Description

Springtime White Lasagna is a vibrant, fresh take on traditional lasagna, featuring a creamy roasted garlic and cashew sauce, tender leeks, spinach, and crisp asparagus layered between no-boil noodles. This dish combines wholesome, plant-based ingredients to create a flavorful, comforting meal perfect for spring or any time you’re craving a vegetable-forward, dairy-free lasagna.

Ingredients

Scale

Sauce

1 whole head of garlic (reserve 2–3 cloves)
1 cup raw unsalted cashews (soaked for 2–3 hours)
2 cups vegetable or chicken broth (low-sodium)
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
3 tablespoons arrowroot starch
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
Black peppercorn (to taste)
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2–3 cloves garlic (from the reserved garlic)

Vegetables

2–3 leeks (adjust based on leek size)
2 bunches (~600g) asparagus
1 box (283g) baby spinach

Other

1 box (~280g) no-boil lasagna sheets (gluten-free or regular)
Avocado oil (or other high-heat oil for sautéing)
Kosher salt (to taste)

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Instructions

Soak the Cashews: Soak the cashews in 2 cups of water for 2-3 hours, or overnight if preferred. After soaking, drain and set aside to prepare the creamy base of the sauce.
Roast the Garlic: Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C). Slice off the top of the garlic bulb to expose the cloves, sprinkle with salt, and wrap in foil. Roast for 45 minutes until soft and fragrant. Allow to cool.
Prepare the Vegetables: Mince the reserved 2-3 garlic cloves. Trim the leeks by removing the dark greens, then slicing the white and light green parts into ½-inch pieces after rinsing thoroughly. Snap off woody asparagus ends, chop the stalks into 1-1.5 inch pieces, slicing thicker stalks lengthwise. Reserve 3 whole asparagus stalks for garnish if desired.
Make the Roasted Garlic Sauce: Squeeze roasted garlic cloves from skins into a blender. Add soaked cashews, broth, almond milk, arrowroot starch, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and thyme sprigs. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a pot and gently simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning and set aside.
Sauté Vegetables: Heat avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté leeks with kosher salt for 8-10 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. In a separate pan, sauté the spinach in batches until wilted. Squeeze out excess water and set aside.
Assemble the Lasagna: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread ½ cup of roasted garlic sauce in the bottom of a lasagna pan. Layer noodles, sauce, sautéed leeks, spinach, raw asparagus pieces, and repeat layers until ingredients are used. Add reserved whole asparagus on top as garnish. Finish by spreading remaining sauce and optionally sprinkle nutritional yeast or dairy-free cheese.
Bake the Lasagna: Cover with foil sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 8-10 minutes until top is golden and bubbly. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Soaking cashews overnight enhances creaminess but 2-3 hours is sufficient.
Use no-boil noodles to save time; regular noodles would require pre-cooking.
Arrowroot starch is used as a thickener; cornstarch can be an alternative.
Nutritional yeast is optional but adds a cheesy flavor suitable for dairy-free diets.
Adjust salt to taste especially due to the broth and nutritional yeast.
Roasting garlic in foil traps moisture and mellows the flavor for a creamy sauce base.
Make sure to squeeze excess water from the spinach to avoid a watery lasagna.
Letting the lasagna rest after baking helps it set and makes it easier to slice.

Prep Time: 20 minutes (excluding cashew soaking)
Cook Time: 45 minutes roasting garlic + 15 minutes sautéing + 40 minutes baking = 1 hour 40 minutes total active cooking time (can overlap with soaking time)
Category: Main Course
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Italian-inspired