Creamy Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna
This Paleo Lasagna has layers of sautéed mushrooms and spinach that are coated in a creamy dairy free sauce and cooked between sheets of thinly sliced butternut squash which are used in place of pasta. This Whole30 lasagna is great to make in a big batch, it freezes well and is perfect for feeding a crowd. It’s Paleo, Whole30, Vegan, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.
With only a few more days left in 2018, I wanted to end the year on a good note and I think this recipe definitely does the trick.
After posting the recipe for Classic Beef Lasagna a few weeks ago and getting so much positive feedback from everyone who loved it, I knew I had to make a vegan version.
So I created this classic white lasagna. There is a delicious filling of creamy mushrooms and sautéed spinach layered between a vegan white sauce and sheets of thinly sliced butternut squash.
Although this recipe is vegan, you could easily added in some shredded or ground chicken to satisfy a carnivore. Alternatively you could swap the ground beef in the classic lasagna recipe for sautéed mushrooms to make it vegan if you prefer a tomato based sauce.
The cashew cream sauce is really the key to transforming this from a stack of veggies to a lasagna because it really does have the same consistency and taste as ricotta.
I am also really happy to report that this paleo lasagna freezes really well, so you can make a double batch and keep one pan, or small portions in the freezer for another time when you want an easy dinner.
I have used a small pan size in this recipe because I stack the lasagna quite high, with 5 layers, but if you are feeding a larger group, you can use the same amount in a larger pan with few layers, or alternatively just double the recipe.
Here are a few of my other favourite Italian recipes:
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Bolognese Sauce
- Eggplant Polpette (aka Meatless Meatballs)
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Butternut Squash Ravioli with Kale Pesto
- Braised Lamb Ragu
- The BEST Italian Meatballs
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Creamy Spinach & Mushroom Lasagna
Ingredients
- 10-12 butternut squash sheets
Cashew Cream
- 2 cups cashews soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes
- 1 cup almond milk
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (or parmesan if SCD)
Vegetable Filling
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion finely diced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tsp thyme
- 800 grams mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 400 grams spinach
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
- In a high speed blender or nutribullet combine the drained cashews, almond milk, garlic, salt and nutritional yeast. Blend until completely smooth and then set aside.
- In a pan on medium heat add the oil, onions and garlic, sprinkle with salt and cook for 5 minutes until the onions begin to soften. Add in the mushrooms and vegetable stock and cook for approximately 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are tender. Add in the spinach and stir through, leave to cook for a few minutes until the spinach has wilted.
- In a 9 x 5 inch baking dish start by spooning in a layer of the mushroom mixture. Place the butternut squash sheets overtop, followed by another layer of the mushroom mixture and then a thin layer of the cashew cream. Repeat layering 2 more times and finish with a layer of cashew cheese on top.
- Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes until a golden brown crust has formed and the butternut squash sheets are tender. Keep an eye on the lasagna while it bakes to ensure it doesn't brown too quickly on top (if it does, loosely cover it with a sheet of tin foil). Sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.
Can this lasagna be prepared with other types of mushrooms instead of straw mushrooms?
Great recipe!
This was absolutely delicious!!! Definitely a keeper! I added green lentils to the mushroom and spinach mix to get more protein in. I noticed your video showed to add nutmeg but your recipe in the blog didn’t. Was there a reason for the exclusion of nutmeg.
Where did you purchase the butternut squash sheets?
If you arent able to find them in stores you can easily cut them yourself using a mandoline
Am I missing something about what makes this not Whole30? 🤔
It has a large amount of cashews used to make it “cheesy” so i avoided labelling it whole30, but Melissa recently changed the rules on nut cheeses and said they are allowed so this recipe is whole30 😃
Never mind! Reread what you mentioned earlier about wanting to stack higher before you listed the recipe. This is in the oven now.. fingers crossed!
Is a 9X5 baking sheet? Yours looks bigger in the pictures.
Thanks!
I have both style of lasagna in the oven. Sounded so yummy I went a bit overboard 😂
I have left over butternut sheets. Any suggestions?
Haha you can never make too much lasagna 🙂 You could cut the sheets thinly to make noodles for Alfredo 🙂
This looks seriously amazing! How many servings are there?
This recipe makes 6 servings