Tricolore lasagne recipe

This vegan tricolore lasagne recipe is the pinnacle of creative whole-food cooking. In place of a sat-fat-laden white sauce, a cashew version provides all the creaminess plus heart-healthy fats and, combined with a rich tomato layer and a vibrant green pesto, this colourful bake makes for an impressive yet relaxed dinner-party dish.

 

Ingredients (serves 8-10)

 

For the lasagne:

12 lasagne sheets

 

For the tomato sauce:

1 onion

1 carrot

1 courgette

3 large mushrooms

1 stick celery

1 large clove garlic

1tbsp olive oil

400g tin chopped tomatoes

500g carton passata

1tbsp dried basil

1tsp yeast extract (Marmite)

2tsp vegetable stock powder such as Bouillon

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

For the pesto:

50g fresh basil

50g pine nuts

1 large clove garlic, crushed

½tsp nutritional yeast flakes

2tbsp olive oil

1tbsp lemon juice

Generous pinch salt and pepper

 

For the creamy sauce:

50g cashews

250ml water

3tbsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic, crushed

½tsp vegetable stock powder such as Bouillon

2tsp nutritional yeast flakes

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

 

Method

Heat your oven to 200°C/329°F

Prepare the pesto. Add the basil, pine nuts and garlic into your blender and blend, allowing them to break down. Then add in the olive oil, lemon juice, yeast flakes, salt and pepper. Blend all of the ingredients again, until the mixture has become smooth and creamy. When this is done, remove the pesto from the blender and scoop into a bowl, setting aside until later.

Next, make the creamy sauce. Add the cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic, vegetable stock, yeast flakes and pepper into a blender. Then, blend all of the ingredients together until smooth. When this is done, pour the cream into a jug and also set it aside until later.

Now, prepare the tomato sauce. Add the onion, carrot, courgette, mushrooms, celery and garlic into a food processor. Blitz them together until finely chopped. Then, add the olive oil into a large pan/wok and place onto a medium heat. Pour in the chopped vegetables, and fry for 3-4 minutes until golden. Then add in the chopped tomatoes, passata, vegetable stock, oregano, yeast extract, and salt and pepper. Continue to cook for another 5-6 minutes.

At this point, pour the creamy cashew mixture into another pan, and place onto a low medium heat. Heat through alongside the tomato sauce for the remaining 5-6 minutes, stirring and allowing the sauce to thicken. Then, when the time is up, remove both of the sauces from the heat.

Now, assemble the lasagne. Lay four of the lasagne sheets onto the base of a fairly large heatproof dish. Then pour half of the tomato sauce on top of it. Next, scoop about half of the pesto on top of that, a spoonful at a time. Drop the spoonfuls of pesto randomly on top of the sauce, then, using a knife swirl it into the tomato sauce. After this, drizzle about one third of the creamy sauce on top in a swirling pattern, using a spoon.

Next, press another four lasagne sheets on top. Then top with the remaining half of the tomato sauce – sparing about 2-3tbsp worth for the final layer. Then, swirl the remaining pesto on top – sparing about 1tbsp for the final layer. Finally, drizzle with another third of the creamy sauce.

Then, press the final four lasagne sheets on top of that layer. Pour the remaining creamy sauce on top, spreading with a spoon to cover the lasagne sheets. Then, take the remaining tomato sauce and pesto, and swirl on top of the creamy sauce. When this is done, transfer the lasagne into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until heated through.

When the lasagne has cooked, remove it from the oven, slice into portions and serve.

Find more recipes at http://harrietemily.com/tricolore-lasagne/