White Lasagna with Spinach and Almonds – VEGAN version

When I did this recipe for the Yoga Center, I adapted it using non-dairy cheeses.  This way, you can crave this lasagna without concern if you eat cheese or not…  I am sure you’ll not be dissapointed.

WHITE LASAGNA with SPINACH AND ALMONDS – Vegan Version

 4-6 lasagna noodles – I use DeBoles NoBoil Rice lasagna noodles

1 tbs olive oil

2 tbs sofrito

3-4oz Toffutti Better -Than-Cream cheese cheese

1 cup soy milk

1 ¼ cup shredded Soya Kaas mozzarella style cheese, divided

1 ½  tbs cornstarch, dissolved in ½ cup of water

Sprinkle of Salt, Garlic Powder and freshly cracked black pepper

1 cup frozen spinach measured frozen, defrosted and squeeze out of most the water but still wet

1/3 cup marcona salted almonds – but any almonds will work

1/2 cup Veggie Parmesan cheese

1. Pre-heat over to 325 degrees F.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add sofrito and cook for a few minutes.
3. Add in the Tofutti cream cheese and whisk in together until the sofrito and cream cheese are incorporated.
4. Whisk in soy milk. Add in 1 cup of the Soya Kaas cheese and whisk every few minutes to make sure the cheese melts well and does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Reserve the rest for the lasagna topping. Season sauce with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add in the diluted cornstarch. Make sure you the cornstarch is diluted well and is not settled in the bottom of whatever container you’re using to mix it.
5. The sauce should have a light creamy consistency. Is important the sauce be more on the liquidy side because we’re using no-boil rice pasta and the “liquidy” consistency will help the pasta cook. So you might want to err on the side of a liquidier cream sauce rather than a tight creamy sauce.

 

Now we assemble the lasagna…

1. In the bottom of a small casserole dish, spoon a few ladles of the cream sauce. Layer lasagna noodles. Spoon more sauce, so the noodles are always touched by sauce on the top and the bottom.
2. Distribute evenly the thawed spinach in a layer. Sprinkle a bit of garlic salt and pepper. Sprinkle a light layer of the Veggie Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle a 1/3 of the almonds. Spoon a few ladles of the sauce.
3. Place another layer of noodles and spoon some sauce over them.
4. Repeat step #2.
5. Repeat step #3. This will be your last layer of noodles. Pour the remaining sauce all over the last layer of noodles. Sprinkle with veggie parmesan cheese and the remaining ¼ cup shredded Soya Kaas mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the last bit of almonds you have left.
6. Cover the casserole dish and bake in oven for 30 minutes.
7. Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes until cheese on top is golden brown.
8. Turn oven off and leave in there for a few minutes until lasagna cool a bit and sets.