Disappearing Lasagna

Ingredients

For the lasagna

• 6 cups oil-free marinara sauce
• 2 (15-oz) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup pine nuts, raw cashews, or hemp seeds
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
• ¼ cup low-sodium miso
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 oz fresh basil leaves
• ⅛ teaspoon red chilli flakes, plus more as desired
• 2 lb frozen chopped spinach or 1 lb frozen kale, defrosted, drained, and squeezed to remove all the liquid
• 1 large red onion, minced
• 2 lb sliced cremini or baby bella mushrooms
• ¼ cup low-sodium tamari
• 2 cloves garlic, plus more as desired
• 1 (4-oz) can sliced olives, drained and rinsed (optional)
• 2 boxes no-boil brown rice lasagna noodles
• ‘Faux Parmesan’ (see below)

For the ‘Faux Parmesan’

• 1 cup raw almonds or cashews
• ½ cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 tablespoon salt-free seasoning (I prefer ‘Benson’s Table Tasty’)

Method

To make the lasagna

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.

To make the filling, put the beans, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, miso, lemon juice, basil, garlic, and chilli flakes in a food processor fitted with the “S” blade and process until smooth. Add the spinach or kale and process until well incorporated.

In a large non-stick sauté pan, sauté the onion in 2 tablespoons of water until translucent, about 8 minutes, adding more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary to prevent sticking.

Add the mushrooms, tamari, and garlic and sauté until the mushrooms are browned. Taste and add more garlic or tamari as desired. Cook until the mushrooms look glazed and there is no more liquid left in the pan.

To assemble the lasagna, pour 3 cups of the marinara sauce into a lasagna pan or 9 x 13-inch pan. Place one layer of the noodles on top of the sauce. Cover the noodles with half of the bean mixture, then cover the bean mixture with half of the mushroom mixture. Place another layer of noodles over the mushroom mixture and top with the remaining bean mixture followed by the remaining mushroom mixture. Place one more layer of noodles on top of the mushroom mixture and evenly cover with the remaining marinara sauce. Sprinkle the olives over the top and dust liberally with Faux Parmesan.

Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

To make the ‘Faux Parmesan’

In a food processor fitted with the “S” blade or in a blender, combine all the ingredients until a powdery texture is achieved. If you like it chunkier, process it less.

This is much more economical than the store-bought version. We use this as a topping on chilli and soup and on everything from air-popped popcorn and potatoes to steamed veggies.

Chef’s notes:
If you have time, marinate the sliced mushrooms in the tamari several hours in advance or even the night before.
Make sure the top layer of noodles is fully covered with sauce.
If you are avoiding all sodium, omit the miso and use an alternative such as ‘California Balsamic Gilroy Garlic’ vinegar in place of the tamari.
You can also use lasagna noodles made from hearts of palm. These are available online and at many natural food stores.