Spaghetti Squash Mung Bean Lasagna
Serves: one 9" x 13" baking dish or two 9" x 9" baking dishes
 
Ingredients
for the almond ricotta
  • 2 cups almonds - soaked overnight in purified water
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 garlic clove - chopped
  • generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  • pinch sea salt
for the lasagna
  • 1 large or 2 small spaghetti squash
  • 3-4 tablespoons neutral coconut oil
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup mung beans or French lentils - soaked overnight in purified water
  • 1 large yellow onion - chopped
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • dried thyme, oregano, marjoram - to taste (optional)
  • 2 medium carrots - sliced
  • 2 celery ribs - thinly sliced
  • 1 lb crimini mushrooms - sliced
  • two 24 oz jars marinara sauce or crushed canned tomatoes
Instructions
to make the almond ricotta
  1. Drain and rinse the almonds. Optionally, squeeze each almond to slip off the skin for a whiter, smoother ricotta, rinse well.
  2. Place almonds into the bowl of a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Add ¼ cup water and grind to a ricotta consistency. Add another 1-2 tablespoons of water, if needed. Use right away or refrigerate for up to 3 days.
to make the lasagna
  1. Preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C). Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Generously oil the inside of each half with about 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the squash cut side down on a parchment paper-covered baking tray and bake for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 375° F (190° C).
  2. While the squash is roasting, drain and rinse the mung beans/lentils, place them in a medium saucepan and cover with purified water. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat to a simmer, add salt and cook, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Taste for doneness, simmer for 2-5 minutes more if the beans are not yet tender. If using lentils, cook them for 20-30 minutes until done. Drain and set aside.
  3. Warm 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion, a pinch of salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and thyme/oregano/marjoram, if using, and saute for 5 minutes, until onion is translucent.
  4. Add carrots, celery and another pinch of salt and saute for another 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for about 8 minutes or longer, until the liquid released by the mushrooms evaporates. Add mung beans and saute for 2 minutes, until coated and incorporated. Remove pan from the heat and set aside.
  5. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish (or 2 smaller square dishes, about 8" x 8" or 9" x 9", as pictured) with the remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Spread ⅓ of the marinara sauce/crushed canned tomatoes over the bottom of the dish. Using a fork, scoop the spaghetti squash strands out of the skin and spread ⅓ of them over the marinara in an even layer. Reserve about 1 cup of the ricotta for garnish, if desired. Crumble ⅓ of the remaining ricotta over the squash. Top with half of the mung bean and vegetable mixture in an even layer. Repeat with ⅓ of the marinara, squash, ricotta and vegetables. Finish with the last layer of marinara and the squash.
  6. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 400° F (200° C). Uncover the lasagna and bake for another 10 minutes, until the marinara is bubbling through to the surface. Optionally, turn the broiler on high and broil for a couple minutes, until top layer of the lasagna is golden in places. Remove from the oven, garnish with the reserved ricotta, if using, let cool slightly, slice and serve.
Recipe by Golubka Kitchen at https://golubkakitchen.com/spaghetti-squash-mung-bean-lasagna/