I was digging something out of the freezer the other day when a frozen container of cashew cheese jumped out and fell to the floor. Part of the container shattered and my only option was to defrost it to transfer to another container. I decided that I’d leave it out and use it up in a lasagna, which has been an idea floating around my head for a while now.

It turned out really, really good. It was definitely a much lighter version of a typical lasagna and the only part that I sort of missed was the crispy cheesy top of a traditional lasagna.  Other than that, we really enjoyed it, but I would still only call this recipe a near success.  To me, a fully successful recipe is one that all three of us will eat and enjoy. I think there was too much going on and Emma just wouldn’t even try this. She did eat some of the leftover noodle scraps topped with marinara sauce and seemed to enjoy that quite a bit. I suppose she enjoys more simple foods.

Vegan Lasagna

*I made a small dish of it so that we wouldn’t be eating it for days and days. You may need to adjust the measurements according to how big you are making yours.

9 sheets lasagna noodles, cooked per package directions

2 cups cashew cheese

2 zucchini, roughly chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup kalamata olives, halved

1/2 cup green olives, quartered

2, cups marinara sauce

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

In a medium sauce pan, heat about 1 TB olive oil over medium low heat. Add the onions, garlic and carrots and cook for several minutes until the veggies are tender. Add the zucchini, 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce, olives and basil and remove from heat. Taste and season for S&P if necessary.

Spray the baking dish with cooking spray. In the bottom of the dish, spread a small amount of the extra marinara sauce and put down your first layer of noodles. It should fit 3 across. On top of the noodles, spread about half of the cashew cheese and top the cheese with half of the marinara/veggie mixture. Put down another set of noodles. Spread those noodles with most of the remaining cashew cheese, but save enough to spread the top layer of noodles with a small amount. Top with the remaining marinara/veggie mixture. Put down the rest of the noodles, top with cashew cheese and the rest of the extra marinara sauce. Baked uncovered at 425 degrees for about 30 minutes until the top and sides are bubbly.