Lasagna, oh yeah

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It’s been decades since I have had lasagna and I got a weird craving for it this summer (ok no craving is weird when you are pregnant but still lasagna isn’t exactly a summery food). I had never made lasagna before, always being intimidated by its layers and multiple types of cheeses and meat. But really nothing can stand between a pregnant woman and a craving so I dove into figuring out how to make this cheesy, layered pasta dish gluten AND dairy free … and I succeeded!

Enjoy the fruits of my labor here. I’ve included some shortcuts and also the full on homemade version depending on what you are in the mood for.

INGREDIENTS

  • Mainly Vegetable Bolognese

  • 2C dairy free mozzarella

  • 1C dairy free parmasean (we like the dairy free cheese options from Trader Joe’s - both mozzarella and parm are great in this recipe)

  • 1-2C dairy free ricotta either from Kite Hill or you can make your own (50/50 over here on which we do)

  • 1 box Barilla oven ready gluten free lasagna noodles

  • **see notes below for tips on making this meal go smoothly

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 375F and spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray

  2. In a bowl mix mozzarella and parmesan cheese together

  3. In another bowl, thin out dairy free ricotta by adding 1 tbsp of cold water, stirring, and repeating until desired consistency is achieved. DF ricotta tends to be thicker and hard to spread so this is helpful as you begin to layer.

  4. Pour 1 cup of bolognese sauce on the bottom of the pan and spread evenly. Place four sheets of lasagna side-by-side, slightly overlapped, covering the sauce.

  5. Top the lasagna sheets with 1 cup of sauce, ¼ of the shredded cheese mix and ¼ of the ricotta, spread evenly or dolloped, personal choice.

  6. Repeat Sauce-Noodle-Cheese 2 more times

  7. the final layer should be Noodles-Sauce-(you will add the final bit of cheese at the end of the baking).

  8. This will result in a 4 layer lasagna. The first time I made this I only had 3 layers and it was more soupy more that I had hoped. The key really is in thin layers.

  9. Cover with foil; bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil, add the remaining cheese, and bake an additional 15 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Broil for 2-3 minutes if desired.

  10. Let rest at least 15 minutes before serving, you can wait up to 45, lasagna holds heat very well and if you don’t let it rest you won’t get those sturdy squares which is so indicative of a lovely lasagna!

**Notes

Bolognese - I use this bc like the recipe says it’s a great way to get veggies into a meal that would otherwise be lacking. I make it in double or quad batches and freeze and take out what I need for dinners or things like this!

Ricotta - If you make your own, I prefer cashews but you can also use almonds for a delicious creamy ricotta. Make sure they don’t have the skin before starting the recipe.