Vegan Pasta Bake
This rich and creamy vegan pasta bake is a crowd-pleaser, perfect for dinner parties as it can be prepared in advance. It features a hearty lentil bolognese infused with cashew cream, topped with a luscious white sauce that bakes to a golden, cheesy-like finish. This comforting dish promises satisfying leftovers too!
Instructions
- 1
Cook the [penne pasta]. Once cooked, drain and set aside, covered.
- 2
To prepare the bolognese sauce, fry onion (1 medium) and crushed garlic (1 tsp) in olive oil (1 tbsp) until softened. Add white button mushrooms (5 cups) and soy sauce (1 tbsp), cover for 1 minute, then uncover and cook off mushroom water. Stir in tomato paste (0.5 cup), brown lentils (15 oz), chopped tomato (28 oz), bring to a simmer. Season with light brown sugar (1.5 tbsp) and [salt] and [black pepper] to taste.
- 3
For the cashew cream, blend raw cashews (1 cup), lemon juice (1 tbsp), water (0.5 cup), and salt (0.5 tsp) until smooth.
- 4
Combine the [cashew cream] with the [bolognese sauce]. Add the cooked [penne pasta] and mix well.
- 5
For the white sauce, melt vegan butter (3 tbsp) in a saucepan. Stir in all purpose flour (2 tbsp), then whisk in coconut milk (14 oz) and vegetable stock (0.33 cup) until smooth. Bring to a boil, then simmer and stir for 4 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in black pepper (1 tsp), dijon mustard (1 tsp), nutritional yeast (0.25 cup), and [sea salt] to taste.
- 6
Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C). Transfer the [pasta] and [bolognese mix] to a rectangular oven-safe dish and smooth the top.
- 7
Pour the [white sauce] evenly over the pasta mixture. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes until golden.
Nutrition Facts
Per portion