Andiamo a mangiare! Lasagna!

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This lasagna has a layer of spinach, mushroom & onion on the bottom, butternut squash/tofu mixture in the middle and a special "Pink" Cashew Cream on top!

Not so Lazy Lasagna - In the Pink for Valentine's Day!

(courtesy of the Cancer Survivor's Guide, with some additions)

Makes 8 servings

Your days of soaking lasagna noodles and eating high-fat lasagna are over. Enjoy this cholesterol- and dairy-free meal which also boasts tons of filling fiber and cancer-fighting nutrients. Top this dish off with fortified nutritional yeast for a cheesier flavor and for added vitamin B-12.

1 16-ounce bag chopped frozen spinach, thawed, or 3 pounds fresh spinach, rinsed and chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil, or 10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced 

1 lg. onion, diced
10 button mushrooms, sliced, or other favorite vegetable equivalent to about 3 cups chopped
1 pound dry whole-wheat or rice lasagna noodles
2 28-ounce cans plain low-sodium tomato sauce
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed OR roasted
1 pound firm reduced-fat tofu
¹/₄ cup dairy-free (vegan) parmesan cheese substitute or nutritional yeast 

NOTE: I added an entire butternut squash, peeled, cubed, roasted and mashed with the tofu as an additional layer. I did not add the tofu to the spinach/mushroom/onion mixture. I also made up a batch of Cashew Cream mixed with tomato sauce for the lovely pink top layer, Perfect for Valentine's Day! Heck, I made this lasagna almost entirely different from the recipe but no matter which way you make it, it will be delicious without the meat or cheese!

Preheat oven to 325˚F.

Mix together spinach, tofu, garlic, and salt in a mixing bowl. *Remember, I mixed the tofu and garlic with the roasted butternut squashed and left the spinach/mush/onion mixture as the first layer and the squashed as the 2cd layer.

In a 9"×13" pan, coat the bottom with tomato sauce (about 1/2 cup) followed by a layer of lasagna noodles, overlapping noodles slightly. Spread 1/2 of the spinach and tofu mixture on top of the lasagna noodles, and cover the spinach and tofu layer with another layer of lasagna noodles. Add a layer of tomato sauce, enough to cover the noodles, and then add a layer of mushrooms or other veggies. Sprinkle 1/2 of the basil and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano evenly over the veggies. Continue to add layers of noodles, spinach and tofu, sauce, mushrooms or other veggies, and remaining basil and oregano (1/2 teaspoon) until the layers reach the top of the pan. The final layer should be sauce topped with vegan parmesan substitute or nutritional yeast. * Note, this is where I added the cashew/tomato cream and I wait until I take the foil off to add my Daiya Mozzerella shreds (optional) as they stick to the foil other wise. You can make the cashew cream with roasted red pepper too! I linked to a decent recipe above.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour. Stick a knife through the center of the lasagna to make sure the noodles are completely cooked. Let cool for 15 minutes, uncovered, before serving.



Salute!

Served with a salad and a dollop of more 'mato sauce!

Approx. Per serving compared with Tyler's Ultimate Bolognese.  You know how I love to RAZ Tyler Florence :-)

• Calories: 334  vs. 661 which does not include the noodles
• Fat: 4.6 g this will go up with the addition of Cashew Cream but Hey, Tyler's Ultimate has close to 50 g of fat!!
• Saturated Fat: 0.7 g vs 21 g in Tyler's Ultimate which is over 100% of  your daily allowance even on SAD!
• Calories from Fat: 12.4%  vs 58% calories from fat in TU
• Cholesterol: 0 mg 140.8 in TU
• Protein: 18.4 g 35.1 or 70% of your daily allowance in TU, just in this one piece!
• Carbohydrates: 62.8 g
• Sugar: 10.3 g
• Fiber: 11 g vs 2.2 g in the Ultimate. You get the picture
• Sodium: 1449 mg actually I lowered the sodium by using low sodium tomatoes and no added salt but how can Tyler's be lower in sodium?? 583.7 in TU
• Calcium: 147 mg
• Iron: 6.3 mg
• Vitamin C: 16.9 mg
• Beta Carotene: 3152 mcg - will be much higher if you added the squashed
• Vitamin E: 6.2 mg

Well, you get the picture here. This is for sure the "healthier" version of the two but tastes Fantastic! And you can have 2 pieces! :-)