We truly enjoy using zucchini in a large variety of dishes of all kinds and sizes, and for any occasion. Admittedly, this year our crops have been yielding so much fresh produce that I’ve had to get ever more creative in the use of squash and their blooms. On this topic, I hope you will enjoy this series of squash-featuring recipes to try at home – a plethora of culinary adventures, all plant-based, budget-friendly, and simply delicious.
Prep Time: 70 min | Bake Time: 30 min | Serves: 6 | Difficulty Level: ♦♦♦ – Intermediate
Basics
- 4 Zucchini – sliced lengthwise ¼” thick
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
************************************
- 1 pck Plant-based Turkey – slices
- 10 zucchini flowers – (optional)
Besciamella
- 1 ¾ cup Oat Milk – full-fat
- ¼ cup Flour
- 2 tbsp Butter – plant-based
- ½ tsp Nutmeg
- ½ tsp Salt
Tofu Ricotta
- 1 pck Tofu – firm
- ¼ cup Vegetable Broth
- 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
- 1 tsp Salt
The easy part
Coat sliced zucchini in oil and salt. Broil on low for 10 min. Set aside.
On to the Tofu Ricotta
Drain tofu by giving it a light squeeze. Break tofu in to pieces and place in a food processor, add veggie broth, ACV, nutritional yeast, and salt. Process until you obtain a creamy ricotta-like substance.
Set aside.
And the Besciamella to finish
In a small saucepan, melt butter with the freshly-ground nutmeg. Stir in the salt and flour and remove from heat as soon as the mixture starts to thicken. Continue to stir until the flour is completely blended into the butter.
Return to the burner, set on low, and stir in the milk a little bit at the time. Stir constantly to blend in the milk, carefully avoiding the creation of lumps. When the sauce is about to reach a simmer, remove the saucepan from the burner.
Transfer the besciamella to a small bowl, cover with cling wrap ensuring that the wrapping touches the surface of the sauce. Set aside.
Some assembly required
Preheat oven to 350°
In a glass oven dish, assemble the lasagna as follows:
-
- Zucchini slices to create a bottom layer. Better to have overlapping edges than large gaps.
- ½” thick layer of ricotta, evenly distributed.
- Raw zucchini blossoms.
- Vegan turkey slices, slightly overlapping on the edges.
- Repeat the first layer.
- Repeat the second layer
- Top it off with abundant besciamella, evenly spread.
- Decorate with zucchini blossoms
Bake for 30 minutes.
Serve warm or cold.
Extras and Tips
For better results and lingering, definitive flavors, use the powder derived from whole nutmeg. You can buy whole instead of ground nutmeg in almost every grocery store. It has a long shelf life and it tastes so much better than the pre-grond kind. The difference between a besciamella made with fresh nutmeg and one without is unbelievable.
The choice of plant-based milk plays a big role, too. Out of all the available non-dairy options, Oatly full-fat oat milk makes a perfect creamy, not too sweet besciamella.
Making besciamella is a game of patience and attention to detail. The stirring must be continuous, otherwise the bottom burns, and the addition of the milk must happen slowly and gently so as to avoid the formation of lumps.
If you need to store the sauce for later use, be sure that the bowl you are transferring to is clean, and that the cling wrap touches the surface, or a film will form on the top.
There are three reasons why I use eggs in the filling:
- That is what my grandma used to put in any ricotta-based fillings for savory meals. I grew up with this tradition, which is widespread in Italian home-cooking, particularly in the South.
- The eggs help to bring and hold the ricotta mixture together avoiding seepage and breakage. Essentially, the ingredients stay put resulting in clean heavenly layers, even after slicing.
- The texture when using eggs is lighter, more airy, to the point that the filling melts in your mouth. The vegan alternative is also delightful, although slightly denser.
