Oh so yummy and made with all clean ingredients! This plant based-baked Ziti is sure to satisfy your taste buds and bring the good nutrition you've been looking for! 

Ingredients

• 1 lb chickpea ziti

• 4 tsp olive oil

• 14oz portobello mushrooms

• 1 large yellow onion, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 tsp dried basil

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• pinch crushed red pepper flakes

• 43oz tomatoes, pulsed briefly in blender

• 1 cup cashews

• 1 cup water

• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil

• 1 tsp squeezed lime juice

• 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed

• 2 tbsp tapioca starch

• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 2 tsp sea salt

Instructions

1. Cook ziti following directions on the package. Strain and set aside.

2. Add 2 tsp of oil to a pot on medium heat. Cook mushrooms until brown. Remove from pot and set aside.

3. Add remaining 2 tsp of oil and cook onions with a pinch of salt. Saute until onions are lightly soft and caramelized.

4. Add 1 tsp of salt, garlic, herbs, and pinch of red pepper. Stir in for 1 minute.

5. Add the mushrooms and tomatoes, cover the pot and bring the sauce to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes.

6. To make the mozzarella sauce, add cashews, water coconut oil, lime juice, garlic clove, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, and 1 tsp of sea salt to a blender and blend until very creamy and smooth.

7. Preheat oven to 375 ºF.

8. Toss the pasta with about half of the mushroom tomato sauce. In a casserole dish, add a couple spoonfuls of sauce to the bottom of the dish. Then add about 1/3 of the pasta. Top with about half of the remaining tomato sauce, then pour about 1/4 cup of the mozzarella sauce over that.

9. Repeat and layer the next 1/3 of the pasta, the remaining tomato sauce, and the next 1/4 of the mozzarella sauce. Top with the last of the pasta then smother with the remaining mozzarella sauce.

10. Put in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese browned.

Time

• 1 hours and 10 minutes total