Baked : : Ziti

A big hit at our house for these cold, dark evenings is Baked Ziti.  Back in the old days I used to make ours with sausage, but of course now that isn't an option.  But I still want the strong flavors and smells that you get from using sausage.
So, I thought I would add some common sausage seasonings to the sauce and cross my fingers. Well, it worked!  We all loved the end result.  A hot, steamy, garlicky, basily, fennely, baked casserole deliciousness.



Baked Ziti

1/2 onion, diced (I used white)
1/8-1/4 cup water
4 cloves garlic, minced (I use my garlic press)
1 carrot, shredded
1 zucchini, shredded

1/2-1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. oregano
2-3 tsp fennel seeds

1 package Soy meat crumbles (ours are from Trader Joe's)
1/2 jar organic marinara
2/3 box veggie broth
salt to taste
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional, vegan cheese would also work)

1 package gluten free brown rice ziti (any tube style pasta will work well)

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Pre-heat oven to 375º

Start a large pot of water boiling.

Saute onions in water until onions are translucent (I saute in water to avoid using oils, works great).  Do this in a large casserole, dutch oven or oven ready deep pan.

Add shredded carrots, zucchini and half the garlic and cook until soft. (add more water if you need to)

Add soy meat crumbles, basil, oregano, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes and salt and saute over med heat for 5 min. ish. A little browning on the bottom of the pan is good at this stage.

Add vege broth and deglaze pan (scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan)

Add marinara and remaining garlic and let simmer.

Add ziti to water.

Drain ziti (and rinse if using brown rice pasta)

Add cooked ziti to sauce and stir to combine, Sauce should be a bit thin at this stage, if it's not add some more veggie broth to thin it a bit.

Sprinkle nutritional yeast on top (or any vegan cheese)

Place casserole dish in the pre-heated oven with no lid for about 20-25 min, or until bubbly and browned on top.

Enjoy!

P.S. Adding the garlic in two stages gives you two different types of garlic flavor.  The sauteed garlic will be mellower, and a little sweeter and the garlic you add into the marinara will have a fresher, slightly sharper garlic taste.



'Till soon,
A