It is the time of year when the gardens are overflowing! I love it! I wanted a fresh allergy free dinner idea…
You don’t have to worry about spending tons of money on fresh vegetables. If you are lucky, you can go into your back yard and pick your vegetables 🙂 Even if you don’t have a garden of your own, there are plenty of farmers markets to buy fresh, local produce.
When I was thinking of what else to to with zucchini I had many ideas bouncing around in my head. Yes I have said it before. When I get new ideas about recipes and foods, it’s like there is a ping pong ball bouncing around my head 😀
Anyway… As I said, I was thinking about what else to do with zucchini. I have already used zucchini as a pasta, cutting it into ribbons and julienne. I was going to make a traditional lasagna (well as traditional as it gets with allergies), when I thought of using zucchini ribbons as the noodles. Then I thought about adding pesto into the mix. What doesn’t taste better with pesto?
This is a great recipe as a lunch, dinner or as a side!
Zucchini Pesto Lasagna with Cashew Cream (Grain Free/ Paleo/ Gluten Free/ Dairy Free/ Vegan)
One batch of: Basil Pesto and a batch Cashew Cream
1 medium size zucchini- cut thin into ribbons
1 large onion- sliced
1 large size carrot- julienne
1 large pepper- sliced
1 Tbsp. coconut oil or olive oil
1 tsp. dried basil
In a medium frying pan, add oil, onion, carrot, and pepper. Saute for approximately ten minutes on medium low heat, stirring frequently. Stir in dried basil and take pan off heat when vegetables are soft.
To assemble lasagna use a 9″ by 13″ baking dish.
Start with 1-2 tablespoons of prepared pesto spread all over the bottom of the dish.
Then a single layer or zucchini ribbons.
Followed by 1/3 of sauteed vegetables.
Then 1/3 of your cashew cream.
And 1/3 of your pesto. Repeat each step two more times, ending with pesto.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until zucchini is fork tender, but not mushy.
***Freezing this does work beautifully. Freeze raw and just cook from defrosted.
Shared On: Gluten Free Fridays, Wellness Weekend, Whole Foods Fridays, Real Food Friday, Gluten Free Round Up, Make Your Own Monday, Mix It Up Monday, In and Out Kitchen Party, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesday, Waste Not Want Not, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesday, Healthy 2Day Wednesday, Tasty Traditions, Paleo Party, Savory Saturdays
Looks wonderful but has nuts and I need allergy free no nuts
Thanks
Well if you can have dairy then you can easily have regular pesto and sub in cream cheese or mozzarella for the cashew cream.
This looks absolutely wonderful. The photo with the julienned vegetables makes my mouth water. Thanks for linking up to Real Food Fridays 🙂
Thanks!
Yum, yum, yum!!! This sounds so delicious! I’m pinning this for my next cooking adventure! I’m a raw foods vegan and rarely cook, but this one is going to make me turn on the oven! Lovely!
So glad that it’s tempting you that much 🙂
Stopping by from Tasty Tuesdays. Wow, totally love your idea for Zucchini lasagna. Makes a nice change from pasta. I agree with you that everything tastes better with Pesto!
Thanks Ai:)
Can’t wait to try this. Do you think I could freeze one for the holidays for a last minute meal I can make ahead of time?
I have made one that I put in the freezer. It has been in three weeks and I want to leave it another week or two. After I try it, I will update the recipe to say if it can be frozen 🙂
How did the frozen version work. I made a slightly bigger batch, added ground turkey, and split into 2 8×8 pans. One for now and one to freeze.
I actually am eating some now that had been frozen. Worked out great. I cooked from defrosted. 🙂
LOVE it!
Thanks Adrienne!
LOVE your Real Food recipe! Thanks for sharing at Real Food Friday. I know what I’m making for dinner tomorrow. Come on over and share your latest Real Food post.
http://maryshealthymeals.blogspot.com/2013/08/real-food-friday-3.html
does freezing it after its been cooked work well? i’m planning on cooking a large amount and then freezing it into small dinner portions so that i have something i can just reheat when i work nights.
It would probably work, but I have only frozen it raw so I don’t know for sure.
Thanks so much for linking up your beautiful recipe to Savoring Saturdays! Hope to see you again soon.
Thanks Ali!
This dish is amazing!! Everyone I have made it for absolutely loves it and my kids love it! I have used farmers cheese instead of the cashew cream and it was amazing!! I have also made it following recipe without the substitutions and honestly you can’t tell the difference it’s so delish. I just used the farmers cheese and store bought pesto for the sake of time. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you so much Terah! I am so glad that you enjoyed it!