Vegan Baked Ziti with Lentils

Step 1

Add the dry lentils to a medium pot, then add plenty of water and cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and keep on a low simmer until the lentils are tender (about 25 minutes). Drain and set aside.

Step 2

While the lentils are cooking, cook the noodles al dente. Then, drain the noodles and return them to the pot used to cook them. Add the marinara sauce and cooked lentils and stir to combine.

Step 3

In a blender, combine the drained cashews, water, nutritional yeast, garlic and salt. Blend until very smooth taking a few breaks to scrape the walls of the blender. You might need to blend for 2-3 minutes to reach a super smooth texture. The mixture will appear a little thin, this is what you are looking for!

Step 4

In a large baking dish, add about half of the tomato-lentil-noodles mixture, then drizzle over about half of the cream sauce, then top with the rest of the noodles and finish up with the rest of the cream sauce, evenly spread over the whole dish.

Step 5

Cook in the oven at 350° for about 25-30 minutes or until slightly browned on top. You can also broil for a few minutes at the end to help brown the top (watch carefully!). Enjoy!https://plantbasedjess.com/hearty-marinara-sauce-quick-easy/