🥒🦃 Turk-ini Lasagna 🦃🥒
Clean Comfort Food can DEFINITELY be a thing, and this Turk-ini Lasagna proves just that! The Cashew Ricotta “Cheese” Sauce is so creamy and flavorful, it’ll seriously make you question how the hell it’s vegan! The “noodles" are soft & fork tender, yet still hold up perfectly to your piled high layers of lasagna! It’s got all of the elements that you enjoy from traditional lasagna, minus the dairy, gluten, & bloat! You literally can have a GIGANTIC portion and feel absolutely no guilt! It’s hearty enough to have on it’s own as a meal, but you could also serve it with a side dish! I made a Whole30 Potato Salad to go with mine that I’ll be posting later in the week! Besides being delicious, this recipe is Whole30 Compliant & Paleo Friendly! Bon Appetit!
INGREDIENTS:
Turk-ini Lasagna
5 Medium Zucchini
1 Lb. Ground Turkey
1 Onion, chopped fine
4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
2 Cups Spinach, chopped fine
25oz Jar Whole30 Compliant Marinara Sauce
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Rosemary
1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley, chopped fine
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil, chopped fine
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Cashew Ricotta “Cheese” Sauce
2 Cups Raw Cashews(soaked for 4+ hours)
3/4 Cup Dairy Free Milk
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
5 Cloves of Garlic
1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
Salt & Pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 375 F. Using a Mandolin Slicer, slice your Zucchini lengthwise into 1/8inch thin slices. Lay slices out on a wire baking rack and sprinkle with salt. This is called making the Zucchini “sweat” which will dry out your Zucchini Noodles, allowing for a less “watery” lasagna. This step completely transforms the zucchini from a vegetable to a very flexible noodle so I highly recommend not skipping this step! Using 2-3 wire baking racks at once will make the most efficient use of your time!
To complete the sweating process, transfer wire baking racks to the oven and allow Zucchini Noodles to bake for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove from the oven and place on a paper towel to allow any excess moisture to be absorbed. While your Zucchini is baking, you can make your “Cheese” Sauce!
Combine all ingredients for Cashew Ricotta “Cheese” Sauce in a blender or food processor and blend until everything is smooth. Be sure to scrape the sides down to allow everything to be evenly mixed, this should take about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.
After your cheese sauce is done and your Zucchini Noodles have been transferred to a paper towel, it’s time to make your meat mixture! Heat a large skillet over medium/high heat. Add your Cooking Oil to the skillet, then add your Ground Turkey & Onion, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add in your Garlic, Oregano, Rosemary, & Salt, and cook until turkey is completely browned. Finally, add in 1 Cup of Marina Sauce, as well as your Chopped Spinach and cook for 1 more minute, mixing everything together. Remove from heat.
Spread 1 Cup of your Marina Sauce across the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. Divide your zucchini strips into 3 even piles. Lay the first pile side by side over top the Marina Sauce.
Divide your Turkey Mixture into 2 even piles and spread 1/2 across the Zucchini Noodles, creating a “layered” effect. Divide the Cheese Sauce into 3 even portions and spread one portion across the meat mixture. Sprinkle with Fresh Basil and Parsley, and repeat the layering process for one more layer.
Next, lay your 3rd pile of Zucchini Noodles along your dish, top with the remaining cup of Marina Sauce. Add the rest of your Cheese Sauce like your life depends on it and finally sprinkle with remaining Basil & Parsley! Bake at 375 F for 22-25 minutes and Enjoy!