To be from an Italian family and create a cheese-less lasagna…I might as well hand in my Italian card right now. Bummer, since I was only one stamp away from a free cannoli. But seriously, let me tell ya’ll, this ‘ish is good. I’ll be honest with you, I was very, very, VERY worried about attempting a cheese-free lasagna.
To my past self I only have one thing to say: If you go a recipe that is a healthier riff on a classic and expect your food to taste like it does when you use the typical ingredients, you will be disappointed. But if you look at a meal and appreciate it for what it is you’ll be pleasantly surprised. In the words of my fella, “For a cheese free lasagna, it’s pretty damn good!”
If you need help locating the noodles I used, check out these noodles. I found them at my local Whole Foods if you’re not an online shopper.
Recipe Note: In a lot of my recipes I say “salt to taste” because everyone has different salt levels they enjoy. Word to the wise for this recipe: please, please, PLEASE don’t forget to salt your pasta water! This really in a non-negotiable here. If that pasta is bland your dish will be bland. No matter how much salt you have in the filling. Taste as you go and make sure each layer is going to have enough flavor! (If it does happen to slip your mind, add a little salt between the layers before baking!)
| Prep Time | 30 min |
| Cook Time | 30 min |
| Servings |
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- 1 head cauliflower cut into large chunks
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 box gluten free lasagna noodles
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 1/2 cups matchstick carrots
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 small zucchini grated and squeezed in a cheese cloth to remove excess liquid
- 3 1/2 cups packed spinach roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Ingredients
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- In a large pot bring 6-7 cups of salted water to a boil. Add cauliflower and the bay leaf. Boil 8-10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender. Do not drain!
- Transfer cauliflower from water to a large bowl and set aside. Discard the bay leaf and reserve 1-2 cups of the cooking liquid. Return the rest of the liquid to the pot and save for later. (will be used to cook the pasta)
- In a large fry pan over medium high heat add 1 tsp olive oil. Once oil is hot add onions and cook till translucent, 5-7 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes more until garlic is fragrant. Remove 1/4 cup of the onion and garlic mixture and place into the bowl with the cauliflower.
- Add the carrots and celery to fry pan with remaining onion and garlic, salt to taste, and cook down 3-5 minutes until carrots are just tender.
- Add spinach, salt to taste, and cook until wilted. Remove the fry pan from heat.
- Time to bring the pot of water back to a boil. Once boiling add lasagna noodles and cook according to package directions. (Be careful here, rice noodles tend to be done in less time than the package states, and these will be baked to continue cooking as well. I did about 2 minutes less than the package said.)
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Meanwhile in blender/or with a stick blender, blend the cauliflower onion and garlic mixture adding 1/2 cup of reserved liquid at a time until desired consistency is reached, salt to taste.
- Drain the noodles and toss with just a little olive oil to keep them from sticking together.
- Time to assemble! In a large baking dish, (12x8x3) place a thin layer of the cauliflower sauce followed by a layer of noodles. Next add a layer of zucchini, a layer of mixed veggies, and repeat three times finishing with noodles and sauce.
- Bake covered 30 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Salt is very important in this dish! Salt everything well and you'll be sure to have a flavorful dish!
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This would be a great Sunday meal, as it took me a couple of hours to prepare. I added mushrooms and fresh parsley to the list of vegetables. I only used fresh vegetables and I added peppercorns to the boiling water for added flavor. I am on a no salt diet due to having thyroid cancer and I didn’t think this dish was bland at all. The fresh herbs really brought out the flavor. I enjoyed this dish very much and I will absolutely make it again.
Where do you add the parsley?
I added it along with the spinach. I substituted a yellow pepper for the carrots because I didn’t have carrots at the time. I also added mushrooms.
I found that this took a lot longer than what was suggested (double time) and also needed more veggies and sauce than what the recipe calls for. I think it’s going to turn out great though, after doubling my sauce and veggies. I also added some Nutritional Yeast and a little Dijon to the sauce in the blender for some added zing.
When do you add the parsley and olive oil? Do you add it with the spinach?