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A close-up of dairy-free lasagna in a baking dish
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Meaningful Eats

Dairy-Free Lasagna (with Meat Sauce!)

12 servings
You'll be AMAZED at how well this dairy-free lasagna turns out! Thanks to magic cashew sauce, this lasagna is just as creamy and comforting as the classic version you grew up with!
This is a dairy-free, but NOT vegan lasagna recipe! It has a rich and flavorful meat sauce layered with the creamy dairy-free white sauce. It also like to make it with gluten-free noodles!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American, Italian
Diet Gluten Free
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Assemble Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Lasagna:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes
  • 2 15oz cans tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoons salt or to taste
  • 9-10 ounces lasagna noodles I recommend Cappello's lasagna sheets (they're gluten-free!) see note

For the Creamy Sauce:

  • 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs

Instructions

Make the Meat Sauce:

  • In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in onion and saute 2-3 minutes. Add in the ground beef. Break the meat apart as it browns. Once meat has browned completely, pour off any excess fat/grease.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, bay leaves, dried basil, sugar, Italian Seasoning and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
  • Cook the sauce for at least 45 minutes, until the flavors have melded and the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir often and know you may have to add a little extra water as it reduces down to prevent scorching.

Make the Creamy Sauce:

  • Place the raw cashews in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with water and microwave for 3 minutes. Let sit for 2 minutes. (This will soften the cashews so they blend up nice and smooth.)
  • Drain the cashews and place in a high-speed blender. Add 1 cup of fresh water along with the olive oil, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt. Blend until completely smooth. Add the eggs and blend until smooth. (The sauce will look very liquidy and runny but will set up in the oven.)

Assemble the Dairy-Free Lasagna:

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • Spoon a thin layer of sauce onto the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Layer the rest of the lasagna as follows:
  • - ⅓ of the noodles
    - ⅓ of the meat sauce
    - ⅓ of the creamy sauce (pour it over)
    - ⅓ of the noodles
    - ⅓ of the meat sauce
    - ⅓ of the creamy sauce
    - ⅓ of the noodles
    - ⅓ of the meat sauce
    - ⅓ of the creamy sauce (swirl it around for the top layer)
  • Bake the lasagna for 40 minutes (uncovered) until the creamy sauce is set.
  • Let cool for 20 minutes before serving. Slice and enjoy!
  • Leftovers reheat great the next day!

Notes

RECIPE NOTES
  • I prefer to make this recipe with fresh lasagna sheets. For a gluten-free lasagna, I love Cappellos lasagna sheets. You can also use dry lasagna noodles that have been boiled. Just boil lasagna noodles according to the package directions before assembling the lasagna, and make sure to undercook them slightly.
  • It’s very important to use raw, unsalted cashew for the creamy cashew cheese sauce. Roasted, salted cashews will not work, since they don’t blend up nice and creamy.
STORAGE: Store leftover dairy-free lasagna in an airtight container (or cover in plastic wrap) for up to five days. This is a great meal to reheat in the microwave and enjoy for lunch or dinner the next day!
TO FREEZE: I like to portion this lasagna into individual portions to freeze it. I freeze it in airtight plastic containers. Microwave a frozen slice on the defrost setting of the microwave for 2-3 minutes, then additional time as needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 91mg | Potassium: 231mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 3mg