Vegan Tomato-y Pasta Bake

I made this for a lovely dinner party and it was a hit - not shown in this picture was the mini version I made for my partner who stayed home.

He had his straight from the baking dish in front of the footy - that’s livin’

Prep time 20mins Cooking Time 3.5hrs

Serves Makes 8 serves

INGREDIENTS

500g penne pasta

2 heaped tablespoons tomato paste

3 cans whole peeled tomatoes

1 jar of Passata

1 bunch of fresh basil

3 tablespoons mixed herbs

1 brown onion

3 garlic cloves

Sugar / salt / pepper / olive oil

Chopped chives

Dairy free cheese (one that’s for melting, and one a crumbly/feta vibe - I personally love both Lauds & Artisa cheeses)

3 tablespoons of dairy free butter

2 slices of bread

METHOD

Step 1 Chop and fry the onion and garlic in olive oil then add the mixed herbs

Step 2 Add the tomato paste and stir through

Step 3 Add the canned tomatoes and mash them up with a potato masher

Step 4 Add 1 tsp each of salt, sugar, pepper and simmer over a medium heat for at least an hour / until most of the liquid has simmered away

Step 5 Add the Passata and continue simmering for another couple of hours

Step 6 Toast the bread and let it go cold, when it is, peel a clove of garlic and rub it over the toast, add the toast and some mixed herbs to a grinder and give it a whizz to make breadcrumbs

Step 7 Cook the pasta and drain, melt butter in the pan and add the pasta back in, add a ladle full of sauce and stir all together over a high heat for 1-2 mins

Step 8 Reduce heat and mix the rest of the sauce through, add chopped basil, AND grate some dairy free cheese through

Step 9 Add the pasta to a baking dish and top with more melty cheese plus some lumps of crumbly / strong dairy free cheese, then add a sprinkling of your bread crumbs

Step 10 Cover with foil and bake at 180 degrees for 15mins, remove foil and bake for a further 5-10mins

Step 11 Let stand for about 5 mins, sprinkle with chives and enjoy!