When a hankering for Italian cuisine hits, the first thing any vegan might think is, “But what about the cheese?”
Worry no more! Our recipe for this week replaces dairy-based Parmesan with a plant-based version salty and savory enough to satisfy any cheese-craving palate!
The secret to Chef Ryan’s Baked Zucchini Parmesan?
Its four healthy “cheese” ingredients!
- Raw cashews: Just two weekly servings may lower the risk of cardiovascular and coronary artery diseases between 13 and 23 percent.
- Hemp seeds: one tablespoon contains a whopping 10 grams of protein. compared to 1.9 grams for dairy-based Parmesan.
- Garlic powder: The findings of several recent studies support garlic powder’s brain-enhancing properties.
- Nutritional yeast: Packed with cheesy flavor, nutritional yeast can help your immune system fend off respiratory infections. A perfect flu-season food!
Add tender baked zucchini and cauliflower coated with aromatic Italian herbs, crispy browned cannellini beans, and garlic-and onion-laced tomato sauce. Finish with fresh basil leaves, and you have Chef Ryan’s Baked Zucchini Parmesan – a truly Tuscan treat!
Vegan Baked Zucchini Parmesan
- Yield: 2 1x
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Fresh basil leaves for topping
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans
1 zucchini
1 med/small cauliflower head
1 small yellow onion
4 garlic cloves
1 T Italian seasoning
1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 T Cashew Parm:
½ cup raw cashews
¼ cup hemp seeds
½ cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp salt
Instructions
-
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Roughly chop basil leaves. Set aside.
- Drain and rinse the cannellini beans.
- Trim and halve zucchini. Slice into quarters lengthwise.
- Chop cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Mince garlic and onion.
- Place zucchini and cauliflower in a bowl and toss with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Place tossed veggies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until browned, 15-18 min.
- Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, pinch of salt, and splash of water or broth to prevent sticking. Cook until onion is translucent (about 3 min).
- Add tomatoes. Continue cooking until sauce thickens slightly (about 5 min). Reduce heat to low and keep covered.
- Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add cannellini beans and cook until browned and crisp. To prevent sticking, splash with water or broth. Season with salt.
- Add bread crumbs and cashew parm, toss to combine, and continue cooking until bread crumbs are slightly toasted.
- Divide tomato sauce between bowls and layer with cannellini beans and baked veggies. Sprinkle with basil and more cashew parm.
Cashew Parm:
- Combine raw cashews, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and salt in a food processor. Blend for about 1 minute, or until cashews and seeds are the texture of Parmesan cheese.
- Refrigerate unused Cashew Parm in an airtight container for up to three weeks.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 860
- Sugar: 29
- Sodium: 980
- Fat: 13
- Saturated Fat: 2.5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 136
- Fiber: 36
- Protein: 57
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: Vegan baked zucchini parmesan
