Creamy White Bean & Zucchini Lasagna
Forget heavy dairy-laden lasagna. This version features a rich, slow-simmered tomato sauce, crispy texturized soy mince, layers of fresh zucchini, and a silky white bean "bechamel" that will leave you feeling satisfied rather than stuffed.
INGREDIENTS
250 gr of precooked dry lasagna sheets. 500 gr of ripe tomatoes — halved. 250 gr of red onions — sliced. 1 spicy pepper & 1 tsp of ground smoked pepper. 30 gr of brown sugar & 30 ml of red wine vinegar. 2 stalks of celery & 2 cloves of garlic — chopped. 1 large can of white beans — drained. 100 gr of texturized soy — soaked in 100 ml of vegetable broth with 1 tbsp soy sauce or chicken herbs. Unsweetened plant-based milk — as needed. 1 zucchini — sliced into paper-thin ribbons. ½ tsp of ground nutmeg, plus salt and pepper to taste. 1 batch of Scruffy’s Melty Sunflower Seed Cheese — for the bubbly lid.
THE TOMATO & BEAN SAUCES
Heat a generous splash of olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Toss in the tomatoes, red onions, celery, garlic, and spicy pepper, and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the red wine vinegar and brown sugar, lower the heat, and let it simmer for 30 to 60 minutes until deep, sweet, and sticky[5]. Season with salt and pepper, then blend until completely smooth.
Soak your texturized soy in hot vegetable broth with soy sauce or chicken herbs for 10 minutes. Air-fry at 180°C for 10 minutes (or pan-fry with olive oil) until golden and crunchy.
For the white sauce: toss the drained white beans into your blender with ½ tsp of nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth, gradually adding unsweetened plant-based milk until it reaches a semi-liquid, velvety consistency.
THE LAYERS & BAKE
Preheat your oven to 180°C.
Spread a thin layer of the white bean sauce over the bottom of a rectangular baking dish. Arrange 4 lasagna sheets side-by-side on top.
Cover with a layer of tomato sauce, zucchini ribbons, and crispy soy mince. Repeat the layering process until your dish is full.
Finish with a final layer of tomato sauce, cover generously with Melty Sunflower Seed Cheese, and dust with extra ground smoked pepper.
Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing, and serve piping hot