Ingredients

• 2 eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips
• 1.5 cup cashews, raw, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, drained
• 3 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh
• 2 garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 0.25 cup basil, fresh, chopped
• 0.25 cup parsley, fresh, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper, ground
• 0.25 cup olive oil
• 1 ounce tomatoes, crushed
• 1 ounce tomatoes, diced
• 3 garlic, for sauce, minced
• 2 tablespoon olive oil, for sauce
• 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 0.5 teaspoon salt and pepper, for sauce
• 2 tablespoon basil, fresh, for garnish, whole leaves

Steps

1. Soak 1.5 cups raw cashews in 1.5 cups hot water for 15 minutes to soften them for blending.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two large baking sheets with aluminum foil.
3. Slice both eggplants lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick strips. You should have 12–16 slices total.
4. Brush both sides of each eggplant slice lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets.
5. Roast eggplant slices at 400°F for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and tender.
6. While eggplant roasts, drain the soaked cashews and add to a food processor with 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, 1/4 cup fresh basil, 1/4 cup fresh parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
7. Blend the cashew mixture until smooth and creamy, adding 2–3 tablespoons water if needed to reach a ricotta-like consistency.
8. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
9. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes (with juice), then add 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors.
10. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
11. Once eggplant slices have cooled slightly, place about 2 tablespoons of cashew ricotta filling on one end of each slice.
12. Roll each eggplant slice tightly from the filling end and place seam-side down in the baking dish.
13. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over and around the rolled eggplant, covering them evenly.
14. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.
15. Remove foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes to warm through and allow the sauce to set slightly.
16. Remove from oven and garnish with fresh basil leaves before serving.