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By Lilian Grey

This spinach cashew “ricotta” lasagna is a much-loved meal in my kid approved arsenal of recipes. It’s simple to throw together, filled with healthy and whole ingredients, and kids can be easily involved in the prep process! Which I always love – my son is much more enthusiastic about a meal that he helped make. I’ll walk you through our steps!

First, you’ll want to prep the “ricotta.”

What You’ll Need

Water – 1 cup

Cashews – 1 cup

Spinach – 6 cups

Garlic – 6 cloves (less or more, whatever your preference!)

Olive oil – 2 tablespoons

Lemon juice – 2 tablespoons

Onion powder – 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

• The cashews will need to soak in cool water for about 2-3 hours so throw them in a bowl covered with water for a few hours before you’re ready to start cooking.
• Once the cashews are ready, lightly sauté spinach in olive oil and lemon juice, with a dash of salt and pepper. I add the garlic in the pan during this step.
• Combine fresh water, cashews, spinach, garlic, and onion powder to blender. Blender button pushing and monitoring is a great job for kids of all ages if you have any kitchen helpers! Blend until it has reached a ricotta-y consistency you like – it doesn’t take long.

Now it’s time to assemble the lasagna.

What You’ll Need

Lasagna noodles – one package

Tomato sauce – (2) 16oz cans

Mozzarella cheese – 8 oz block, grated

Parmesan cheese – 1 cup, grated

• In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish, lay cooked lasagna noodles in a row of 3 long ways.
• Alternate between layers of spinach cashew “ricotta” and mozzarella cheese. I let my son handle this step (he is 5) but you can adjust to your littles level. Having him spread the “ricotta” and sprinkle the mozzarella has been a hit for the last few years!
• Once the noodles are used up, top the layers with tomato sauce and parmesan cheese.
• Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. This dish is great to make ahead of time and just throw in the oven at dinner time!