Easy Vegan Baked Ziti
Ingredients
Cashew cheese
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews soaked and strained
- 1 cup water
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp arrowroot starch or tapioca starch or corn starch
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Pasta and sauce mixture
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 red bell peppers finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 12 oz Vegan Ground beef (340 g), such as Lightlife, Beyond Meat or Yves
- 23 fl oz tomato sauce (660 mL)
- 1 lb ziti noodles (450 g)
- 1 3/4 cup vegan mozzarella cheese (8 oz/200 g), shredded, such as Daiya
Preparation
In a high-speed blender, add the cashews, water, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, tapioca starch, onion powder, and salt; blend until smooth and creamy.
Drizzle olive oil in a large deep skillet and heat to medium; add onion, bell peppers, and sea salt, then cook until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add vegan ground beef to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 5 minutes; pour in tomato sauce and bring to a low simmer.
Preheat oven to 375°F; bring a large pot of water to a boil, add ziti noodles, and cook until almost al-dente, about 6 minutes.
Drain the noodles and return them to the pot; mix in 1 cup of the tomato sauce.
Scoop 1.5 cups of tomato sauce into a large casserole dish and smooth into an even layer; add the noodles, then the remaining tomato sauce, drizzle with cashew cheese to cover, and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Place a baking tray on the bottom rack to catch any spills and bake for 25 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden around the edges.
