Vegan Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna Rolls with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Rich, hearty lasagna rolls loaded with cashew ricotta, pesto, spinach and mushrooms, topped with a vegan sundried tomato cream sauce.
Category: Main Dish
Yield: 12 lasagna rolls
Ingredients
Cashew Ricotta
  • 1½ cups raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours and drained
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
  • ½ tsp salt
Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce
  • ¾ cup raw cashews
  • ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (the dried kind, not the kind packed in oil)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Pesto
  • 3 cups lightly packed fresh basil
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • ⅓ cup pine nuts
  • 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Noodles and Filling
  • 12 lasagna noodles
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • ½ large sweet onion, diced
  • 3 large portabello mushrooms, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups fresh baby spinach
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • Fresh basil for garnish (optional)
Instructions
To make the ricotta:
  1. Combine drained cashews, water, cider vinegar, garlic and salt in a blender or food processor. Pulse until well-combined but still slighty grainy (like real ricotta). Add an additional tablespoon or two of water if the mixture is too thick (this can depend on how much water the soaking cashews absorbed). Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the sun-dried tomato cream sauce:
  1. Combine cashews, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a blender. Process until very smooth. Set aside.
To make the pesto:
  1. Combine basil, garlic, pine nuts, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice in (guess where!) a blender or food processor. Begin processing and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the pesto is nearly pureed. Add a tablespoon or two of water to thin it slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To make the noodles and filling:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Have a 9x13 baking dish handy.
  2. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook until al dente (usually about 6 minutes, or 2 minutes less than the cooking time on the box). Drain in a colander and spray lightly with cooking spray or drizzle with a bit of oil to ensure they don't stick together.
  3. In the same pot or a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, sprinkle with salt, and cook until browned and releasing their liquid, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and spinach and cook until spinach is wilting, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
To assemble and cook:
  1. Spread about 1 cup of the sun-dried tomato sauce across the bottom of the baking dish.
  2. On a cutting board or work surface, lay each noodle out flat (I work with 2-3 at a time). Spread 2 tablespoons of the cashew ricotta across each noodle, leaving a bit of room at the sides and about ½ inch at the end uncovered. Spread a tablespoon of pesto on top of the ricotta. Spoon some of the mushroom mixture onto each noodle.
  3. Roll each noodle up from the bottom as tightly as you can without squeezing out the filling, and place each roll in the baking dish, seam side down. Repeat until noodles are gone.
  4. Pour the rest of the sun-dried tomato sauce on top of the noodles, then top with remaining pesto and pine nuts. Bake for 25 minutes, until the edges are just slightly browned. Top with fresh basil and serve.
Recipe by Baked In at https://www.baked-in.com/2014/09/18/vegan-spinach-mushroom-lasagna-rolls-with-sun-dried-tomato-cream-sauce/