Raw Lasagna

The 2 times I’ve been to Wildflour this Summer, I’ve gotten the same menu item: The raw lasagna. The first time I ate it, I more or less devoured it without paying much attention. The second time I stopped to look how they made it; I was surprised it was just layers of zucchini and different pastes, presumably cashew-based, that all came together to make a rich and complex flavor.

Even once I decided to try and make this at home, I still put it off for a good week; it just seemed like something that would be hard to do. When I actually tried it couldn’t have been easier. It took just 30 minutes to make a big batch of lasagnas. I love Wildflour, but not having to pay $8 for a taste of their lasagna is music to my ears.

Raw Lasagna

Ingredients(Makes 4 servings):

• 2 cups cashews, soaked for 3-4 hours and drained
• ~1/3 cup water
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
• Handful of basil leaves
• Handful of spinach leaves
• Salt + pepper to taste
• 2 zucchini

In a food processor, blend the water and the cashews into a soft, smooth paste. Divide the cashew spread into three portions, two 3/4 cup portions and one 1/2 cup portion.

Mix the 1/2 cup portion with the tomato paste, 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil, and salt to taste.

Mix one of the 3/4 cup portions with the nutritional yeast and salt and pepper to taste.

In the food processor, blend the last portion of cashew spread with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil, basil, spinach, and more salt to taste until the leaves are completely chopped up and the spread is an even green color.

Cut each zucchini once in half across and then into thin slices lengthwise.

You can layer it however you want; I’m partial to alternating the 3 spreads with each slice. The best bites are the one with a taste of each flavor in them.

In some ways, this is the least Italian entrée you could make: It involves no cooking; the ingredients aren’t at all what you’d normally use; and it looks entirely different. But as soon as you cut in and take a bite the flavors are spot on, from the rich “cheese” to sweet tomato. Serve it at a dinner party and it’ll definitely catch a few eyes.