Mom's Lasagna - Gluten | Dairy Free Option

A delicious and easy Italian casserole that is gluten and dairy free!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword dairy free lasagna gluten free dairy free lasagna, dairy free lasgana, gluten free lasagna

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 15

Servings -8

Calories 486kcal

Author Tessa the Domestic Diva

1 box lasagna noodles (there is no real science here, if you like yours really noodly, then add more!! If you get a box with mostly broken noodles, break them all up and layer pieces instead, lasagna is just a casserole after all! I used Tinkyada Lasagna Noodles to make it gluten-free.

1 pound ground meat or sauteed veggies for a vegan option
1 24 ounce spaghetti sauce or 24oz crushed tomatoes and a can of paste Tonight I used my easy homemade tomato sauce.
2 teaspoons herbs of choice I added basil, oregano, thyme, parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt to taste, start w/ 1 teaspoon

1 cup pine nuts soaked in cold water at least 2 hours, then drained. Macadamia nuts, blanched raw almonds, or raw cashews would also work.
1 tablespoon lemon juice or more to taste
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast or more to taste (adds 'cheesy' flavor)
1/4 cup water or more if needed. Different nuts need more or less water..so start with none and add as needed to get it smooth and creamy.
8 oz mozzarella style vegan cheese such as Daiya cheese

Boil lasagna noodles following the directions (I used Tinkyada Brown Rice noodles- yum!), rinse with cool water, toss with a bit of oil to keep them from sticking, set aside. I have noticed I do not cook Tinkiyada noodles as long as they suggest, about HALF the time, so be safe and test a noodle!
Brown the ground meat with some garlic powder and salt.
Add in the tomato sauce of your choice, along with the herbs.
Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning to your personal taste. Choose your cheese sauce and prepare:
Dairy Free 'Cheese' Mix I - Puree all ingredients except the shredded cheese in a food processor until they are silky smooth (and if you are feeling creative, add some herbs in here too for added pizazz. Oregano, basil, thyme, Italian Seasoning, garlic are all good options). Scrape the sides down as needed, and only add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time if needed. When smooth, add the dairy free cheese, and pulse a couple of times to mix.
Cheese Mix II - Mix all the cheeses together in bowl.

Put a ladleful of red sauce to coat the bottom of a 11 x 7 pan (or similar)...this is a little trick so the noodles don't stick to the bottom. A smaller pan works and will yield a thicker lasagana that will need more time to heat through, a larger pan equals a thinner casserole...you decide!
Then layer the noodles, then cheese mix, then red sauce, and repeat until ingredients are used up. NOTE: the layers don't need to be completely covered, it will all melt and blend together in the oven, promise, DOLLOPS WORK GREAT!!)
I like to end with the red sauce and a sprinkling of cheese. Cover and freeze at this point if you are saving for later.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for apx 30 minutes until heated through.

nutrition facts are for dairy free version