Vegan Gluten Free Baked Ziti

Recently I blogged about my love of Italian food. You know - the garlic, basil, etc. I was craving some baked ziti, and I happened to have all the ingredients on hand. This is insanely easy to put together and makes a really satisfying meal (and Anne said this is her new favorite thing I make!)

There are many variations on vegan ricotta. My recipe simply incorporates a lot of these variations and is creamy and delicious. It can be used in vegan lasagna too or any place you might use ricotta. It would also be great as a spread on a sandwich with grilled veggies.

This recipe easily feeds 4-5 people, and goes great with garlic bread and red wine.

1 lb tube pasta (ziti, penne etc. I used gluten free ziti tonight. Yum!)
3 cups tomato sauce
olive oil

Ricotta
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 lb firm or extra firm tofu, drained
1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried onion
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping
1/4 breadcrumbs (I used GF ones tonight)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cook the pasta according to the package, but note you are aiming for al dente. While the pasta is cooking, put the cashew, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic into the food processor and process until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients for the ricotta and process until smooth and combined.

Mix all the ingredients together for the topping. Smear some olive oil into a 8 inch square baking dish.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add to the prepped 8 inch dish. Pour in the ricotta and sauce, and mix so pockets of cheese and sauce remain intact. Sprinkle the topping evenly on top.

Bake for 25 minutes. Turn on the broiler on low and bake for another three minutes. Remove and enjoy!