While I was scrolling through Instagram looking for inspiration for dinner this week, I saw a few baked pasta dishes which conjured up early memories from my childhood.
Growing up, one of my favourite foods was the baked ziti from the fast-food restaurant Sbarro. It wasn’t high-class dining, but I loved the novelty of eating it with my mom in the food court and to be honest, I loved the flavours too: creamy ricotta and crispy pasta edges. I loved the actual noodle part so much I always asked for it without sauce!
It has been at least ten years since my last baked pasta dish from Sbarro, but I thought it was time I got my baked noodle fix! I decided to take the traditional baked ziti (with a tomato sauce and ricotta) as inspiration, but incorporate summer veggies (zucchini and spinach), and swap the ricotta for a basil cheese sauce. As per usual, I used my creamy cashew cheese sauce as a base and added loads of basil for a pesto-like taste. To finish it off I sprinkled vegan cheese (both parmesan and mozzarella) and chopped pine nuts on top and baked for thirty minutes. The result? An ooey and gooey cheese centre and crispy noodle edges packed with green flavour and veggies!
super green baked zucchini ziti
Equipment
- high-speed blender or food processor
Ingredients
Creamy Pesto Cashew Cheese Sauce
- 150 grams cashews raw
- 200 ml non-dairy milk
- 8 grams nutritional yeast
- 4 grams garlic minced
- 15 ml lemon juice
- 30 grams basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Pasta and Veggies
- 15 ml olive oil or 30 ml water if avoiding oil
- 800 grams zucchini sliced
- 75 grams onions
- 4 grams garlic minced
- 200 grams spinach raw
- 500 grams ziti or rigatoni noodles
- 50 grams vegan mozzarella cheese
- 20 grams vegan parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 20 grams pine nuts crushed or chopped using a mortar and pestle
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190 °C (375 degrees °F). Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with extra virgin olive oil.
- Cover cashews in boiling water for 30 minutes.
- Next, place a large pot of water on the stove and boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, but remove from stove slightly sooner than you would normally so the pasta is slightly al dente and reserve a cup or so (200 ml) of pasta water which can be used later to thin the cheese sauce / help keep the noodles from sticking if necessary. Place pasta back in a large pot.
- While the pasta is boiling, heat the olive oil (or water) in a large pan over medium heat. Add the zucchini, onions, garlic, and a dash of salt and pepper. Sautee for ten to twelve minutes until veggies cook down slightly. Add in spinach and continue to cook for two minutes until spinach is wilted.
- After 30 minutes have passed, drain the cashews and add them in a high-speed blender with the rest of the sauce ingredients. If the sauce needs to be slightly looser, add in pasta water in small amounts until the desired consistency (think mac and cheese).
- Add the sauteed zucchini and spinach to the pasta and pour cashew cheese sauce over the pot. Mix until incorporated and then transfer to the prepared casserole dish.
- Sprinkle with non-dairy mozzarella and parmesan cheese, chilli flakes and crushed pinenuts.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes until hot throughout and crispy on top
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
