Sweet Potato and Spinach Lasagna
It was about 16 years ago now that I started eating a vegan diet. Over that time, I’ve tried recreating some of my favorite dishes from childhood, without the animal products. For the most part it has been easy and fun to make new versions of the dishes that I had enjoyed, but lasagna was one of the foods that just didn’t feel right to “veganize”. I never have been into buying the mock meats and cheeses that are sold in stores and many of the vegan lasagnas I’ve seen involve some sort of packaged, shredded vegan cheese or meat substitute. When I started following the principals of Ayurveda more closely, I decided to cut down on my tomato consumption as they really aren’t recommended (especially for those with any joint pain, digestive issues, or excess heat in the body) so that took out yet another integral lasagna element. Without the meat, cheese, and marinara sauce what else would be left?
It wasn’t until I was flipping the pages of one of the lovely cookbooks I own, “What to Eat for How You Feel” by Divya Alter, that I came across her lasagna recipe made with an almond milk bechamel sauce. Her recipe also includes some cheese, but I wondered if the creaminess from the sauce could be enough. I tested it out in this recipe and I can wholeheartedly say that it is.
This lasagna is creamy and satisfying without being heavy or difficult to digest. I made an herby sauce to go on top that really is a must when making this as it provides a nice, tart pop of freshness to balance the creaminess of the lasagna.
I used gluten-free brown rice noodles for this recipe because that is what I had; ideally freshly made pasta would be amazing, but this worked out great. I used homemade almond milk which is so easy and only 2 ingredients (almonds and water). Another tip is to season the food every step of the way to make this dish extra flavorful. A little salt and pepper between layers and extra herbs thrown in just add to the flavor.
This recipe serves 4 people. In the picture, I doubled up 2 pieces on top of each other. For a larger group, you could double the recipe and add more layers to your lasagna (mine reached about halfway up the baking dish).
Don’t be fooled by the look of the lasagna. When I took it out of the oven, the top layer of the bechamel looked a little dry and cracked, but once you plate it and drizzle with the herb sauce it looks a lot more appetizing. :)
