Meat sauce, creamy cashew ricotta, and gluten free lasagna noodles all sandwiched together to make one mouth-watering experience. It's no secret that lasagna and its Italian friends pasta and pizza are amongst some of the most desired dishes in our country and potentially world. Why? Cheese and Gluten. Both casein and gliadin (the proteins in both dairy and gluten products) have receptors in the brain that make them highly addictive. Those receptors, and that response, is called the gluteomorphin and caseomorphin -- You hear the “morphine” in that word, right? You got it, these proteins react in the same part of the brain where morphine does - making them biochemically, very satisfying.

During the Zura Health program, we recommend eliminating both gluten and processed dairy products for a short period of time to determine a food intolerance or possible downstream reaction. There is no shortage of research to show the affects of gluten when a patient has what we call leaky gut or gut permeability. When this occurs, patients will have a compromised lining in their digestive tract that allows food particles and proteins into the bloodstream causing digestive issues (sometimes non-symptomatic) such as; bloating, joint pain, autoimmunity, constipation, brain fog, etc. It then becomes imperative to help heal the gut by removing these inflammatory foods and beginning a healing protocol.

Enter, cashew ricotta and grass fed meat sauce + gluten free noodle lasagna for the win. We've made this satisfying dish taste just as decadent as before -- just wait!

Ingredients

1 box Cappello's gluten free lasagna noodles (Whole Foods Freezer Section)
1 jar (25oz) passata (tomato sauce) or freshly roasted tomatoes
1 tbsp ghee or avocado oil
2 tbsp coconut cream
1 pound grass fed beef
2 large carrots, chopped
1/2 large red onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
Optional: Chopped Mushrooms, Fennel or other desired veggies.
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried or fresh Oregano
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp pink Himalayan salt
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Topping: Fresh Basil Leaves
Cashew Ricotta (recipe follows) or you can buy 2 Kitehill Ricotta's (Whole Foods)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375F
Take your lasagna noodles out of the freezer and allow them to thaw so they are pliable when placing into your dish.
in a medium/large sauce pan, bring 1 tbsp of ghee or avocado oil to medium heat.
Sauté your onions and garlic until cooked through, just a couple of minutes
Add the beef, and cook until browned all the way through, roughly 5-8 minutes
Add the chopped veggies (carrots, celery, mushrooms, etc) and combine. Sauté for another 5-8 minutes.
Add the Passata, Coconut cream, Tomato Paste, Bay Leaves, Oregano, Fennel seeds, Red Chili Flakes, Himalayan Salt and cook over low-medium heat until combined and thickened. Stirring occasionally.
Prepare the cashew ricotta and set aside.
Taste your sauce for salt, pepper, chili flake, etc.
To assemble your lasagna, use an 8x8 baking dish and start by layering your meat sauce, noodles, cashew ricotta, noodles, meat sauce, noodles, cashew ricotta with leftover meat sauce on top -- or to your preference.
Place in your oven for 35-45 minutes, until bubbly and cooked through. Top with fresh basil pieces and enjoy!

Cashew Ricotta

Ingredients

3 cups soaked raw organic cashews (4 hours, or 1 hour in hot water)
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup filtered water
1 tbsp olive oil
pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
optional - small pinch of red pepper flakes

Instructions

in a small sauce pan over medium heat, sauté your onion and garlic until translucent.
Place all ingredients into a high-speed blender and combine until creamy but not entirely smooth.
Taste for salt, red pepper flakes.
Store in refrigerator until desired use, use within 5 days.

Please share your photos with us and any comments! We'd love to see your creations @zurahealth.

In health and happiness,