Eggplant Lasagna with Roasted Red Capsicum, Cashew and Herb Cauli Dip 

A tasty twist on two classic Italian favorites ‘eggplant parmesan and meat lasagna’. My eggplant lasagna is vegan friendly and made using our delicious Roasted Red Capsicum, Cashew and Herb Cauli Dip. It’s healthy, packed with flavour and will satisfy the heartiest of eaters, whilst appealing to the more low-carb crowd.

GLUTEN FREE | LOW GI | VEGAN|  KETO | DIABETIC FRIENDLY

 INGREDIENTS:

• 1 x Tub Roasted Red Capsicum, Cashew and Herb Dip
• 2 x large eggplants
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 6 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
• Vegan Parmesan or Nutritional Yeast – (I like Angel Foods -Vegan Parmesan)     

VEGAN RICOTTA:

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight
• ½ cup water
• juice of 1large lemon or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1– 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional
• 1- 2 garlic cloves
• sea salt & cracked pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C
2. Cut off the ends of the eggplant, then slice lengthwise about ⅛-inch (3-mm) thick.
3. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with sea salt on both sides and let sit for 10 minutes to draw out moisture. Pat dry with paper towels to remove excess liquid.
4. Lightly grease a pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Grill the eggplant slices for 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
5. To make the vegan ricotta, soak the cashews in cool water for at least 2 hours in a bowl, covering the cashews about 2 – 3 inches of water as they will swell up. Note: For a quick method of soaking, let cashews sit in hot water for 5 minutes.
6. Drain cashews and place all remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor, process until creamy stopping to scrape down the sides every few minutes. Taste for flavors adding any additional ingredients. Some like a salty ricotta so feel free to add as much salt as you want.
7. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for an hour or two, this will stiffen the mixture a bit. You can also prepare your dish straight away without refrigeration if needed.
8. In a small- medium baking dish, drizzle olive oil and a tablespoon of Roasted Red Capsicum, Cashew & Herb dip and spread in an even layer with a spatula to cover the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of eggplant slices, covering the bottom of the dish completely. (It’s okay if the eggplant slices overlap). Add a layer of the Roasted Red Capsicum, Cashew  & Herb dip on top of the eggplants and then the Vegan ricotta mixture and spread in a thin, even layer. Sprinkle with vegan parmesan and fresh torn basil leaves.
9. Repeat another layer of eggplants, Roasted Red Capsicum, Cashew & Herb dip, vegan ricotta, parmesan and basil leaves. Continue until all the ingredients are gone - finishing the top layer with the Roasted Red Capsicum, Cashew & Herb dip and sprinkled Parmesan on top.
10. Bake in oven for 30 minutes
11. Remove and let the lasagna cool down for 10 minutes

NOTES 

Serve: garnished with fresh torn basil leaves.