Baked Penne Florentine
Eating plant based can get tedious if you don’t have a few tricks up your sleeve! This is why I love recipes like this Baked Penne Florentine! Looking at the photo you might gasp, pasta and bread…Is she trying to kill us? LOL! Nope, I am trying to diversify you! You are looking at Green Lentil Pasta from Tolerant Foods and Sprouted Whole Grain Bread from my local farmers market. What looks like creamy cheese is a cashew sauce, and then I loaded up on spinach and asparagus! So this potentially frightening food has been converted to wholesome 100% plant based eating! YAY! These are good tricks to make your plant based eating lifestyle even tastier! Recipe below!
This will fill your tummy without emptying your wallet! Great flavors and a great way to hide some spinach from the unsuspecting!
- 8 oz gluten free penne pasta (I like Tolerant Foods)
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup asparagus, chopped
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 med onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 13/4 cup water
- 1 15oz can white bean of choice, rinsed and drained
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup soft sprouted grain bread crumbs
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Preheat oven to 375°
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Cook penne according to the box. With 3 minutes left to cook, add the asparagus. Drain and return to the pan. Add spinach and combine. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish and set aside.
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In a small sauce pan combine broth, onion and garlic. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
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Place cashews in a food processor until they are finely ground. Add half the water blend until smooth.
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Add onion mixture, beans, lemon juice, dry mustard, salt, and pepper to food processor and blend until smooth. Stir in remaining water.
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Pour mixture into the casserole dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
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Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.
