What a title for a dish…The Cuban Giraffe Lasagna. This incredible concoction is a staple of mine now and one thing that’s great about it is the leftovers taste just as good 2-3 days later than the day it was cooked. The title pays tribute to my great friend Celia Dubey as she introduced me to a version of this a couple years ago and I’ve been tweaking it every time I make it. I’m not sure I have made it the same way twice.
Celia, is of Cuban descent and loves her heritage so I thought it would be great to include in the title and she loved the idea as well. This may seem complex but it really isn’t and once you make it you will realize how easy it is and how simple it is to make different each time. This is how I made this version as well as ideas to change it up. Pictures are included at the bottom to give you an idea how it looks.
Ingredients
- Veggies
- Broccoli – 16 oz (I used frozen here)
- Corn – 10 oz (1 small frozen bag…I like the roasted version)
- Mushrooms – 2 – 8 oz containers
- Carrots – 8 oz (I dice them)
- Zucchini – 1 small or 1/2 large
- Garlic Powder – 2 teaspoons
- Lasagna Pasta (uncooked) – enough for two layers in your dish
- Lasagna Pasta (oven ready) – enough for top layer in your dish
- Tomato Sauce – 2-3 jars of your liking (I used a tomato basil)
- Hummus – 16 oz tub should do (choose a flavor you like…I used roasted red pepper)
- Vegan Mozzarella Cheese (Shredded) – less than a bag (I like Follow Your Heart and Violife)
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
- Place all veggies and garlic powder in a large pan, cover, and cook (stirring occasionally) for 10-12 minutes on Med/High (If you don’t use mushrooms you can use a dash of veggie broth to coat the bottom otherwise the mushrooms and veggies provide enough moisture to not stick while steaming…I take the top off with a couple minutes left to continue stirring and test the tenderness. It doesn’t have to be ready to eat yet as it will bake coming up next.
- Baste the bottom of a 11×15 inch dish with tomato sauce (if using a smaller dish like 9×13 you can adjust the quantities. Great thing is if you have too many veggies you can save them for another dish)
- Layer hummus on one side of each of the uncooked pasta pieces and lay them on the bottom of the dish with the hummus facing up
- Layer veggies on top of that, most likely using more than half of what you prepared
- Drizzle tomato sauce on the top but don’t drench
- Repeat the hummus/pasta layer and remaining veggies on top of that
- Lay the cooked pasta pieces on top
- Cover with tomato sauce and be generous here covering all of the top layer of pasta
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes
- Remove from oven, test the tenderness of the pasta…should be close to soft
- Drizzle the Vegan Mozzarella Cheese to your liking
- Change oven setting to Broil, place the dish back in the oven on the high rack, and leave for five minutes
- Remove and I would let it sit uncovered for 15-30 minutes but it can be eaten immediately. Watch out though as it is HOT! And it will be 30 minutes later…
The beauty of this is you can change the veggies, hummus, and tomato sauce to your likings slightly or dramatically. I love making this on the weekend as it can feed me a couple times during the week. I hope you enjoy this magic from Celia and The Healthy Giraffe. Let me know if you make it with another combination that rocks.
– Add Health to Your Life
The Healthy Giraffe 
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