Christmas Eve Lasagna

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Christmas Eve Lasagna

Yield: 12

Author: Brooke McKasson

Prep time: 35 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 H & 20 M

I just happened to make this on Christmas Eve but of course it will taste great year round! Just a note before you begin: make sure you have enough pasta to make four complete layers of noodles in your dish. Some boxes have more or less than others and the no-boil noodles are sometimes smaller in size, so it might take more.

Ingredients

• For the Cheese Layer:
• 1 batch of cashew ricotta (see below)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup shredded vegan mozzarella (I used Miyoko’s Classic Plant Milk Mozzarella)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• Cashew Ricotta
• 2 1/2 cups raw cashews (macadamias would also work well) soaked in warm water for at least 1 hour, then drained
• 1/3 cup water (more if needed)
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice to taste
• 1 tbsp Bragg’s Roasted Garlic Nutritional yeast (optional) - regular nutritional yeast works too, just add 1/2 tsp garlic powder as well)
• Sea salt and and fresh black pepper to taste
• For the Sauce:
• 1/2 lb ground Italian sausage
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste
• Red pepper flakes - optional - I like a pinch
• 2 24oz jars of your favorite marinara* (I used Bertoli Organic Olive Oil Garlic and Basil)
• *If your marinara doesn’t contain any sugar, add an optional 1 tsp of organic sugar (or sweetener of your choice) to taste.
• Lasagna Noodles
• 2 boxes gluten free lasagna noodles* (I used Tinkyada Brown Rice Lasagna Noodles)

Instructions

1. Cooking Instructions - Oven 350
2. Prepare the cashew ricotta by combining listed ingredients in a blender or food processor - blend or process until smooth, add a little more water if necessary, and adjust the seasonings to taste. We’re looking for the consistency of regular ricotta, of course :) Transfer to a bowl.
3. Stir the eggs, mozzarella, and freshly chopped parsley into the ricotta and set aside until it’s time to assemble (or refrigerate if making ahead of time).
4. Brown the ground beef and sausage in a large skillet or Dutch oven, season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, drain fat, stir in the jars of marinara and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, covered, for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Skip this step if you’re using no-boil noodles. If your noodles do require boiling before assembly, follow directions on the package making sure to remove them a couple minutes short of the full cooking time. Rinse under cold water and try to separate them quickly as best you can.
6. Assemble your lasagna. In a 9x13 casserole (or any rectangular baking dish), spread a small amount of the marinara sauce, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Place one layer of lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Spoon about 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture on top of the noodles, then a layer of the marinara on top of that. Repeat the process two more times (noodles, ricotta, marinara), topping with one final layer of lasagna noodles. Spread remaining marinara on top of the lasagna (no ricotta this time), sprinkle the top evenly with shredded vegan mozzarella (to your own taste preference), and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and garnish with a sprinkling of freshly chopped Italian parsley and basil.

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