Chickpea Noodle Casserole by TheVegLife (dot) com
Ingredients
- 4 oz. Pasta (egg-free egg noodles, if you can find them) Rotini also works really well.
- FOR THE FILLING:
- 1 C of canned Chickpeas, pulse a few times in a food processor, but do NOT puree
- 4-6 oz. Mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
- 1 medium Onion, diced and sauteed (half for the pasta and half for the sauce)
- ½ C frozen Peas (optional)
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 1 Tbl Oil (Coconut, Canola, etc.)
FOR THE SAUCE:
- 1 C Vegetable Broth
- ½ C Almond or Coconut Milk Creamer, we love the So Delicious Dairy Free brand
- 2 Tbl Nutritional Yeast
- ¼ C vegan Parmesan (such as Go Veggie, Parma, etc.)
- ¼ tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- ⅛ tsp Garlic Powder
- FOR THE TOPPING:
- ⅛ C Panko Bread Crumbs
- ⅛ C vegan Parmesan (such as Go Veggie, Parma, etc. Or, make your own)
- Parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Cook pasta to al dente, do not overcook. Drain well.
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse chickpeas a few times just until very coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess. They should not be pureed.
- In a large saute pan, add the oil and onion. Saute until onions are softened and slightly translucent. Divide, setting one half of the onions aside for the sauce and add the mushrooms. Continue to saute with remaining onions. These onions will be a bit more caramelized adding another dimension of flavor.
- In a small sauce pan, combine all of the sauce ingredients (don't forget the reserved onions), whisking until smooth. You can add 1 Tbl of all purpose flour if you'd like it a bit thicker. It will thicken slightly as it cooks and cools.
- In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients.
- Combine the sauce, mushroom mixture and chickpeas.
- Add the pasta and mix until combined.
- Pour into an oven-proof baking dish and sprinkle with the panko topping.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until slightly golden and cooked through.
- Garnish with parsley and serve with a crusty loaf of bread or veggies of your choice.
