Nibbles with Nelly
3 cheeze all plant-based zucchini lasagna is no joke!
Hello, and welcome back to the Blue Barn Farm and Sanctuary! Last week I mentioned something about an abundance of zucchini in the gardens right now. Well today we're going to talk about one of my most favorite zucchini loving recipes. Lasagna has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. Living my life as vegan, and choosing to be more compassionate in my food choices, I thought that I could no longer have one of my all-time favorites. I was so wrong! This recipe is not quick, but it is relatively easy. As you can see from the pictures, there are few different pieces that go into making this fabulous and delightful dish. One of which is a nice big healthy serving of zucchini!
Let me start off by saying I love using brown rice noodles for pasta dishes. This occasion is no exception. I was really pleased with how the noodles cooked perfectly al dente. Here's the trick: resist the urge to cook the noodles while you're making the sauce. Dedicate time to making the sauce first. Then, set it aside while you’re cooking the noodles. You will be very happy that you did. I've made the mistake of doing too many things at once in the past, and the noodles end up getting done long before the sauce is ready. I always ended up with a bunch of sticky noodles, probably over cooked, all piled together, and no sauce to lay them out with.
Plants are where it’s at!
Cheeze doesn’t have to come from animals to be delicious.
The next important piece to having a good lasagna is the ricotta. I found a fabulous tofu-based ricotta recipe at thecheaplazyvegan.com. I was dubious at first, but trust me it was the perfect edition to this masterpiece.
Of course another intrinsic aspect of this dish is all of the fresh organic produce. I'm talking garlic, onions, shiitake mushrooms (but any variety will do), and zucchini. Any good lasagna also needs a healthy portion of fresh basil.
Italian Sausage
Also made from all plants…YUMMY!
As if all of this was not enough to make your mouth water, I'm also going to tell you another little secret. Field Roast makes a delicious vegan Italian sausage. I would be lying if I said it didn't set this dish off. Coupled with the fire roasted tomatoes, herbs, and spices, this combo created one of the best and savory red sauces I've ever had!
Since this was my first time making my own ricotta, I wanted to make sure I was happy with the results before I jumped head first into making the sauce. Once I was satisfied with my vegan cheeze, I knew the rest would be relatively easy. Getting all those beautiful ingredients together in one big pot, and letting them simmer while you prepare the noodles is a great way to finish off this adventure. As my Dad would have said, “they have to get to know each other”.
Now that you have all the parts, you just need to put it all together. Start off with a layer of sauce, then noodles, then ricotta. Oh, and I added Miyoko’s vegan mozzarella as well before beginning my next layer of sauce. On the top, for that extra flavor, some grated vegan parmesan. Oh my goodness! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!
As I was searching recipes, I was a little bummed out to see so many pictures of dry lasagna. I like mine really saucy! You can see from my pictures that this one turned out just saucy enough. It's delicious. It's good for the planet, and the leftovers are fantastic!
The next time you feel like taking an afternoon to cook, I highly recommend putting this on the menu. With all the delightful fresh straight from the garden zucchini available, it’s is the perfect time of year for it! Use up one of those big beautiful zucchinis, and make your taste buds happy all in one fell swoop! Leave a comment below, and let us know how yours turned out.
As always, we appreciate your kindness, compassion, and empathy. Stop by the Blue Barn Farm and Sanctuary next week to see what other wonderful masterpieces you can make with zucchini…and chocolate.
Miss Nelly Rose