Baked Ziti

This recipe has been a new family favorite for the past year. With the tofu and meatless meatballs it has a good amount of plant based protein. It works well as leftovers, too. We like to open a second jar of spaghetti or pizza sauce and add a bit more to each serving when we reheat it.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

16 oz ziti - penne works too (cooked aldente according to the package directions)

1 block of firm tofu (about 16 ounces)
2  tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup plain unsweetened soy milk
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp nutritional yeast

1/2 -1 cup vegan parmesan cheese
3 cups pasta sauce (25 oz jar)
vegan meatballs (I have been using the ones from Trader Joe's - Gardein has some good ones too)

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain, rinse and set aside. Pre-heat oven to 350. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.

Make the tofu ricotta by combining the tofu, lemon juice, plain soy milk, garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast. It works great to pulse the ingredients in a blender or food processor.

Toss the pasta with the tofu ricotta and then stir in the vegan parmesan cheese. Add one cup of the pasta sauce and mix with the noodles. Put the mixture in the prepared casserole dish. Top with your favorite meatless meatballs and pour over the remaining pasta sauce. Cover and bake for 45 minutes in the oven. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.