Meatless Monday: Zucchini and Greens Lasagna

Today's Meatless Monday share is more assembly instructions than actual recipe, but it is one of my favorite hearty meals: LASAGNA!  Most of my lasagna recipes are a bit more complex and involve long preparation. This one, however, was more of a "time to clean out the fridge" invention. The ingredients, for the most part, are ones that most people are likely to have on hand, or can easily acquire.

First, I had a zucchini that was the mother of all zucchinis (or maybe the big sister) so I knew that it would make for a good number of layers. I really wish I got a picture of this guy. It made the other zucchini in my fridge look like baby squash. Next, I had some greens that were starting to wilt, namely arugula and spinach, followed by a bit of tomato sauce (homemade, is best, of course, but jarred is fine). Lastly, cashew cream that can easily be seasoned, mixed with some nutritional yeast and turned into "ricotta". This is the one that you're probably least likely to just have sitting around your fridge, but, you know, that's how I roll, so of course I did have some waiting for me. I also chopped up some fresh basil.

Here are the assembly directions: 

Preheat oven to 375.

1.  Thinly slice the zucchini using a mandolin, put it in a bowl and toss with salt. After letting it sit for about 30 minutes, all the moisture will be pulled from the zucchini and you'll have nice "cooked" texture.

2. Spread a small amount of tomato sauce on the bottom of a baking pan or casserole dish. I used one that was about 8 x 9 but you can use whatever size is good for you.

3. Place no bake lasagna noodles over the sauce in a single layer. The noodles are optional. You can just use the zucchini in place of noodles. I like both for a heartier lasagna, but it's fantastic either way. Layer zucchini in a single layer over the noodles.

4. Spread cashew ricotta over the zucchini, then sprinkle with some of the greens. Repeat layers until all your filing is gone, reserving some of the sauce to pour over the top of the last layer. You may sprinkle the top layer with vegan cheese if you'd like. I usually don't.

5. Cover your baking dish and place in oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until noodles are cooked. Reduce time to 15 to 20 if not using noodles.  Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes to set before cutting.