Lasagna is all about layering: alternate noodles, tomato and béchamel sauce in casserole dish and bake. As easy as pie. I like to top the zucchini stripes, as my last layer, with a cheesy almond butter sauce. Top it off with fresh basil and roasted pine nuts and enjoy the delicious plant-based version of an Italian classic.
Slice one of the zucchinis lengthways. Heat some frying oil in a large pan and sear zucchini slices from both sides for 1-2 minutes. Place on paper towel to absorb any extra oil.
Use the same pan to make tomato sauce. Add some oil to the pan, and sauté shallots until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add diced carrots, zucchini and tomato paste. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
Deglaze with a good dash of red wine (or veggie stock/ water). Boil down and add maple syrup to caramelize. Then add canned tomatoes, veggie stock, herbs and spices and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Finally season with salt & pepper.
Add oil to a pot and heat at medium to high heat. Sift the flour and add to the pot stirring vigorously. Add milk and continue to stir vigorously while the sauce gradually thickens. When desired thickness is reached (keep in mind that it will continue to thicken a little more as it cools), remove from heat. Add nutritional yeast and any other spices if desired.
Now's the time to preheat the oven to 420 ° F (220 ° C).
Heat almond butter and nutritional yeast in a small pot. Add oat milk and continue to stir vigorously. Season with salt and garlic (or other spices) and take off the heat.
Layer: start with noodles, followed by a layer of each tomato and béchamel sauce. Next up, another layer of noodles and so forth. Finish the lasagna off with a layer of zucchini slices. Finally spread "cheese" sauce on top of zucchini.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes or until noodles are cooked and the "cheese" topping turned golden.
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