A hearty and healthy baked pasta combining macaroni with fried, garlicky leeks and smoky king oyster mushroom 'bacon' pieces in a rich, creamy white sauce and topped with a cheese and chive golden breadcrumb crust...
SERVES: 4 PEOPLE | PREP TIME: 30 MINUTES | BAKES IN: 10 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE MUSHROOM ‘BACON’ GLAZE
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp of soy sauce
2 tbsp maple syrup or coconut blossom syrup
1 tbsp vegan Worcester sauce
1 tsp of liquid smoke
200g oyster/king oyster/shiitake mushrooms, sliced
3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 large leek
2 tbsp rice flour (or plain flour)
FOR THE WHITE SAUCE
1 block silken tofu
1 cup oat milk
1 tsp English mustard
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
Pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp lemon juice
250g caserecce pasta (or any pasta of your choice!)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup vegan cheese (optional)
Fresh chives
METHOD
1. Mix together the Mushroom 'Bacon' Glaze ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Place the sliced mushrooms in the glaze and toss them through to coat them evenly. Warm some oil in a pan on a medium heat, then place the coated mushrooms in, in batches at a time as to not overcrowd the pan and fry them on both sides for 3-5 minutes until golden and caramelised, then set them aside on a clean plate.
2. Wipe the mushroom pan clean, then drizzle in a little more oil. Add in the sliced leeks and minced garlic, and fry until soft. Sprinkle in the flour, stir it through with a pinch of salt and then lower the heat.
3. For the white sauce, to a blender add the silken tofu, oat milk, dijon mustard, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy, then pour it into the pan with the garlicky-leeks. Increase the heat and continue to stir until it heats through.
4. Place a large pan of salted, water on to boil and once rolling, add in the macaroni. Stir once to separate then allow it to cook until al dente. Once cooked, drain off the pasta then add in the leek-white sauce mixture and stir it through.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Take one large spoonful of the pasta at a time and place it in a baking dish, then scatter in a few pieces of the Mushroom 'Bacon' and repeat by layering in the pasta and Mushroom 'Bacon' one after the other.
6. In a bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with half of the vegan cheese, chives and oil. Toss to combine, then sprinkle over the top of the pasta dish and finish by adding the other half of the vegan cheese as a final layer on top.
7. Place the pasta dish in the oven to bake for 20 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden and the cheese is melty. Remove from the oven, scatter over some more fresh chives and serve with a mixed leaf salad on the side.
SHOP THE INGREDIENTS
