For a while, it seemed like I was always grabbing beets at the local market. (Where I’m from we call it the City Market.) The farmers have bunches of beets for just a dollar! Now I frequently purchase golden beets and red beets from Misfits Market.
What’s in beet lasagna?
Beet lasagna uses cashew ricotta and pesto to create the lasagna layers. You could opt to purchase a store-bought pesto and vegan-friendly ricotta, but honestly where’s the fun in that? Both are very simple to make at home with just a blender and a few ingredients.
Cashew Ricotta
To create the cashew ricotta you’ll just need cashews (soaked overnight or boiled for 15 minutes if you are lazy), water, juice of lemon, nutritional yeast, garlic cloves, salt, and pepper. Specific ingredient amounts are available below. Add all those ingredients into a blender until smooth.
Pesto
There are several ways to make pesto. Swapping basil with arugula or kale are easy tricks. I like adding more spinach in addition to basil for the health benefits. If fresh basil isn’t available, I’ve even used the tube of basil in a pinch.
Beet Lasagna
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
Beets
- 4 beets I like to use two red and two golden
Cashew Ricotta
- 1 1/2 cup cashews soaked overnight in water
- 1/2 cup water You may need a few tablespoons more if the consistency.
- 1 juice of a lemon
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and Pepper
Pesto
- 1 1/2 cups spinach
- 1/4 cup basil
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup EVOO
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Clean and remove the outer layer of all your beets. Place beets in foil and drizzle a little EVOO and salt and pepper on your beets. Bake in the oven for at least 45 minutes, until soft and tender.
- Meanwhile prepare your ricotta but placing all your ricotta ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth. Add additional water 1 tbsp at a time to ensure you achieve the right texture.
- Next prepare your pesto in a blender. Combine all ingredients and pulse until you achieve the proper consistency.
- Once your beets are baked. Allow them to cool so you'll be able to assemble easily. Slice your beets to make a fairly thin circle.
- Assemble your lasagna by adding a layer of ricotta on top of each beet. Then a layer of pesto. Repeat until you have no more than four layers. Top with pesto or fresh basil.