Organic Ziti+Wedding Sauce+Tofu Ricotta=Yum

Tonight for dinner we finally finished the "wedding sauce"!

To explain: My husband and I got married in 2008 and had our reception catered by a local Italian Market. We goofed and ordered too much food so we we had to figure out what to do with it. Much of it was donated, returned if possible, or sent home with friends but we were particularly fond of the sauce which came in these HUGE restaurant sized cans. I believe we had around 24 cans leftover....

Tonight we used the last can. I am not sure if I should celebrate the achievement or mourn the loss. At least it went to a good cause: Baked Ziti.


I used to love going to the mall food court as a child only because it meant I could order Baked Ziti from Sabarro's. (If you have never been to one, don't worry you are not missing out...) As a kid baked ziti was something that was both foreign and fun to me. It was like Mac & Cheese and Spaghetti with sauce combined. What kid doesn't like those things? And for whatever reason, I was convinced I could only get it at the mall food court. Go figure.

Now as a much more logical adult, I realize I can get it here in my own kitchen. Where not only will it be vegan, but much tastier. The sauce as you know was the "wedding sauce" which we can never get again.... (probably I am being a little too dramatic about this). The cheese is detailed below. And believe it or not, Whole Foods actually had a reasonably priced line of organic pasta!

Once I had all of the components assembled I just popped it in the oven and watched public TV's salute to Luciano Pavarotti. Very Italian indeed!

Cheese Sauce for the Baked Ziti

Ingredients

• 2 TBS margarine
• 2 cloves garlic
• red pepper flakes
• black pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
• 2 TBS dried oregano (frankly... they were out of fresh)
• 1 block silken tofu drained and smooshed
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
• vegan cheese (optional... I couldn't find the brands I liked this week so I skipped it)

Method

1. Melt margarine on low in a saucepan and stir in garlic, basil and both peppers.
2. When garlic softens, stir in tofu and additional spices, stirring constantly until combined.
3. Taste mixture and add salt if necessary.
   
4. Remove from heat and stir in optional vegan cheese.
   
5. Allow to cool prior to using.