Dear Elephant readers, like you, I strive to do good things for the planet as well as for myself and my family.

One of the things I enjoy most in life is preparing a nourishing meal for my family, packed with nourishing, cruelty-free ingredients. While these are all important items to consider, probably most importantly though, it has to taste great! This recipe is just the thing.

This vegan lasagna recipe is full of healthy vegetables, nuts, and non-dairy creaminess. Honestly, my husband likes this better than any traditional lasagna I ever made! (And that’s saying something because he is rather picky.)

Not only that, the vibrant red sauce with fresh basil and creamy vegan “alfredo” sauce is so elegant and flavorful, even your non-vegan dinner guests will appreciate it. This recipe is also gluten-free in addition to being dairy-free and vegan.

Now, this recipe does require a little planning, but believe me when I say that it is so worth it!

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Serves 4

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

For the alfredo sauce:

1 cup raw cashews (soaked in water for at least 30 minutes)

1 cup chopped onions (frozen pre-chopped also works to save time)

1 1/2 cup vegetable broth

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

½ a fresh lemon

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

How to:

In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the chopped onion. Sauté until lightly browned. Add one cup of the vegetable broth and let it come to a boil. Allow the broth to fully evaporate from the onions and remove from the heat. Next, in a blender or food processor, add cooked onions, the cashews (drain well first), ½ cup vegetable broth, garlic cloves, nutritional yeast, lemon, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth. Set aside the alfredo sauce to use when assembling the lasagna.

For the lasagna:

1 jar marinara sauce of your choice (I prefer a low-sugar option)

1 container dairy-free mascarpone (tip: Kite Hill almond milk mascarpone is fantastic!)

2 packages hearts of palm lasagna noodles

1 jar sundried tomatoes

Fresh basil leaves

How to:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a baking dish, start by lightly spooning a shallow layer of tomato sauce at the bottom of the dish. Next, cover the tomato sauce with a layer of the hearts of palm lasagna noodles. Spoon small dollops of the mascarpone over the layer of lasagna noodles. Sprinkle with some sundried tomatoes and torn, fresh basil leaves. Lightly salt and pepper. Spoon another thin layer of tomato sauce over the top. Next, add another layer of lasagna noodles, followed by a layer of alfredo sauce. Alternate the layers as desired. The final layer on top should be a thin layer of tomato sauce. Feel free to embellish with some fresh basil leaves for decoration. Bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

This dish goes well with a nice side salad and glass of wine.

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