Lasagna

Lasagna

This has become a family favorite, can be prepped ahead of time, is packed full of veggies and makes for great leftovers - winning all the way around! We use gluten-free noodles and cashew cream - this can be made dairy free with the omission of the parmesan cheese.

If you are looking for a vegetarian dish, try my red lentil pasta with roasted veggies. To skip the noodles and amp up the veg, try out the zucchini lasagna. Or to go simple - here is a my meatball recipe which can be mixed with your pasta of choice!

Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes

 Ingredients:

• 2 pounds grass-fed 15-20% fat ground beef or ground chicken/turkey (dark meat)

• 2 TBSP olive or avocado oil

• 1 cup each of chopped onion, carrot and celery

• 1 cup chopped butternut squash (optional)

• 2 cups of chopped kale (I have also a thawed 10 oz bag of chopped spinach in a pinch)

• 1/2 TBSP of garlic powder (make sure there are no hidden starches)

• 1 TBSP each of dried oregano and dried basil

• Salt and pepper

• 1-2 cups of sugar-free tomato sauce (we like Raos or Muir Glen)

• 1/2 -1 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)

• 1 cup of cashew cream (see below - soak 1 cup raw cashews in the fridge for a few hours before making the cream)

• 1 pound of lasagna noodles - We use Jovial brown rice noodles (gluten free, but not SCD or grain free) and cook the noodles 4 minutes in boiling water before assembling the lasagna.

 Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan - sauté chopped onion, celery, carrots and butternut squash if using for 7-8 minutes.

2. Add the ground meat and sauté for an additional 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add 1 cup of tomato sauce - cover the pan and let simmer on low for about 10 minutes.

4. Make the cashew cream: Drain the cashews and place them in your food processor or blender along with some fresh water (about 1/2 cup) —enough to blend the nuts into a cream—and a pinch of salt. Process or blend till smooth and creamy. Add the garlic powder, basil, oregano, pinch of salt and pepper.

5. In 8x8 pan, place 1/4 cup of tomato sauce on the bottom of the pan, then place noodles on top of sauce. Scoop about 1/2 cup of the meat sauce over the noodles and then then spread about 1/2 cup of cashew cream over the meat sauce. Repeat again with noodles, meat sauce and cashew cream,. Then add a final layer of noodles - smother with tomato and sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top.

6. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake covered in the oven for 25-30 minutes and then uncovered for 5-10 depending on how browned you like the cheese and top of the pasta. If you are cooking it out of the refrigerator, I let it sit out for about 20 minutes before baking and then bake 20-30 minutes covered and 5-10 uncovered.