Creamy Pasta Bake

Healthy artichoke spinach pasta bake. If not feeling the bake, skip that step and enjoy a creamy “Alfredo” like pasta!

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower
8oz package of pasta (penne, mostacciolli, rigatoni, or manicotti)
3/4 cups unflavored almond milk or other milk alternative
2 cloves garlic
1 cup water (from boiling cauliflower/pasta)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese
2 large handfuls of spinach
1/2 a jar of grilled marinated artichokes, roughly chopped (I get mine from Trader Joe’s)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut cauliflower in to small pieces, using the whole cauliflower minus the leaves.

Boil in a large pot until soft and tender. Reserve 1 cup of cauliflower water from pot. Instead of draining pasta water, using a slotted spoon, transfer cauliflower to a high-speed blender.

Toss pasta into boiling pot and cook till al dente (read box instructions).

Add garlic, milk, 1/2 cup of reserved water, onion powder, cream cheese, pepper, salt and nutritional yeast to blender. Blend on high until sauce is smooth and creamy.

Once pasta is done, drain and put back into pot. Add sauce, spinach and artichokes. Add any extra reserved water to pot to make sauce looser. Stir until spinach begins to wilt.

Put into 9x11 (glass if you have it) baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs if using.

Bake for 15 minutes, then broil on high for 3-5 minutes, watching carefully. Remove pan from oven and serve!