquids have been removed and mushrooms are tender and browned.
  4. Assemble the lasagna in a standard sized baking dish however you’d like. As an example, we used a 10 x 7 inch ceramic dish, which yielded three of each layer (eggplant or zucchini noodles, cheese, mushrooms, sauce, repeat). Any standard sized baking dish will work.
  5. If you want a crusty and/or cheesy topping, sprinkle the top layer with breadcrumbs and/or daiya mozzarella.
  6. Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes, until it’s warmed all the way through and browned on top.
Recipe by The Vegan Video Pantry at http://veganvideopantry.com/eggplant-zuke-lasagna-with-basil-cashew-ricotta/