Spinach & Wild Mushroom Lasagna with Basil Almond Cream
On weeks I work a lot, I like to make giant pots full of something to bring for lunch all week. I like it full of protein to keep me from snacking, be easy to reheat if I get the chance, and if not- taste good enough cold to enjoy. After weeks of chili and potato based soups, I was craving something a little different. With plenty of dehydrated mushrooms from late summer gathering and lots of fresh spinach in the fridge, I got to work using up those GF lasagna noodles I picked up so long ago. We were pleasantly surprised with the amount of flavor in this dish, and loved the almost meaty texture of the mushrooms. Topped with a little homemade parmesan cheeze, it was a serious treat as leftovers for three days before we'd gobbled up the whole pan. And don't worry- we give instructions for regular 'boil' noodles and the often criticized (but equally delicious in our opinion) 'no-boil' noodles. Let's eat!
Basil Almond Cream Sauce:
1 cup soaked almonds 2 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon dijon mustard 1/2 cup nutritional yeast 3 tablespoons dried basil OR a heaping 1/2 cup fresh basil 1 cup water Soak 1 cup almonds in warm water for at least an hour. Drain the almonds, set aside, and save 1 cup of the soaking water for blending. Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor until a creamy consistency is reached, about 30 seconds to a minute. Scoop into a bowl and set aside to use later in the lasagna. Spinach & Wild Mushroom Lasagna: 1 box (about 9 ounces) gluten-free no-boil lasagna noodles* 25-30 ounces of pasta sauce (about 3+ cups) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large yellow onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1.5 ounces of dried, wild mushrooms OR 8 ounces fresh wild mushrooms, roughly chopped** 4 packed cups fresh spinach 1/4 cup water 1 tablespoon dried oregano salt & pepper to taste 1/2 recipe vegan parmesan cheeze OR about 1/2 cup of your favorite parmesan substitute *If using noodles that require boiling, cook to instructions on package, drain, and use in place of the noodles in our recipe. Also, remove about 10-15 minutes earlier than the total cook time of about 45 minutes that ours requires. **You can use your favorite mushrooms from the grocery store, too. Button, cremini, and chanterelles would all be great here.
Instructions:
If you haven't already made the Basil Almond Cream Sauce, do that (recipe above.) If you have, start here: Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a 9 x 13 in. baking dish. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet and toss in onions and garlic, and cook until onions are softened and turning slightly translucent. Add mushrooms, water, and spinach by the handful, stirring to wilt spinach and help mushrooms absorb the water. Cover with a lid and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5-8 minutes or until spinach is wilted and mushrooms have absorbed all the liquid and onions are beginning to caramelize. Add in spices and simmer one more minute. Remove from heat and set aside. Now, pull out that lightly greased casserole dish and spread about 1 cup of pasta sauce across the bottom. Top with noodles, about 4 per layer, spread evenly across and covering the sauce. Next spread about 1/2 of the Basil Almond Cream across the noodles, top with half of the spinach & mushroom mixture, sauce, and more noodles. Do another round of Basil Almond Cream, cooked veggies, and noodles, saving the last of the sauce to cover the top layer of noodles and prevent them from burning. Finally, sprinkle the top with your parmesan cheese, cover with a lid or aluminum foil, and bake for 45-50 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is slightly browned. Let cool, slice, and enjoy! Saves well in the fridge for about a week.
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12 Comments
Kim
1/20/2014 09:57:17 pm
This sounds heavenly with one exception: I am allergic to almonds (and all tree nuts & pine nuts). Do you know of an alternate way to make the cream? Thank you for such a great site!
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Amber link
1/21/2014 05:49:38 am
Oh no! Well, though I haven't yet tried it, I think using hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, or even cooked cauliflower would work here in place of the almonds. Best of luck & let us know if you have luck with one of them, we'd love to offer our other nut-free readers an option!
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Channing
12/11/2014 04:32:20 am
You could try silken tofu. Just drain the excess water and pat it dry with paper towels.
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Amy
1/21/2014 10:23:59 am
This looks delicious! What is your recommended brand of GF no-boil noodles? I've never bought them before. Thanks!
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Amber link
1/21/2014 09:28:44 pm
Hi Amy! We used a brown rice-based brand called Jovial that we found at the health food store. Here the link: http://www.jovialfoods.com/brown-rice-lasagna.html
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Sylvia
1/23/2014 01:46:16 am
Hi Amber,
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Amber link
1/23/2014 10:30:52 pm
Hi Sylvia! We used just regular, raw almonds- skins on! The skins contain nutrients and flavenoids that are too delicious to peel away. Use regular whole almonds here, and save the skinless ones for sweets and stir-frys!
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chow vegan link
1/23/2014 01:52:01 pm
Making a big batch always seems like a lot of food but somehow it always disappears a little too fast. This looks like one of those dishes. Gotta try that almond cream sauce. :-)
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Coulinjo
6/6/2014 08:14:39 pm
I want to eat this until I am so sick of it that I can't move! I made it with sweet potato thinly sliced instead of pasta - really, really good :) Thank you.
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Paula link
10/20/2015 08:18:35 am
Hi, what is the pasta sauce? Like tomato sauce? Thanks!
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Amber link
10/20/2015 01:00:27 pm
Hi Paula! Yep, any type pf tomato sauce (something you'd use on spaghetti) works here just fine.
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Dawn Kowalewski link
8/19/2016 02:34:23 pm
I am on a Fettle Vegan kick this week. 26 years vegetarian and 9 months vegan. So here is a lasagna recipe...worried I would miss the cheese. OMG yet another to-die-for recipe...2 of us ate the whole pan in 2 days!! tonight, making way for Jackfruit Asada Tacos...
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