White Lasagna with Almond Ricotta
I’ve had my mind set on attempting to make a white lasagna recipe for quite some time now. But, the thought of white lasagna really intimidated me so I sort of kept it on the back burner. That is, until this week.
Here, I’m roasting two mighty heads of cauliflower, which makes this a white lasagna. Alongside, I’m roasting carrots and making a creamy almond ricotta. It’s all layered together and sandwiched in between gluten-free lasagna noodles. It’s a winner.
Don’t let the double paged recipe card above intimidate you. Please. We no longer need to be intimidated by white lasagna. It’s not as difficult as it looks.
And the end result is enough to make you want to whip this up once a week. Trust me. I was blown away when this came out of the oven. I mean, look at how gorgeous this is! I really had no idea what this was going to look like or taste like.
All I knew was that I was ready to cross over into my fear of making white lasagna. But, the only veggies in my fridge were two heads of cauliflower, two red onions and an unopened bag of beautiful tangerine colored carrots.
So, while in the shower, I thought….
Hmmm, why not try to roast the cauliflower and carrots separately then puree them to create thick, hearty layers for the lasagna? I figured I’d need to make another dairy-free ricotta and caramelized onions, both of which I like to add to pretty much every recipe.
Well, let’s just say this random-yet-wonderful combination of ingredients was a huge hit and I’m still blown away by the flavor. This is one of those cozy recipes I’ll be making when I have company over this winter because it’s a real crowd pleaser.
You can watch the step-by-step video of me making this recipe here.
One thing worth mentioning, which I also mentioned in my Butternut Squash Lasagna, is that you want to make sure you have enough cauliflower and carrots before you begin this recipe. Please do not skimp on these.
I’ve added the weight in pounds below in the recipe card to help you out a wee bit. If all you can find are tiny heads of cauliflower, then I suggest buying at least 4 or 5 heads to make sure you have at least 3 pounds. The 3 pound weight is the weight of the actual cauliflower florets, not including the core and thick, green leaves. If you don’t have 3 pounds of florets, your lasagna noodles will dry out and be hard. Likely, the entire lasagna will sink like quicksand. So, let’s avoid that.
You really need a whole lotta creaminess in here from the cauliflower (and the carrots, of course). So, one more time: make sure you use a scale and have at least 3 pounds of cauliflower florets and at least 2 pounds of carrots.
Enjoy!
Click the Play button below to hear me share a few helpful tips and walk you through the simple steps of making this recipe. Maybe, like me, you’ve had times when you’ve struggle to read through a recipe and follow the steps. All kinds of life circumstances–grief, trauma, stress—can tax our cognitive processing abilities, which is why I’ve created these audio clips to further support you now that I’m in this more healed place.
White Lasagna with Almond Ricotta
Ingredients
Roasted Cauliflower Puree
- 2 heads cauliflower (3 pounds of florets), cut into 1-inch florets
- 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt divided
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
Roasted Carrot Mixture
- 2 pounds carrots
- 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt divided
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
Caramelized Onions
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large red onions (1.5 pounds), peeled and diced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Almond Ricotta
- 1 1/3 cups slivered almonds
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Lasagna
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the cauliflower florets onto the prepared baking sheet (it will be a tight fit). Drizzle with the olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Use your hands to massage the oil into the florets until glossy. Transfer to the oven. Roast for 45 minutes or until very tender, flipping halfway through. Remove from the oven and transfer the cauliflower to a high-speed blender.
- Discard the parchment paper from the cauliflower. Prepare the same baking sheet with a new piece of parchment paper. Place the carrots onto the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Use your hands to massage the oil into the carrots until glossy. Transfer to the oven. Roast for 30 minutes or until very tender.
- Meanwhile, make the caramelized onions. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions with sea salt for 25 minutes or until caramelized, golden brown and very tender, stirring often. Lower the heat to medium-low, as needed. Set aside.
- To make the cauliflower puree, add the remaining 1 teaspoon sea salt and almond milk to the cauliflower in the high-speed blender. Puree until velvety smooth. Transfer to a small bowl.
- Make the almond ricotta using the same blender (no need to wash it, just scrape it clean the best you can) by combining all the ricotta ingredients in the blender. Puree until well combined but still has some texture remaining. Scrape down the sides, as needed, since we are using a small amount of liquid for the blender. Transfer to a small bowl.
- Remove the carrots from the oven. To make the carrot puree, discard and remove the stems of the carrots with a knife. Transfer the carrots to the same high-speed blender (no need to wash it, just scrape it clean the best you can, once again) with 1 cup of the cauliflower puree, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt and almond milk. Puree until well combined but slightly chunky. Scrape down the sides, as needed, since we are using a small amount of liquid for the blender. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Grease an 8 x 11-inch baking dish lightly with olive oil. Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees F.
- Spread a thin layer of the carrot mixture onto the surface of the baking dish, using the back of a large spoon to ensure it's even. Add two lasagna noodles lengthwise followed by about 1/4 of the pureed cauliflower, using the back of a large spoon to ensure it's even. Spoon the remaining carrot mixture on top, using the back of the spoon, again, to create an even layer. Lay two more lasagna noodles lengthwise over the carrot mixture followed by the caramelized onions. Add the ricotta, spreading it with the back of a large spoon to ensure it's even. The top and final layer is the remaining cauliflower puree. Use the large spoon to ensure the surface is smooth and even. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until the lasagna noodles are tender.
- Remove from the oven. Set aside for 5 minutes before serving. Use a small spatula to cut and lift the pieces of lasagna out of the baking dish and onto serving plates. Serve warm.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
