Creamy Marinara Baked Pasta

Comfort food? Check. Nutrient dense? Check. Easy? Check. Ideal for meal prep? Check.

This pasta bakes in 55 minutes—the perfect amount of time, on a recent Sunday, for Steve and me to take Rose for a walk. We came home to delicious lunches: The pasta was fantastic straight from the oven; and the leftovers Steve took to work that week made each lunch at the office taste like home.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup roasted, salted cashews 1 tsp fennel powder OR 1/2-3/4 cup fresh basil leaves 1 cup warm water 16 oz brown rice pasta 2-3 cups broccoli florets 25 oz jar of marinara sauce + jar-full of water 2-3 cups LAFF protein crumbles Dried oregano, salt, pepper to taste

Method

In a blender or food processor, soak 1/2 cup cashews with 1 cup warm water and 1 tsp fennel powder OR 1/2-3/4 cup fresh basil leaves for 30 minutes. (This is the base for the creamy sauce.)

After the 30 minute soak, blend the cashews with the water until you have a smooth cream.

Finish making the sauce by adding one 25 oz jar of marinara (I used Silver Palate Low Sodium Marinara*) to the blender with the cashew cream. Then, fill the empty marinara jar with water and add the water to the blender. Save whatever water doesn’t fit in the blender—you can pour it directly into the pasta later. Blend the water, marinara, and cashew cream until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Pour 16 oz uncooked brown rice pasta (I used Tinkyada*) in a 9x11 pan. Arrange 2-3 cups small broccoli florets on top of the pasta. Layer 2-3 cups protein crumbles on top of the broccoli florets. Pour the cashew-marinara sauce over the top. (If you have leftover water in the marinara jar, add that, too.) Make sure that the liquid covers the pasta, broccoli, and crumbles. Pour more water over the top if necessary.

Lightly coat the top with dried oregano. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Tightly seal the edges.

Bake covered in the oven for 55 minutes.

*The links provided above are intended as resources, not advertisements. I’m linking to products that I used but am not sponsored by other companies. I’m trying to sell LAFFkitchen protein crumbles, of course, but do not make money or receive discounts/products from other food businesses.

The perfect Sunday lunch plus meal prep for the week.

Tips & Notes

Cooking time will vary depending on the type of pasta you use. We’re fans of Tinkyada brown rice pasta.

Adjust your spices to match your marinara. The Silver Palate Marinara that I used is tomato-rich and includes oregano and black pepper. You can add bite with red pepper flakes, a hint of sweetness with basil, and/or depth with sage.

For your pasta to come out the right texture, make sure that the cashew marinara sauce completely, but barely, covers the top of the food and that you firmly seal the edges of the aluminum foil.

Cut the broccoli into walnut-sized pieces.

Use a 9x11 pan with tall sides for easier serving. (The pan I used in the video isn’t quite deep enough.)