Description

A flavorful and vibrant Springtime White Lasagna featuring a creamy roasted garlic cashew sauce, tender sautéed leeks and spinach, fresh asparagus, and gluten-free no-boil lasagna sheets. This dairy-free, vegetarian dish combines roasted garlic with cashew cream and fresh spring vegetables to make a comforting yet light meal perfect for seasonal celebrations or a wholesome family dinner.

Ingredients

Scale

Roasted Garlic & Cashew 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 (white and pale green parts only)
2 bunches (~600g) asparagus (woody ends snapped off)
1 box (283g) baby spinach

Lasagna

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: Place the raw unsalted cashews in a bowl and cover with 2 cups of water. Allow them to soak for 2-3 hours or overnight to soften. After soaking, drain and set aside.
Roast the Garlic: Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C). Cut off the tip of the garlic head to expose the cloves, sprinkle salt on top, then wrap the garlic bulb in foil. Roast for 45 minutes until cloves are soft and fragrant. Remove and let cool.
Prepare the Vegetables: Mince the 2-3 reserved cloves of garlic. Clean the leeks by trimming off the dark green tops (reserve for stock) and keep the white and pale green parts. Slice the leeks lengthwise, rinse thoroughly to remove grit, and slice into ½-inch pieces. Snap off woody asparagus ends and chop stalks into 1-1.5 inch pieces. For garnish, keep 3 whole asparagus stalks and halve any thick stalks lengthwise.
Make the Roasted Garlic Sauce: Once the roasted garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft cloves out of their skins into a blender. Add the soaked cashews, low-sodium broth, almond milk, arrowroot starch, nutritional yeast (optional), kosher salt, black pepper, and fresh thyme sprigs. Blend until completely smooth. Pour the mixture into a medium pot and bring to a gentle simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Sauté the Vegetables: Heat avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks with a pinch of kosher salt and sauté for 8-10 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant. In a separate pan, sauté the baby spinach in batches until just wilted, then squeeze out excess moisture. Set aside.
Assemble the Lasagna: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread ½ cup of the roasted garlic sauce on the bottom of a lasagna pan. Arrange a layer of no-boil lasagna sheets on top. Layer with sauce, sautéed leeks, wilted spinach, chopped asparagus, and additional noodles, repeating layers until ingredients are used up. Place any reserved whole asparagus stalks on top as garnish. Finish by spreading the remaining sauce over the top and optionally sprinkle with extra nutritional yeast or dairy-free cheese.
Bake the Lasagna: Cover the pan with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Bake covered for 30-35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 8-10 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Soaking cashews overnight results in a creamier sauce and easier blending.
Using no-boil noodles saves prep time and ensures easy layering without pre-cooking.
Arrowroot starch acts as a thickener for the sauce, but cornstarch can be substituted if needed.
Roasting the whole garlic bulb mellows the flavor, making the sauce rich and savory without harshness.
Leek greens can be saved and added to homemade vegetable stock for extra flavor.
For a vegan or dairy-free version, omit any cheese toppings or substitute with plant-based cheese.
Adjust salt and pepper seasoning to your taste, especially if using broth with sodium.
Letting the lasagna rest after baking helps stabilize the layers for cleaner slicing.

Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus 2-3 hours soaking cashews and 45 minutes roasting garlic)
Cook Time: 40-50 minutes
Category: Main Dish
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American, Vegetarian