Vegan Baked Ziti

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt. Once boiling, add the ziti to the water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, 9-10 minutes. Drain the pasta in a large colander, and rinse thoroughly with cold water. While the pasta cooks, prepare the tofu ricotta.

Place the tofu, olive oil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process on high until very smooth, 2-3 minutes. Adjust olive oil and seasonings to desired consistency and taste.

Return the drained ziti to the large pot. Add the marinara sauce and stir to thoroughly coat the pasta.

Transfer 1/3 of the sauced pasta to the prepared baking dish. Drop half the tofu ricotta mixture by spoonfuls over the ziti, and gently spread it into an even layer. Repeat with another 1/3 of the ziti and the remaining tofu ricotta. Top with the last 1/3 of ziti. Spoon marinara sauce over the top of the dish. Sprinkle top of dish with vegan Parmesan, if desired.

Cover the baking dish with a sheet of aluminum foil.

Bake the ziti on middle rack of oven for 40 minutes.

Remove the aluminum foil and continue baking until the dish is heated through, about 10 minutes.

Check to see that ziti is done. Remove from oven or add time as needed.

Allow the ziti to rest for 20 minutes before serving. Scatter fresh basil or parsley on top if you like.