LASAGNA STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

Vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms are topped with “vegan cheese” spinach ricotta and topped with hearty bolognese sauce to satisfy your lasagna craving in a simple, utterly delicious meal.

Equipment

Food processor

Ingredients

6 portobello mushrooms, cleaned
for ricotta
1.5 cups raw cashews
1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup of water
5 oz package baby spinach approx. 3 large handfuls or 1 cup wilted

For the Bolognese Sauce

1 cup tomato sauce or your favorite marinara sauce
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Optional Garnish

vegan parmesan cheese

Instructions

Place your spinach in a large nonstick skillet and sauté over medium heat. If necessary, add a drop or two of water to continue. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. When wilted, squeeze as much liquid from the spinach as possible using a clean dish towel, nut milk bag, or paper towel. Set it aside.
Add the ricotta cheese ingredients EXCEPT the spinach in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping off edges as needed. Once it is smooth, add the spinach and beat 3-4 times to mix. Do not overprocess the spinach or the cheese will turn green.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Brush your mushrooms and scrape off their gills using a metal teaspoon. Be careful not to break the mushrooms. Then place them in your tray with the stems down. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top and bake for 10 minutes. This step allows some moisture to escape so that the mushrooms are not watery afterwards.
While the mushrooms are cooking, combine all the bolognese sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Mix and set aside.
Remove the mushrooms from the oven and turn them so that the stems are facing up. Remove excess moisture using a clean dish towel or paper towel.
Divide the ricotta among your six mushrooms. Then pour 2-3 tablespoons of bolognese sauce over each one. Bake for another 10-12 minutes and remove from the oven and serve with basil, parsley, paprika or vegan parmesan cheese if desired.

notes

If you don’t have a powerful food processor, soak the cashews in boiling water for 15-30 minutes before making your vegan ricotta cheese and then drain.
If using frozen spinach, measure out about 1 cup and dissolve and squeeze out as much moisture as possible using a nut milk bag, dishcloth or paper towel.
Do not overprocess the spinach while making the ricotta. Tap several times to mix. You want to see slivers of spinach in your ricotta, not green cheese.
Use 2-3 times the size of button or cremini mushrooms to make them as appetizers.
If you plan ahead, you can make the ricotta cheese and bolognese sauce and refrigerate it up to 2 days in advance. Then stuff and cook your mushrooms the day you’re going to serve them. Do not fill them too early.
Your leftover vegan stuffed portobello mushrooms will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days in a sealed container.