Vegan Baked Ziti Recipe 455

VEGAN BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Prepare the pasta: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the lentils and pasta sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the vegan cheese sauce: Combine all of the ingredients in a high-powered blender and puree until smooth.
• Make the vegan Parmesan cheese: Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor; pulse until flaky. (See Cook's Note)
• Combine the cooked pasta with the pasta sauce and toss to coat.
• Spread half of the pasta in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, then top with half of the cheese sauce. Repeat with the remaining pasta and cheese sauce. Sprinkle the vegan Parmesan over the top.
• Bake until the top is slightly golden, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped basil and serve.

VEGAN BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Soak the cashews in warm water for 5 - 10 minutes, drain. In a blender cup, place the cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic & onion powder and salt, blend until creamy smooth. Set aside.
• Cook the pasta according to package directions.

VEGAN BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Add all fresh vegan ricotta ingredients to a food processor. Process on high until well-combined and creamy.
• In a small saucepan, add raw cashews. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 15 minutes to soak. Drain.
• In a blender, add soaked and drained cashews. Add the remaining vegan mozzarella cheese ingredients. Blend until smooth.
• Add mixture back to the small saucepan and heat on medium. Stir constantly until the mixture starts to thicken. Keep stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add dry ziti pasta and cook 2 minutes less the package says. Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, add ricotta cheese, half of the mozzarella cheese, and 3 cups of marinara sauce. Stir to combine. Add cooked ziti and mix.
• Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 13x9" baking dish. Add ziti mixture into the baking dish on top of the sauce. Spread the last cup of marinara sauce on top. Dollop the remaining mozzarella cheese on top.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes, removing the foil in the last 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

VEGAN BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Add textured vegetable protein (TVP) to a mixing bowl. Pour boiling hot vegan beef stock (or vegetable stock) over the top.
• Stir it in well with a fork. Leave it to sit for 5-10 minutes.
• Add chopped onions and olive oil to a pot on medium heat. Sauté until the onions are softened.
• Add crushed garlic, oregano, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne pepper and sauté for a minute to toast the spices.
• Add the prepared textured vegetable protein (TVP), liquid smoke, soy sauce and tomato paste and sauté for 8-10 minutes until browned.
• Add crushed tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, light brown sugar, salt and ground black pepper and bring to a simmer.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Turn off heat and set aside.
• Add olive oil to a pot or saucepan and turn the heat to medium high.
• When the oil begins to heat up, add the flour, stirring briskly all the time.
• Fry the flour in the oil for a bit, stirring vigorously and then add the soy milk all at once and keep stirring vigorously.
• Continue to stir until the sauce reaches a boil and then keep stirring until it thickens. It will usually start to thicken a few minutes after it has reached boiling point.
• When the sauce has thickened noticeably, turn off the heat and add dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, salt, ground black pepper, onion powder and garlic powder.
• Leave it to cool down (it will thicken more as it cools) while you prepare your pasta.
• Put your pasta on to cook according to package instructions.
• When it's cooked, drain and rinse.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
• Add the cooked pasta to the vegan ground 'beef' sauce and gently mix it in.
• Add 1 cup of vegan cheese sauce to the pasta and sauce mix and gently mix it in. Transfer the pasta and sauce mix to a 9x13 oven-safe dish and smooth down.
• Pour all the remaining vegan cheese sauce over the top and spread it evenly across the top of the dish.
• Place into the oven to bake (uncovered) for 25 minutes until lightly browned on top.
• Top with fresh chopped parsley and a sprinkle of ground black pepper and serve!