This will be my first Thanksgiving sans turkey. And while I’m not exactly sad about it, it did get me thinking about ideas for how to create a delicious vegetarian Thanksgiving. My family has always taken a pretty traditional approach to Thanksgiving. We’ve never been a sage-in-the stuffing, skin-on “smashed” potatoes kind of crew. But I’ve always appreciated a good Thanksgiving-inspired recipe that colors outside the lines a little.
I also recently noticed that the ubiquitous fall ingredient — butternut squash — has been noticeably absent around these parts. My friend Liz sent me a great recipe for butternut squash soup with a curried apple chutney. But every time I had the squash, I didn’t have apples. When I had apples, I had no squash. When I had vegetable stock, I had neither squash nor apples. Then today, I found myself with squash, lasagna noodles, some Daiya cheese (I know, it’s about time I seek help for my affinity for fake cheese), and all the ingredients I needed for my pine nut ricotta. I’m sure you can figure out where this is leading. And while my family will likely be celebrating Thanksgiving with the expected mashed potatoes and stuffing, I’m thinking this will make a great vegan side for a large, adventurous group, or even a main course for a small family.
This Thanksgiving, I will be SO THANKFUL for passing the NY Bar Exam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I figure it’s only fair to share my joy here, where I’ve also lamented for months about my stress, anxiety, sleepless nights and endless studying. Thanks, all, for your support and well-wishes during a trying but ultimately rewarding time.
Butternut Squash Lasagna:
3/4 cup raw pinenuts, soaked for 4 hours, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 box Tinkyada gluten-free brown rice noodles
4 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced (about 18 oz.)
3 tablespoons sage leaves, roughly chopped
1 cup Daiya vegan mozzarella, plus more for top
Directions:
1. Prepare filling: in a blender or food processor, add soaked pine nuts, lemon juice, water and salt. Blend until smooth. Set aside (keep in food processor).
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of hot water to a boil. Add butternut squash and boil for about 4 minutes. Remove from pot (leave hot water for noodles) and drain. Add lasagna noodles and cook according to package directions, undercooking by a few minutes. Drain and rinse.
3. Preheat oven to 350. Rinse squash with cold water and add squash to food processor. Process until squash pieces are small and mixture is relatively smooth. Stir in sage leaves.
4. Assemble lasagna: add a layer of 3 noodles flat to the bottom of a baking dish. Spread about 3/4 of the squash-ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles and sprinkle 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup cheese over the squash mixture. Repeat 2x. Place remaining noodles on top and sprinkle with additional cheese.
5. Cover baking dish with aluminum foil and bake, covered, for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake, uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.
Beth, esq. Looks delicious, Counsel.
Beth, that looks awesome! I’d gladly eat my share at the Thanksgiving table with you AND share in the celebration of you passing the bar–woohoo!
Hugsss and congrats!
Shirley
Shirley @ gfe recently posted..Mini-Vacation and General Mills Gluten-Free Bloggers Summit
So simple! I love this. Congrats on passing the bar!
Sarah S. recently posted..Vegan MoFo 7- Amazing Homemade Vegan Bacon- soy-free! easy! freezer friendly! affordable!
Congratulations! I probably had less doubt than you did about your passing, but that’s because I wasn’t burdened with anything like facts, just the fact that I knew you could do it.
Charlie van Becelaere recently posted..A Highly Recommended Book
Yahoo! You passed. Congratulations, what an accomplishment! I love the looks of this recipe. I bet it would also be so yummy with a nut cheese.
Maggie recently posted..Deliciously Dark Pan Gravy
Congratulations! What a relief and celebration that must be and now I’m just off to try that lasagna. The moment I saw it, I knew I had to try it!
Ooh, this looks yummy – Congratulations on passing the bar! I know it’s a relief!
Katie recently posted..Dye Applique Fall Fashion
THIS is on the menu this week. I’ve got Tinkyada noodles, and about 50 butternut squash. Maybe it will be on the menu all month, ha! Nice picture. Photos should make you want to dig in and this one does!
FANTASTIC!!! I added in 3 cloves of smoked garlic and it was phenomenal. Thanks for the recipe!
Jess — Yay! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! I love the smoked garlic idea — how do you smoke your garlic? I might just have to try that the next time I make this.
I know I’m very late in responding to this recipe (just found it on Google while looking up butternut lasagna!) and I’m excited to give this a try. Thanks for sharing. Good luck with the veg approach to life — it’s one of the best things you can do for your body, our fellow creatures, and the planet — and your kitchen! Veg dishes are indeed delectable!
One suggestion for vegan holiday meals is a cassoulet, which pairs very well with the usual holiday sides. I did this for my boyfriend’s family and it was such a hit, they requested it again this Thanksgiving, and even suggested doing without the turkey altogether, as the cassoulet was so satisfying on its own.
I’ve made this with lentils and with white beans — both came out excellent. All the ingredients are easy to find in any supermarket (though greenmarket sources stuff really pushes this over the top!) Here’s my recipe (plus links to my source recipes): http://crankygerd.blogspot.com/2011/11/recipe-cassoulet-lentil-variation.html