Baked Spaghetti
Baked Spaghetti
There’s something about a baked pasta dish that makes it that much more comforting. It’s an easy way to take your spaghetti dinner to the next level. This makes a hearty meal with the added tofu ricotta and melty cheese. Enjoy a serving as is or with a side salad. You could even go extra with garlic bread!
This recipe works well with any long shape or substantial pasta, there’s a recipe here on the site for Baked Rigatoni.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 lb (454 g) Spaghetti
32 oz good Marinara Sauce (I love Raos)
7 oz (200 g) Shredded Vegan Mozarella ( I used Follow Your Heart)
Tofu Ricotta (recipe below)
1 Tbsp (15 ml) of Avocado Oil
4-5 large Basil Leaves chopped
pinch of Red Chili Flakes
Pepper to taste
Tofu Ricotta
14 oz ( 397 g) Extra Firm Tofu drained and mashed (I use a fork)
2 cloves of Garlic crushed
1 Tbsp (15 ml) of Tahini
1 Tbsp (15 g) of Miso Paste
2 1/2 Tbsp (45 ml) of Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp (30 g) of Nutritional Yeast
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions
Let the Tofu drain for 30 minutes before adding it to a bowl. Give it a mash using a fork until it resembles the texture of Ricotta. Add in the Lemon juice, Miso Paste, Tahini, Nutritional Yeast, Salt & Pepper. Mix until well combined and refrigerate until ready to use. For even better flavor, I suggest making this the night or even a couple of days before.
Directions
1. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions for al dente. Drain and set aside. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
2. Add the oil to a large pot and toss the cooked spaghetti until coated. Add the marinara sauce and mix well. Add in the chopped basil, red chili flakes and season with pepper.
3. In a small pan add 1/2 of the package of mozzarella shreds and set to low heat. Add 1/4 cup of the pasta water and allow the cheese to melt undisturbed.
4. Add half of the spaghetti to a large greased baking dish. Dollop spoonfuls of the tofu ricotta onto the spaghetti. Top with the remaining mozarella cheese. Add the rest of the spaghetti on top and then the remaining ricotta.
5. Once the cheese in the pan has fully melted pour it over the top of the spaghetti mixture. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Set the oven to custom broil (375) and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or untilt he top has lightly browned. Keep an eye on it checking every 5-8 minutes to prevent it from burning.
Allow it to cool slightly before serving.
