Recipe
The "Green" Lasagne
Lotte Boonstra
Sun, 30 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT
Serves 4-6
Prep 60 min
Cook 35 min
Total 95 min
The "Green" lasagne
This lasagne holds a special place in my heart, even though it's not vegan. It brings back cherished memories of making it in my first adult home, sharing it on my first date with my hubby, and serving it at lively house parties. The combination of zucchini-pesto and roasted bell-pepper sauce makes it an all-time favorite among my friends and family.
I was vegetarian at the time I created it, and throughout the years this has been the most requested recipe by people coming over for dinner. So, to honor my dinner guests, I included the original vegetarian version. But vegans fear not for I have included a veganized version as well!
Zucchini and arugola pesto
What
- 12 zucchini
- 2100 grams of arugula
- 3100 grams of cashew nuts
- 450 grams of parmesan cheese OR 100 grams vegan parmesan and 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast to veganize
- 55 sprigs of thyme
- 61-2 large garlic cloves
- 7½ lemon
- 850 milliliters olive oil
How
- 1Start by cutting the zucchini into small cubes, as this will help them cook faster and release their moisture.
- 2Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a pan and add the zucchini cubes. Sprinkle it with salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until golden.
- 3In a blender combine the cooked zucchini, arugula, cashew nuts, Parmesan cheese, garlic cloves, juice of half a lemon and a drizzle of olive oil. Blend the mixture into a smooth pesto.
- 4Taste the pesto and adjust the flavors according to your preference by adding more cashew nuts, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, garlic, or arugula. Season with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that Parmesan cheese is naturally salty.
Roasted bell pepper sauce
What
- 15 large bell peppers
- 21 small whole garlic bulb
- 315 grams pack of rosemary
- 44 sprigs of thyme
- 550 milliliters olive oil
- 61 lemon
- 71 teaspoon of agave syrup
How
- 1Clean and cut the bell peppers into pieces. The smaller the pieces, the faster they will cook.
- 2Crush all the garlic cloves, remove the skin, and roughly chop them. Although it may seem like a lot of garlic, the slow cooking process will make the taste mild.
- 3In a pan, heat a generous drizzle of olive oil and add the garlic, bell peppers, and thyme. Set the heat to low and let the peppers cook until they are easily pierced with a fork.
- 4Remove the peppers from the pan and place them in a bowl suitable for an immersion blender. Puree them until smooth, or leave it slightly chunky if desired.
- 5Add the lemon juice and balsamic cream. The proportions mentioned in the recipe are for using only red bell peppers. If you use different colored bell peppers, adjust the amount of lemon juice and agave syrup accordingly, as yellow and green bell peppers are more acidic in taste than red bell peppers.
Assembly
What
- 13 balls of mozzarella
- 2100 grams of pizza cheese (or more, if desired)
- 32 packs of fresh lasagna sheets (you may not need all of them)
How
- 1Tear the mozzarella into a separate bowl, reserving some for topping.
- 2Start by spreading a layer of roasted pepper sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Place lasagna sheets on top. Add a layer of zucchini pesto and place some mozzarella in the pesto. Cover with more lasagna sheets. Repeat this process, finishing with a layer of roasted pepper sauce. Sprinkle all the cheese and reserved mozzarella over the lasagna.
- 3Place the lasagna in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 30-35 minutes.
Let's veganize
What
- 150 grams vegan cheese
- 2250 grams vegan sour creme
- 31 tablespoon lemon juice
- 41 tablespoon olive oil
- 51 teaspoon black pepper
- 61 teaspoon italian herbs
- 7Salt to tast
- 8500 grams dried pasta sheets (fresh pasta often contains egg)
How
- 1In a bowl mix the vegan sour creme, olive oil, lemon juice, italian herbs, salt and pepper. Reserve a little for the topping.
- 2Start by spreading a layer of roasted pepper sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Place lasagna sheets on top. Add a layer of zucchini pesto and place some dollops of the sour creme in the pesto. Cover with more lasagna sheets. Repeat this process, finishing with a layer of roasted pepper sauce. Sprinkle all the vegan cheese and reserved sour creme over the lasagna.
- 3Place the lasagna in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 30-35 minutes.
Tips & Tricks
- I don't have vegan parmesan, what do I do? Well vegan parmesan is actually a combination of cashews and nutritional yeast. You can add an additional 50-100 grams of cashews and a tablespoon of nutritional yeast.
- I don't have nutritional yeast, what do I do? Add more vegan parmesan! Add an additional 50-100 grams of vegan parmesan.
- I don't have vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast, what do I do? Well, there is no saving you then. Just kidding. I would just add an additional 50-100 grams cashews.
