Plant-Based Double Rainbow Lasagne

Rainbows have enchanted humans for thousands of years, and have taken on a multitude of meanings. Today, one of the strongest associations is of hope. Rainbows come after the storm, they show us that what we fear can be beautiful, and they remind us of the beauty in the world after darkness. They can be an incredible symbol to those suffering from a loss or hardship. 

Today, rainbows strongly represent something else as well: the LGBTQ+ community, of people who do not conform to the rigid rules our society has written about sex and identity. It’s a fitting symbol when you consider just how many storms people have to weather just to be themselves. I am proud to have seen gay marriage legalized in my lifetime! Though I know that was no end to the storm as I hear about transphobia-triggered murders, estranged family members, and the physical and social discomfort of people close to me who have transitioned. No wonder the bright and cheerful rainbow, a beacon of hope and diversity, came to be associated with Pride and inclusivity. Rainbows remind us that it’s okay to be different, and they remind us to have hope. 

The month of June has been deemed LGBTQIA+ pride month to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred in late June of 1969. (This is also a good time to remind my white readers that these were lead by gay and trans people of color, which is why standing with our black friends and neighbors is so important, especially right now!) More recently, the landmark Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges was decided on June 26, 2015, which granted marriage equality to same-sex couples. Try out these rainbow-colored recipes to show your support and pride for this historic month.

“A double rainbow… what does it mean??” asks the wonder-striken man in this video that went viral about ten years ago. In it, a somewhat gruff man witnesses a full double rainbow arching across the view from his home. He’s overcome with emotion - watching the video is quite the rollercoaster of extreme passion, sensory overwhelm, and quiet awe. The first time I saw it I thought it was hilarious. The second time, I became just as entranced as the man in the video, who was having just about the most pure experience I can imagine. In later interviews he says he never considered adding ads to that video because he wanted his greatest work to be a gift to mankind. What a gem, right? 

In honor of hope, awe, diversity, acceptance, and everything else a rainbow stands for, I’ve created this recipe for plant-based double rainbow lasagna. Yep, you heard me. Rainbows all the way through. First we’ll make homemade rainbow pasta, then we’ll fill it up with colorful vegetables and homemade vegan ricotta. It’s a slice of heaven! 

The instructions below may look complicated, but they’re easier than you may think! All you need to do is make a couple of easy sauces, roast some veggies, blanch some veggies, and settle in for a long afternoon of pasta making. (It’s a process.) You’ll definitely want a good high-speed blender for this endeavor, as well as a pasta machine (I go for the hand-crank variety.) If you’d like to make a vegetarian version (instead of a vegan one), just substitute the vegan ricotta, bechamel, and parmesan for the dairy varieties. I will warn you, though: this is a long project. Since the Pride parades have been canceled this year, why not spend a day immersed in rainbow fun in the kitchen? By the way, just like regular lasagna, this is even better the second or third day after the flavors have had a bit more time to meld. It’s extra flavorful because the colors in the pasta itself add extra flavor. It has a tender bite and is wholesome and filling. 

Some of the colors and flavors here are wildcrafted: bee balm, wild fennel seeds, pine nuts, stinging nettle, cattail pollen. Don’t worry, though: I’ve included suggestions for substitutions just in case you don’t spend as much time foraging as I do. 

Vegan Ricotta 

This recipe is loosely based on this one from veganinsanity. I’ve adapted it to my preferences for this particular dish. It’s as easy as tossing everything in a food processor - just make sure you remember to let the almonds soak overnight, or for at least 5 hours in warm water!

2 c. blanched almonds (or 2 c. raw cashews) 

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tbs. lemon juice

¼ c. almond milk

1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp. Salt (or more to taste)

Spices to add: 

1 tsp. Dried bee balm or oregano

½ tsp. Fresh cracked pepper

½ tsp. Dried basil

Directions: 

1. Soak the blanched almonds in water overnight, then strain and rinse. Add them to a food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Process until the texture is just a little bit lumpy, about the consistency of ricotta. (Add more milk if needed to get a softer blend.) Stir in the spices. 

Vegan bechamel sauce: 

2 Tbs. vegan butter

⅓ c. all-purpose flour

2 c. almond milk

1 Tbs. nutritional yeast

½ tsp. Sea salt

Dash of nutmeg

Directions: 

1. Melt the vegan butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it starts to bubble, add the flour and whisk well until you have a smooth paste. Add the almond milk, a little at a time, whisking after each addition to blend in any lumps. Once all of the almond milk has been incorporated, add the nutritional yeast, sea salt, and a dash of freshly-grated nutmeg. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture thickens. Set aside, covered. 

Vegan parmesan: 

½  c. pine nuts

2 Tbs. nutritional yeast

1 tsp. Garlic salt

Directions: pulse together in a spice grinder until the mixture is slightly lumpy but combined. 

Rainbow Lasagne Pasta:

This recipe makes about double the pasta you’ll need for one pan of lasagna. You can halve the recipes, but since I am putting so much work into it, I like to make the full amount, then cut the excess into fettuccine and dry it so I can have rainbow pasta anytime I like! (Plus it is really difficult to puree smaller volumes of liquid.) You can also just pick a few colors to use instead of the whole rainbow. 

For each dough recipe, you’ll need: 

¾  c. “OO” pasta flour

¼ c. all-purpose flour

Mixture for each color, written out below 

Extra water or almond milk 

Directions: 

1. Add any dry ingredients listed to the flour and mix well in a medium mixing bowl. Form a well in the center. 

2. Then, put any purees or wet ingredients into a measuring cup and add enough water or almond milk to make ½  c. Blend until very smooth. 

3. Pour the liquid into the well, then use a fork to mix up the dough. When it comes together, start kneading it by hand. You should have a stiff dough that’s not too crumbly; if it’s crumbly, add a tiny bit more water. If the dough is sticky, add a little extra flour. You have to do this step by feel, since hydration of the flour can vary a lot in different climates and in different weather, plus not all the add-ins have the same consistency. 

4. Once the dough has come together into a consistent dough, knead until it’s nice and smooth and a little glossy, about three minutes on a lightly greased surface. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. When you’ve finished your last dough, let it rest for 30 minutes as well. This is a great time to mix up the fillings, if you haven’t already. Cover those and set them aside. 

5. Roll out each dough into a long snake about 1” wide. Place them in order (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet.) Gently press the sides together to make a width that will fit through your pasta maker. Lightly dust with flour at any point you feel the dough is starting to stick. Roll in the direction of the colored snakes to flatten the dough to ½” thick. At this point, I like to divide my dough into 4 pieces, which is a much more manageable amount of dough to work at any given time! Cover the extra 3 pieces with plastic wrap so they don’t dry out. 

6. Roll the segment of dough out to about ¼” thickness, being careful to keep it narrower than the pasta machine’s opening. Again, use a light dusting of flour when needed to keep the dough from sticking to you, the machine, or your work surface. 

7. Set the pasta machine roller to its widest setting. Lightly dust the top and bottom of your pasta sheet with flour, then feed it through the machine slowly. (It helps to have a friend when making pasta so they can gently lift the rolled dough as it comes through!) 

8. Adjust the machine to the second-widest setting and run the dough through again. 

9. Fold the sheet in half (so that each color touches itself), then feed it back through the widest setting, putting the folded end through first so you don’t trap any air bubbles. Repeat this process of rolling and folding until the dough is strong and silky, which usually takes about 3 repetitions of the folding. (You may notice that you’re starting to get an ombre faded pattern more like a real rainbow that becomes smoother with every fold and roll!) 

10. Once the dough has been properly laminated, take it down through the settings, rolling through each one once or twice, until it is the thickness of the 3rd smallest setting. Find a nice big surface to lay your dough out on and cover loosely with plastic. Repeat this process with the remaining 3 chunks of dough. 

11. Now that your pasta is all rolled and finished, it’s time to cut it to fit the pan you’ll make your lasagna in. You can keep the sheets at the width they are at, or cut them to be smaller, 3” wide strips. (Tip: save the prettiest pieces for the top! You can use scraps on the layers below.) 

12. Assembling The Lasagna: Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9”x11” (or similar) oven-safe pan with olive oil, then lay down your first layer of pasta. On top of that carefully spread your violet filling. Top with a few dollops of bechemel sauce, then lay down another layer of pasta. This time, add the indigo filling. Continue layering, adding bechemel to the top of each layer until you’ve reached the top. Lay down your prettiest rainbow pasta sheets, then brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with the vegan parmesan. Cover the whole thing with aluminum foil. 

13. Bake for one hour, then remove the foil and cook for another 15 minutes. Let cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving to give the layers a chance to firm up. 

To Roast: 

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

3 small beets

½ red onion 

Small purple cauliflower or 2 purple carrots

Olive oil and salt and pepper, to drizzle

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Cut the peppers in half and cut out the seeds, then place them cut-side-down on a parchment lined baking sheet. Peel the beets and add them to the sheet as well. Peel and chop the onion into quarters and add it too. Cut up the purple cauliflower or lay the carrots on whole. Drizzle everything with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until vegetables are tender but not too soft, about 20 minutes. 

To blanch: (Add 1 Tbs. salt and 1 tsp. Baking soda to the water) 

3 c. fresh nettle leaves 

2 c. sliced cabbage

1 Tbs. salt

2 tsp. Baking soda

2 bowls of ice water

Directions: Bring a medium stock pot to a boil with the salt and baking soda. Toss in the nettle leaves and count to ten, then scoop them out with a slotted spoon and shock them in one bowl of ice water. Drain and set aside. Add the remaining tsp. Of baking soda to the water and stir to dissolve, then add the cabbage. Boil until slightly tender, about one minute. Blanch in cold water, then rinse and pat dry. 

RED: 

5 Tbs. tomato paste

½ c. tomato sauce

3 tsp. Beetroot powder 

For the pasta, use 3 Tbs. tomato paste and 2 tsp. Beetroot powder

For the filling, mix together the tomato sauce, 2 Tbs. tomato paste, 1 tsp. Beetroot powder, and ⅓ c. ricotta

ORANGE: 

1 tsp. Smoked paprika

¾ c. chopped roasted red pepper

1 Tbs. tomato paste

1 tsp. Smoked paprika 

For the pasta, use the smoked paprika and 2 Tbs. of the red pepper 

For the filling, mix the remaining chopped red pepper with ⅓ c. ricotta and add the tomato paste and smoked paprika

YELLOW:

2 Tbs. cattail pollen

3 tsp. Turmeric

½ c. roasted yellow pepper, chopped

For the pasta, use the cattail pollen and 2 tsp. Turmeric.

For the filling, mix the roasted yellow pepper and 1 tsp turmeric with ⅔  c. ricotta

GREEN: 

1 tsp. Green spirulina (optional) 

1 ½ c. blanched nettle leaves, squeezed dry

½ c. fresh basil 

1 Tbs. lemon juice

For the pasta, puree ½ c. of the blanched nettle leaves with the green spirulina and enough water to blend into a smooth puree. Use ⅓ c. of this mixture for the pasta dough.  

For the filling, chop the remaining nettles and basil and stir into ⅓ c. ricotta. Mix in the lemon juice

BLUE: 

3 tsp. Blue spirulina powder

½ c. blanched and chopped red cabbage

½ c. cooked white beans

1 Tbs. almond milk

½  tsp fennel seeds

¼  tsp. salt

1 tsp.. olive oil

For the pasta, use 2 tsp. Blue spirulina powder. 

For the filling, combine the white beans, almond milk, and 1 tsp. Blue spirulina in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. In a medium cast iron skillet, toast the fennel seeds until fragrant, then add the olive oil, cabbage, and salt. Cook until you can smell the fennel, then add the mixture to the blender. Pulse once or twice to combine. 

INDIGO: 

3 tsp. Butterfly pea powder

1 tsp. Blue spirulina powder

½ c. roasted purple cauliflower or carrots

⅓ c. purple opal basil, chopped 

For the pasta, use 2 tsp. Butterfly pea powder.

For the filling, mix 1 tsp. Butterfly pea powder with the blue spirulina powder. Add them, the opal basil, and the roasted cauliflower to ⅓ c. ricotta

VIOLET: 

3/4  c. finely-chopped roasted beets

½ c. roasted red onion 

4 tsp. Purple sweet potato powder

For the pasta: use ¼ c. of the roasted beets plus 2 tsp. Purple sweet potato powder 

For the filling, use the remaining roasted beets and red onion, then stir in ⅓ c. ricotta. Mix in the remaining purple sweet potato powder

Whew, if you’ve made it this far, I have something else to tell you: I’m queer. I recently went through a pretty intense period of self-discovery and realized that I have been attracted to women my entire life. My first crush was a girl, I fell in love with one of my friend, and I have had feelings for many other women over the years. Feelings that I repressed out of fear and confusion. Things are getting clearer to me now, though, and I’m starting to recognize those feelings for what they were. I’m not sure what my future holds, but I do know that I have pushed this truth way far inside me for too long, and it feels really good to come out. I hope that my community will be supportive of my true self!

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