There are four components to the dish. Marinara sauce, vegetable filling, "noodles" and "cheese". You will need the following for each component.
Marinara sauce
- 3-4 Medium size tomatoes
- small red onion
- jalapeno pepper (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1 cup Sundried tomatoes
Noodles
- 4-5 medium sized zucchini
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- pinch of salt and fresh cracked black pepper
Filling
- 1 cup of sliced cremini mushroom
- 1 large yellow pepper, diced
- 1 cup of shredded carrots
Cashew Cheese
- 1 cup of raw cashews that have been soaked in filtered water for at least 2 hours
It's best to start with the sauce so that it has time to simmer and get all yummified before you put the whole thing together. Dice the onion and add it to a pot with the olive oil. Saute until softened, approx. 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sundried tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Make an "x" in the bottom of the tomatoes with a small paring knife and submerge them in boiling water for about a minute. This makes it super easy to remove the skin. After the skin is removed, dice them and add to a pot with the sundried tomatoes, onions and garlic. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For the noodles you will need to preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the zucchini very thinly into long strips. If you have a mandolin, that would be ideal. Pat them dry to remove excess moisture and then put them on a lightly oiled backing sheet. Add spices and make sure they are evenly coated. Bake for about 8 minutes. You don't want to fully cook them, just make them a little soft and easier to work with.
Now for the filling I listed the vegetables that I used but you can honestly use anything. The mushrooms are nice because they add a nice meaty texture and make the dish feel very hearty. Combine all the vegetables and saute in a wee bit of olive oil for about 6 minutes.
The cashew cheese is insanely simple. Dump the soaked cashews into the blender or food processor and pulse. Add water until it achieves a ricotta like consistency.
Once everything is done, all you have to do is assemble your masterpiece. I did it the same way I layer a traditional lasagna. Add a large cooking spoon of marinara to the bottom of your casserole dish. Layer it with the zucchini then the filling, cashew cheese and repeat until you reach the top. Layer the last bit of cheese on top and pop it into the oven until it browns (about 20 minutes depending on your oven).
Even though it will smell like it came from the Gods let it sit for about 10 minutes before you dive in. It's a fairly labor intensive dish, so not something I would make every day but it's an excellent special occasion or Sunday dinner dish. Even hardcore meat lovers can't resist this.
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