With a deep passion for engaging community through food, Brad and Sandy Elliott have created comforting and familiar Italian classics for 25 years. This plant-based version of one of their old restaurant’s recipes is a favorite on the Avatar set (where Brad and Sandy cater daily meals for 150 cast and crew members). Please don’t let the number of steps hold you back; this dish is so sublime, it will convert even the most skeptical folks in your house!
Brad and Sandy’s Sun-Dried Tomato and Asparagus Lasagna
Makes 10 servings
12 lasagna noodles
1 onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (16-ounce) package extra-firm silken tofu, drained
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Juice of 1 lemon
1½ teaspoons salt
2 (8-ounce) jars sun-dried tomatoes, drained
½ cup packed fresh basil leaves
3 vegan Italian sausage links (such as Field Roast; about ½ pound), coarsely chopped
2 bunches asparagus (about 2 pounds), chopped
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (8-ounce) package shredded vegan mozzarella (such as Follow Your Heart)
2 tablespoons vegan buttery spread (such as Earth Balance), cut into small pieces
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with oil.
- Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the onion and garlic and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer about half the onion mixture to a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the remaining onion mixture to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to brown, 5 minutes. Return the onion mixture to the work bowl of the food processor and add the tofu, the 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Transfer the tofu mixture to a medium bowl and set aside
- Rinse out the work bowl and return it to the food processor. Put the tomatoes, basil, and remaining ¼ cup nutritional yeast in the work bowl and pulse until the tomatoes are finely chopped. Transfer the tomato mixture to a medium bowl and set aside.
- Without rinsing out the work bowl, add the sausage and pulse until finely chopped.
- In the same skillet you used for the onion, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add half the remaining raw onion mixture and the sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is browned and slightly crispy, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage mixture to a medium bowl and set aside.
- In the same skillet, combine the remaining raw onion mixture, the asparagus, water, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until the asparagus is bright green and tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
To assemble the lasagna, spread a small amount of the tomato mixture over the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange 4 lasagna noodles side by side over the tomato layer and top with thin layers of the following: one-third of the tofu mixture, half the sausage, half the asparagus, one-third of the tomato mixture, and ½ cup of the cheese. Repeat in the same order to form a second layer of each ingredient. Top with the remaining 4 noodles, followed by the remaining tofu mixture, tomato mixture,and cheese. Dot the top of the lasagna with the buttery spread. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes, uncovered, before serving.
Green Eater Meter Score is 3,642
Calculated with the help of Dr. Alfredo Mejia of Andrews University, this score collects all the environmental savings of your swaps—all the gallons of water you save, the square feet of land you protect, and the greenhouse gas emissions you prevent from entering the atmosphere (in the equivalent of miles driven), when you create this dish.
Swapping out 8 ounces of beef, 8 ounces of dairy mozzarella cheese, 15 ounces of dairy ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons butter and 2 eggs, you save about:
- 43 miles of driving
- 1,283 sq.ft. of land
- 2,316 gallons of water
Copyright © 2018 by Editorial Holding, LLC from OMD: THE SIMPLE, PLANT-BASED PROGRAM TO SAVE YOUR HEALTH, SAVE YOUR WAISTLINE, AND SAVE THE PLANET by Suzy Amis Cameron published by Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Suzy Amis Cameron is an environmental advocate and founder of MUSE School with her sister, Rebecca Amis. She has founded Plant Power Task Force, Cameron Family Farms, Food Forest Organics (with her husband, director James Cameron) and Red Carpet Green Dress. She is the author of OMD: The Simple, Plant-Based Program to Save Your Health and Save the Planet.