By Pete Evans
Serves: 6
Preparation Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes
Ingredients:
5 large zucchinis
1 bunch basil leaves
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons lemon juice
80 ml (2½ fl oz/ 1/3 cup) good quality extra virgin
olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Baby purple and green basil, to garnish (optional)
400 g (14 oz) cashew cheese or macadamia cheese
Tomato olive pesto
½ head of broccoli florets – about 300 g (10½ oz)
½ cup green Sicilian olives, pitted
200 g (7 oz) semidried tomatoes
3 vine ripened tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
200 g (7 oz) button mushrooms
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 long chili, deseeded and chopped
1 sprig rosemary, chopped finely
6 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
To make the lasagna sheets, very thinly slice the zucchini into strips using a mandolin or sharp knife to approximately 2mm thick. Set aside.
To make the pesto, place all pesto ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add a little water or oil if needed. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
Using a 14 x 22 cm (5 ½ x 8 ½ inch) deep rectangular dish or tray, arrange 6 – 8 slices of the zucchini sheets lengthways in a single layer, slightly overlapping to cover the dish. Brush with a little extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a touch of sea salt.
Evenly spread 8 tablespoons of pesto on the zucchini layer and then sprinkle a few torn pieces of basil. Place another layer of zucchini slices on top of the basil in a single layer and brush with a little extra virgin oil and season with sea salt. Spread 6 tablespoons of cashew cheese on the second layer of zucchini sheets, then evenly place another layer of zucchini sheets on top and spread with another 6
tablespoons of pesto and torn basil over the top. Repeat this process one more time or until you have used up all the ingredients, but reserve some zucchini for the top. Finally, lay the final layer of zucchini on top, brush with a little oil and season with sea salt and place in the freezer and freeze for 2 hours or until frozen. Freezing the lasagna makes it easier to portion the lasagna into neatly cut pieces. When the lasagna has frozen, remove the lasagna from the dish and place on a chopping board. Cut into 6 even portions and return to the fridge to thaw for one hour.
Just before serving, place the garlic, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil and parsley in a bowl and whisk well to combine. Add the cherry tomatoes and toss through the dressing. Season the tomatoes with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Place the lasagna onto serving plates, then top with the tomato salad and drizzle a little more dressing over the lasagna. Finish with some baby basil leaves, pinch of
sea salt and some freshly cracked pepper.
