Ingredients
Sausage Walnut Meat
- 1 cup raw walnuts (soaked in hot water)
- 1/2 lb brown button mushrooms (quartered)
- 3 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tbsp fennel seeds
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes + more to taste
- 3 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour (or your favorite kind)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- black pepper to taste (freshly cracked)
- 2-3 Tbsp fresh fennel fronds if available (optional)
- 5 basil leaves
- 1/2 yellow onion (minced and sautéed until golden brown)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup (optional)
- olive oil as needed
For the Pasta
- 1 lb rigate pasta
- 5 cups tomato sauce
- 1 batch cashew ricotta cheese
- 6 slices vegan smoked Gouda (OPTIONAL) (Follow your Heart or Violife or just omit and garnish with cashew cream before serving).
Cashew Ricotta
- 2 cups raw cashew pieces
- 3/4 cup filtered water
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Cashew ricotta
- Soak the cashews in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain and add to a powerful blender (such as a Vitamix) together with the lemon, garlic, water and salt. Process until creamy and set aside until needed.2 cups raw cashew pieces,3/4 cup filtered water,1 lemon,2 cloves garlic,1 tsp sea salt
Mushroom Walnut Sausage Meat
- Soak the walnuts in hot boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain and transfer to a food processor.1 cup raw walnuts
- Preheat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and toast the fennel seeds until golden and fragrant. Transfer to the food processor with the nuts.1 Tbsp fennel seeds
- To the same skillet add another drizzle of olive oil and sautee the minced onion with a pinch of salt until soft, translucent and begins to get a nice golden color all around the edges. Transfer to the food processor with the nuts. Pulse a few times until the nuts are roughly chopped, you want lots of texture here so careful to not overdo it.1/2 yellow onion
- Add the mushrooms, spices and flour and pulse again a few times until everything is incorporated but you still have texture.1/2 lb brown button mushrooms,3 tsp onion powder,1/4 tsp granulated garlic,1 tsp smoked paprika,1/2 tsp red pepper flakes + more to taste,3 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour,1 tsp sea salt,black pepper to taste,2-3 Tbsp fresh fennel fronds if available,5 basil leaves,1 Tbsp maple syrup
- Preheat the same heavy bottom skillet on medium high and add more oil. Transfer the sausage meat to the pan and sear it until golden brown, moving it around and scraping the brown bits from the bottom. Do this for about 10 minutes or so adding more oil as needed to get lots of nice browning and big chunks of crumbled sausage meat.olive oil as needed
- Transfer the cooked sausage mix to a bowl and refrigerate until needed. As it cools down it’s going to set and form sturdier clumps that you can sprinkle inside your pasta bake or lasagna. (Note: really great on pizza).
The Pasta Bake
- Preheat your oven to 375”F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and par-boil the pasta for 6 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce.1 lb rigate pasta,5 cups tomato sauce
- Lightly oil a 9 x12 or similar size lasagna pan. Transfer half of the sauced pasta to the pan, top with the ricotta and sprinkle half of the sausage on top. Top with the remaining pasta and sprinkle with the remaining sausage meat. Cover with the smoked vegan Gouda slices if using.1 batch cashew ricotta cheese,6 slices vegan smoked Gouda (OPTIONAL)
- Tightly cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool and set for 10 minutes or so before serving garnished with fresh basil or chives. (NOTE: If you omitted the vegan cheese you can drizzle with cashew cream before serving.
Vegan Pasta Bake recipe
Notes
- Cashew Ricotta – When making the ricotta in the blender is going to be silky creamy smooth and can be poured over the pasta. If making ahead and refrigerating just know it is going to thicken and set. In this case just scoop dollops of it and place over the pasta.