Mom's Lasagna-Gluten, Egg and Dairy Free

photo from tessadomesticdiva.com

I love this dairy free version of lasagna here at tessadomesticdiva.com. I make lasagna with Daiya mozzarella, roasted zucchini, red pepper and tomato sauce. This has a fun alternative dairy free ideas!

1 box lasagna noodles (there is no real science here, if you like yours really noodly, then add more!! If you get a box with mostly broken noodles, break them all up and layer pieces instead, lasagna is just a casserole after all!   I used Tinkyada Lasagna Noodles to make it gluten-free.

Red sauce:
1 pound ground meat or sauteed veggies for a vegan option
1 large jar favorite spaghetti sauce (or 24oz crushed tomatoes and a can of paste)  Tonight  used myhomemade roasted vegetable blender pasta sauce!

2t herbs of choice (I added basil, oregano)
garlic salt to taste

Cheese Sauce I
8oz shredded mozzarella
8 oz cottage cheese
8 oz grated parmesan or pecorino romano

“Cheese” Sauce II/Pine Nut Cream – dairy free option

1 cup pine nuts soaked in cold water at least 2 hours, or raw cashews
1 T lemon juice
1 T nutritional yeast
8oz mozzarella style vegan cheese, such as Daiya cheese

Boil lasagna noodles following the directions (I used Tinkyada Brown Rice noodles- yum!), rinse with cool water, toss with a bit of oil to keep them from sticking, set aside. I have noticed I do not cook Tinkiyada noodles as long as they suggest, about HALF the time, so be safe and test a noodle!

Brown the ground meat with some garlic salt. Add in the tomato sauce of your choice, along with the herbs. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning to your personal taste. Choose your cheese sauce and prepare:

Cheese Sauce I -  Mix all the cheeses together in bowl.

Cheese Sauce II – Puree all ingredients except the cheese in a food processor until they are silky smooth (an
d if you are feeling creative, add some herbs in here too for added pizazz.  Oregano, basil, thyme, Italian Seasoning are all good options). When smooth, add the Daiya cheese, and pulse a couple of times to mix.

Assembling: Put a ladleful of red sauce to coat the bottom of the pan…this is a little trick so the noodles don’t stick to the bottom. Then layer the noodles, cheese sauce, red sauce, and repeat until ingredients are used up. I like to end with the red sauce and a sprinkling of cheese. Cover and freeze at this point if you are saving for later. (Notice  the dollops of meat sauce and cheese sauce, the layers don’t need to be completely covered, it will all melt and blend together in the oven, promise!)

Bake in a 350 degree oven for apx 30 minutes until heated through.