Meatless Monday: Raw Zucchini-and-Green-Zebra-Tomato Lasagne

Today’s first Meatless Monday post hails from the kitchen of Pure Food and Wine, an upscale, gourmet vegan restaurant in New York City. Sarma, the head chef and creator of exquisite raw food for the restaurant, graciously shares her raw lasagna with us today. Even though there are many parts to this recipe, it’s completely worth it to take the time needed to build what she calls Zucchini-and-Green-Zebra-Tomato Lasagne.

Zucchini-and-Green-Zebra-Tomato Lasagne with Basil-Pistachio Pesto

Servings 6

Lemon-Pignoli “Ricotta”
2 cups raw pignoli nuts, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt

Tomato Sauce
2 cups good-quality sun-dried tomatoes (dry-packed), soaked in water for at least 2 hours
1 medium ripe tomato, diced
1⁄4 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons sea salt
Pinch hot-pepper flakes

Basil-Pistachio Pesto
2 cups packed basil leaves
1⁄2 cup raw pistachios
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Lasagne
3 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
3 medium green-zebra tomatoes (or other heirloom variety)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Garnish: whole basil leaves

Cooking Instructions

Lemon-Pignoli “Ricotta”
Place the pignoli, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt in a food processor, and pulse a few times, until thoroughly combined. Gradually add 6 tablespoons water, and pulse until the texture becomes fluffy, like ricotta. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.

Tomato Sauce
Place all ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth.

Basil-Pistachio Pesto
Place all ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth.

Lasagne
Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, shave zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices, then cut in half crosswise. Cut the tomatoes in half, and each half into thin slices. Line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with two layers of zucchini slices. Brush the zucchini lightly with olive oil, spread 1⁄3 of the tomato sauce over it, and top with small dollops of “ricotta” and pesto, using 1⁄3 of each. Layer on 1⁄3 of the tomato slices, and sprinkle with 1⁄3 of the oregano and thyme. Add another double layer of zucchini and repeat twice more with the tomato sauce, pesto, ricotta, tomato slices, and herbs. Serve immediately, or cover with plastic and let sit at room temperature for a few hours. Garnish with basil.

This recipe and many more are featured in Raw Food Real World: 100 Recipes to Get the Glow available at oneluckyduck.com.

Thanks Sarma for sharing this delicious raw recipe with us for Meatless Monday! What are YOU having today?

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