Creamy Baked Pasta
16 oz. whole wheat mostaccioli
3/4-1 whole green bell pepper
3 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
3 tablespoons water
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
dash of salt and pepper
6 oz.vegan sour cream
4 oz. vegan cream cheese
5 oz. vegan mozzarella (shredded)
Cook and drain pasta according to instructions on box. Make pasta sauce by combining tomato sauce, paste, water, garlic, onion, italian seasoning (i use penzey's spices) and salt/pepper in a medium sauce pan. Heat on medium-high until sauce starts to simmer aggressively, then lower heat to medium-low, cover, and let it simmer lightly for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Add in the softened cream cheese and sour cream (i used tofutti brand), and heat on low for about 5-10 minutes until you have a nice creamy red sauce.
In a 9x11 glass casserole dish, use about three tablespoons of the sauce to coat the bottom (prevents sticking). Layer 1/2 of the mostaccioli in the dish, then layer 1/2 sauce, 1/2 green pepper and 1/2 of the mozzarella (i used vegan gourmet). Then repeat with the other half of the ingredients.
Pop in the oven at 350 f° for about 25 minutes, until the sauce starts to bubble and the cheese begins to melt. Pull out and cool around 10-12 minutes before trying to serve, although in my house we only make it about 5 minutes.
http://www.thevegancookbook.com
SO HOW'D IT GO?
I did not like this pasta bake when it first came out of the oven. I considered throwing it away, but I hate wasting food, so I decided to just buck up and eat the leftovers throughout the week anyway. I've found that many dishes I've made that contain soy products often need a day to really settle into their flavours, which was exactly what this pasta bake needed. When I reheated a chunk of it in my toaster oven the next night, I could hardly believe how good this dish was! It tastes exactly like my mom's lasagne minus the meat. I will definitely be making it again!