Baked Pasta with Spinach, Cashew Tofu Ricotta & Cashew Cream Sauce

This was supposed to be a lasagna, but I ran out of lasagna noodles.  I still have leftover cashew tofu ricotta so I do plan on making a lasagna this week. ;)  I only used a few tablespoons of the ricotta mixture and 1 cup of the cashew cream sauce in this dish as I didn't want it to be too rich.  It worked out perfectly; the ricotta held everything together and the cream sauce made everything... well... creamy!  :) 

You'll need:
Any pasta you like
marinara sauce
spinach (I used frozen, drained well)
"ricotta"
1 cup cashew cream sauce (see previous post) (you'll need more if making a bigger casserole)
vegan mozzarella cheese (I used Daiya)

For the cashew tofu ricotta:

1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashews
1 lb. firm tofu
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tbsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional)
pinch garlic powder (optional)

Combine cashews, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt in food processor until a thick paste forms.  Add in tofu and blend until smooth.

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees...
First layer:

Combine pasta with a few tbsp. of ricotta mixture and spinach.  Spray a casserole dish w/ non-stick spray and spread bottom with marinara sauce and half of pasta mixture.

Spread 1/2 of cashew cream sauce on top of pasta.  You can add a little more marinara sauce on top of this as well.  Place rest of pasta mixture on top and spread remaining cashew cream sauce and more marinara on top.  Sprinkle vegan mozzarella on top.  Bake until cheese gets a light golden color; approximately 20 minutes.

Daiya on top:

Out of the oven: