Cheesy Vegan Pasta Bake

one of my favorite parts about vegan cooking/baking is the creativity aspect. you really have to think outside of the box when it comes to making vegan versions of dishes. when it comes to vegan cheeses and cheese sauces, there seems to be a lot of mixed reviews. i’m really picky about my vegan cheese sauces! i carefully craft the sauces to have tons of flavor and want non-vegans to enjoy the recipe just as much! Cheesy Vegan Pasta Bake is made with a tofu-based cheese sauce, which is SO COOL and it’s unbelievably tasty!

the tofu becomes super light and fluffy throughout the baking process, which creates a fabulous texture. the nutty cheese crust on top + chewy pasta mixed with the tofu sauce is simply foodie heaven.

can’t wait to hear what you think!!

ingredients and directions

ingredients

• 1 package pasta of choice (i used jovial cassava pasta)
• 6 oz fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 16 oz tofu
• 2 medium-large garlic cloves
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1.5 cups vegetable broth
• handful fresh chives
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 cup vegan shredded cheese (any works, i used mozzarella)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

directions

1. cook the pasta according to package directions.
2. steam the spinach in vegetable broth for about 6-7 minutes on medium heat until it’s wilted and the water has absorbed.
3. for the cheese sauce, add the tofu, garlic, onion powder, turmeric, sea salt, mustard and vegetable broth to a food processor. blend until a liquid consistency.
4. drain the pasta and add the spinach and cheese sauce. mix well and pour into a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
5. to make the cheese crumble on top, add the chives, cashews, shredded cheese and sea salt to the food processor. pulse until a grainy texture.
6. crumble on top and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
7. enjoy!