Salsa di Zucca Lasagna
(aka Pumpkin Sauce Lasagna)
Fall is in the air! My favorite time of year.... the air gets chillier,
the leaves begin to turn and squash is in full season! My favorite to experiment with is Pumpkin.
So many things you can do with pumpkin....
and as with all things it is best when fresh and in season.
Which makes any meal prepared with fresh pumpkin such a treat.... even in California, it is only available in the Autumn. I decided I wanted to see how I could incorporate it into one of mine and Garfield the cats favorite Italian dishes ~
LASAGNA!!
First you must wash, seed and cube pumpkin.
Steam until fork tender (10-15 minutes).
Reserve the liquid from the steaming.
Let cool, then remove skins and puree in blender with the reserved liquid,
scraping down with a spatula until fully pureed.
Wash and strain pumpkin seeds. Boil in salted water for 10 minutes, drain & cool. Hull using your finger nail or paring knife.
Prepare the sauce:
Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in pan & add:
1 chopped onion
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp basil
1 tsp sage
1 tsp thyme
2 dashes nutmeg
Sauté till onion, garlic and herbs until tender/caramelized.
Add 1/2 cup dry sherry and reduce.
Add pumpkin puree and simmer.
Transfer to a sauce pan on low, add 3 healthy squirts agave nectar(to taste), stir.
Next to Prepare vegan Parmesan!
Thanks to my dear Pea for this recipe!
Mix together the following:
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds (I'm allergic to walnuts)
1/2 cup finely chopped nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp sea salt
It should look something like this.
Prepare Tofu Basil Ricotta (recipe borrowed from Veganomicon):
1lb firm Tofu (crushed with hands in a large bowl till crumbly); add
2 tsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 tsp salt
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
(mush with hands again 2-5 minutes until ricotta cheese consistency); add
2 tsp olive oil (stir with fork) & add
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
Combine all ingredients well, cover & refrigerate.
I was very pleased with how this portion came out and I was quite impressed with the sprouted tofu. It was the first time I have tried it and it is the firmest I have found so far. A big winner.
Next for the veggie layer.... I wanted to incorporate zucchini and porta bella mushrooms.
This part is all about timing and not overcooking.
Sauté:
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic minced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
cook till soft, then add
8 oz portabella mushrooms sliced lengthwise
cook maybe 5 minutes more; then add
6 zucchini sliced lengthwise
cook briefly, al dente.
I put a lid on the pan to briefly steam.
I always pick the lower number in timing (for example if it says 7-10 minutes, I pick 7) and this will assure the al dente style and keep the noodles from falling apart when you assemble. I also turn off the heat during the last minute and leave the noodles in the hot water until I am ready to use them, pulling them out one at a time, allowing them to drain individually.
Time to assemble!
Layer twice in an olive oil greased casserole dish:
half lasagna noodles
half vegan ricotta
half mushroom veggies
half Pumpkin sauce
Top with Daiya, vegan parmesan cheese, cover & bake @ 350 for 35 minutes.
Pull from oven, let it stand ten minutes, cut into sections, top with parmesan cheese, raw pine nuts & hulled pumpkin seeds (if you were successful or purchased raw).
This experiment has been deemed AWESOMELY SUCCESSFUL!! So successful that I must confess I am enjoying leftovers at 4 a.m. while I write this blog! So successful that even my non-vegan family members and friend loved it..... I will say it is SUPER YUM and will definitely make this again.
Light and Love
Happy and Healthy Eating
~ Melanie
Comments
Post a Comment