Roasted Vegetable Cannellini Lasagna

Roasted Vegetable Cannellini Lasagna is a hearty main dish filled with an assortment of roasted vegetables, greens, and cannellini beans in between layers of noodles and sauce.  Inspired by the recipe for Roasted Vegetable Lasagna in The How Not To Die Cookbook by Dr. Michael Greger, MD,  the following recipe uses lots of Portobello mushrooms (instead of eggplant) to give the dish a meaty texture (but use whatever vegetables you prefer).

Delicious out of the oven, Roasted Vegetable Cannellini Lasagna is even better the next day (just like the traditional dish). Somehow that day of settling brings out the flavor of the vegetables and beans in this variation of the classic Italian dish.

Roasted Vegetable Cannellini Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped into small florets
• 1 medium-sized zucchini, sliced into 1/8 inch rounds
• 9 large Portobello mushrooms, sliced and halved
• 5-6 ounces fresh greens:  Chinese broccoli leaves, kale, or spinach
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 25-ounce jar of your favorite tomato sauce ( I use Lucini Organic Rustic Tomato Basil)
• 1  26-ounce container chopped tomatoes (I use Pomí)
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans (I use Eden Organic No Salt Added)
• 12 ounce package whole wheat lasagna noodles (I use Bionaturae brand because the noodles contain one ingredient: organic whole durum wheat, and because the 16 noodles are the perfect size for a 13.5 x 9.5 inch pan: 4 layers of 4 noodles).
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup fresh minced flat leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup macadamia nut milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)
• 1 teaspoon white miso paste
• 2 tablespoons Penzey’s Spices Italian Herb Mix (a blend of oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, and rosemary) or 1 teaspoon of each of the above 5 spices.
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Line 2 large cookie sheets or baking pans with parchment paper.

Place the cauliflower florets and zucchini rounds on one cookie sheet; place the sliced mushrooms on the other. Using avocado or grapeseed oil, give 2-3 quick sprays over each sheet of vegetables.

Bake for 20 minutes until roasted.

While the vegetables are roasting, heat a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

Sauté the minced shallot in a tablespoon of water for 5 minutes until soft. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the tomato sauce and chopped tomatoes. Set aside.

In a large-sized bowl, combine the roasted vegetables, greens, shallots, beans, 2 tablespoons of the nutritional yeast, parsley, non-dairy milk, miso, herbs, salt, and pepper. Blend with a large spoon and set aside.

Spray a 13.5 x 9.5 lasagna pan with non-stick spray.

Set up the preparation area: the bowl of sauce, cooked noodles, and bowl of roasted vegetables.

Line the bottom of the pan with a light layer of sauce. Add a layer of noodles. Distribute 1/3 of the vegetables over the noodles. Add another layer of noodles, followed by sauce and 1/3 of the vegetables. Add another layer of noodles, followed by sauce and the remaining vegetables. Add the final layer of noodles and cover with the remaining sauce. Cover the pan and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for an hour. Remove the cover and sprinkle the top with a tablespoon of nutritional yeast.Serve. Store the leftovers covered in the refrigerator and enjoy the next day.