These vegan-friendly, gluten and dairy free lasagna roll-ups with pumpkin sauce are the perfect fall dish. Fall into the cozy vibe with this hearty casserole recipe. Cashew ricotta with mushrooms, herbs, and Italian sausage, rolled up in fresh gluten-free pasta and cooked in a savory pumpkin sauce. This recipe is easily made totally paleo (grain-free) or totally plant-based/ vegan too. Read recipe notes and FAQ’s below!
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The Gluten Free and Dairy Free Lasagna Dupe You Didn’t Know You Needed
Hardy, saucy, warm lasagna is the perfect cozy fall or winter meal. Switch up your boring tomato sauce for a wine and pumpkin sauce and now you’ve got a stunner seasonal dish that is holiday table-worthy. These gluten-free lasagna roll-ups are made dairy-free with cashew ricotta cheese, mixed with a rosemary-forward ground meat blend, wine-braised mushrooms, and wilted spinach. Don’t be deterred by the steps, this recipe is virtually one skillet and easy peasy! You can also make this recipe plant-based by using a meal alternative (or more mushrooms), or grain-free and paleo by using Cappellos Pasta Lasagna Sheets.
What You’ll Need To Make This Gluten Free Dairy Free Pasta Dish
Don’t be alarmed at the ingredient list for these gluten free lasagana roll ups, a lot of these things you will already have on hand. We’re making the sauce, cheese, and sausage from scratch, but it’s totally worth it.
- Raw cashews, you will need to pre-soak these to soften.
- Lemons for added acidity in the dairy free cheese, as well as for pumpkin sauce.
- Nutritional Yeast is what will make the cashews taste like cheese, it also adds umami to the pumpkin sauce. You could use a splash of fish sauce instead – see my Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce.
- Olive oil or avocado oil for cooking
- Ground pork, turkey or venison, I used a 50-50 blend of pork and venison that was fairly lean and it worked nicely. Opt for a leaner mix to avoid pooling fat and soggy noodles.
- Minced rosemary, celery salt, kosher salt, and cracked pepper – for seasoning your “sausage”.
- Shallots, you could use yellow or red onion as well, but shallots are superior.
- Garlic, because it wouldn’t be an Italian dish without garlic.
- Raw spinach, you could also use baby kale here
- Shiitake mushrooms, I love the texture and flavor on these because they’re meatier!
- Bone broth is my go-to for the health benefits, but any broth will do.
- Pumpkin Puree, canned, unsweetened, pure pumpkin!
- Red wine, the alcohol cooks off, but the flavor it leaves is amazing, I just buy a $4 bottle or using cooking wine.
- Apple cider vinegar, apples, and pumpkins go so well together for fall!
- Italian herb seasoning, a staple in any sauce
- Fresh gluten free pasta, I used Taste Republic, you can also use Cappello’s.
- Pork panko or crushed pecans for the topping
- Minced parsley
Step by Step Instructions for Pumpkin Lasagna Roll Ups
- Drain cashews and blend in a food processor with the rest of the “ricotta” ingredients until you get a thick paste with little bits, you don’t want it totally smooth. Add water as needed to get the right texture.
- Heat a skillet on medium-high heat and brown the meat, then add in the seasonings, shallots, and garlic. Cook until the meat is cooked through, and the aromatics and fragrant and tender. Break it up with a spatula so that it’s well combined and a fine crumble. Mix in the spinach and cook until wilted. Set aside.
- Add olive oil to the hot skillet, and add in the mushrooms, saute until browned and glossy. You want a really good sear on them. Season and then deglaze the skillet with wine. Let it reduce. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, combine bone broth, wine, pumpkin puree, vinegar, and lemon juice. Add water as needed to thin out. Bring to a simmer and mix in the seasonings. Once you’ve got about 5 cups of sauce with the right tomato sauce consistency. Take off the heat.
- In a large bowl combine the meat mix, the ricotta, and the mushrooms.
- Set your lasagna sheets out on a cutting board or clean counter. Evenly distribute the filling to the center of each sheet, and roll forward to close.
- In a casserole dish, pour half of your sauce and use a spatula to spread out.
- Then arrange your roll-ups in the dish and pour the remaining sauce over the top.
- In lieu of parmesan, we’re going to sprinkle pork panko and minced parsley all over the top. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Dig in and enjoy!
Making Modifications to Gluten and Dairy-Free Lasagna Roll-Ups
If you’re making this recipe, there’s a good chance you’ve got some food allergies or aversions, and perhaps the recipe as written doesn’t work for you. Here are some easy modifications to fit several dietary needs.
Absolutely, if you want a more traditional flavor, and can eat tomatoes, use whichever tomato sauce you want. If you want to make a white/ alfredo lasagna use my Cauliflower Alfredo Recipe (dairy free), or you can make it more AIP friendly with my Legit Nomato Sauce.
Yes, you can make this dish nut free by using regular ricotta (if you tolerate dairy), or you can use another cheese alternative like Violife Products. You don’t want a “cheese” that will melt too much or you will have pools of grease in your roll-ups.
To make this recipe lower in carbs you can use eggplant or zucchini instead of pasta sheets or use Palmini Lasagna Noodles made from hearts of palm.
You can definitely triple or quadruple the mushrooms and season them to use instead of ground meat.
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Gluten and Dairy Free Lasagna Roll Ups (+ Dairy Free) with Pumpkin Sauce
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Epicly cozy lasagna recipe that’s gluten and dairy free but tastes like the real deal!
Ingredients
For ricotta:
- 2 cups raw cashews (soak for 4 hrs)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Water as needed
For Sausage:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound ground pork
- 1/2 pound lean ground meat (turkey, venison, bison)
- 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
- 2 teaspoons minced rosemary
- 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
- 1 teaspoon cracked pepper
- 2 shallots, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups raw spinach
For mushrooms:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup red wine
For pumpkin sauce:
- 1 cup bone broth
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cans pure pumpkin puree
- Water
- 2 teaspoons Italian herb seasoning
- 1 tablespoon a nutritional yeast
- Salt and pepper to taste
Pasta:
- 12 sheets fresh gluten free pasta
- Pork panko or crushed pecans
- Minced parsley
Instructions
-
Drain cashews and blend in a food processor with the rest of the “ricotta” ingredients until you get a thick paste with little bits, you don’t want it totally smooth. Add water as needed to get the right texture.
-
Heat a skillet on medium-high heat, drizzle in olive oil and brown the meat, then add in the seasonings, shallots, and garlic. Cook until the meat is cooked through, and the aromatics and fragrant and tender. Break it up with a spatula so that it’s well combined and a fine crumble. Mix in the spinach and cook until wilted. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
-
Add olive oil to the hot skillet, and add in the mushrooms, saute until browned and glossy. You want a really good sear on them. Add salt and then deglaze the skillet with wine. Let it reduce. Set aside.
-
In the same skillet, combine bone broth, wine, pumpkin puree, vinegar, and lemon juice. Add water as needed to thin out. Bring to a simmer and mix in the seasonings. Once you’ve got about 5 cups of sauce with the right tomato sauce consistency. Take off the heat.
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In a large bowl combine the meat mix, the ricotta, and the mushrooms. Set out your lasagna sheets on a flat clean surface, evenly distribute the filling to the center of each sheet, and roll forward to close.
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In a casserole dish, pour half of your sauce. Then arrange your roll-ups in the dish, seam side down, and pour the remaining sauce over the top.
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In lieu of parmesan, we’re going to sprinkle pork panko and minced parsley all over the top. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes.
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Dig in and enjoy! Store leftovers in a casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, bake covered with foil for 20-30 minutes at 300F.
Recipe Notes:
- You can use any pasta you want, as long as it’s fresh or ready to bake.
- You can use any sauce you want if you prefer tomato or one of the alternatives listed in the post.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 roll ups
- Calories: 758
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 1413mg
- Fat: 33g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 76g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 37g
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