Vegan Baked Ziti

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

• 1 lb. whole wheat ziti, cooked and drained
• Ricotta:
• 1 pkg. firm or extra firm regular tofu
• appx. 1/2 cup shredded vegan mozzarella
• 1/4 cup parsley, rinsed and chopped fine
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Sauce:
• 1 jar vegan tomato sauce (about 3 cups if using your own)
• 3/4 cup vegan ground "beef" (optional)
• 1 small onion
• Topping:
• 1/4 vegan breadcrumbs, optional
• 1/4 cup shredded vegan mozzarella

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Cook the ziti according to directions; drain well and return to cooking pot.

"Ricotta":

Blend tofu in a blender or food processor until completely smooth; remove to large mixing bowl. Add parsley, salt, and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese. Mix well with a spoon.

Sauce:

Meanwhile, chop the onion and sautee in a deep pan (if you''re using some vegan ground beef, add it now and allow to brown slightly; I prefer Gimme Lean). Add jar of sauce and simmer for a few minutes, just to let the flavors combine, and to allow the ground beef to break up, if you''re using it.

Once it''s warmed through, add about 1/3 of the sauce to the ziti, and then mix in the tofu "ricotta." Stir it in well -- the ziti should be coated with the tofu mixture, and kind of "pink" from the sauce. Place ziti in a casserole dish, top with the remaining sauce & shredded cheese. If you like, you can top it all off with some italian breadcrumbs (breadcrumbs mixed with a tiny bit of oregano, basil, and garlic powder). If you have a lid for your casserole dish, put it on; otherwise, use a little aluminum foil over the top. Bake for about 35-45 minutes, until bubbly; then remove the lid or tin foil and bake for an extra 5-10 minutes, until the vegan cheese / breadcrumb topping is nice and golden brown.

Serve with a salad of wilted bitter greens and some crusty vegan bread.

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 1 hr.