Baked Penne Florentine
Eating plant based can get tedious if you don’t have a few tricks up your sleeve! This is why I love recipes like this Baked Penne Florentine! Looking at the photo you might gasp, pasta and bread…Is she trying to kill us? LOL! Nope, I am trying to diversify you! You are looking at Green Lentil Pasta from Tolerant Foods and Sprouted Whole Grain Bread from my local farmers market. What looks like creamy cheese is a cashew sauce, and then I loaded up on spinach and asparagus! So this potentially frightening food has been converted to wholesome 100% plant based eating! YAY! These are good tricks to make your plant based eating lifestyle even tastier! Recipe below!
![](https://www.go2kitchens.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Penne-Florentine-Bake-150x150.jpg)
This will fill your tummy without emptying your wallet! Great flavors and a great way to hide some spinach from the unsuspecting!
- 8 oz gluten free penne pasta (I like Tolerant Foods)
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup asparagus, chopped
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 med onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 13/4 cup water
- 1 15oz can white bean of choice, rinsed and drained
- 2 tbs lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup soft sprouted grain bread crumbs
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Preheat oven to 375°
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Cook penne according to the box. With 3 minutes left to cook, add the asparagus. Drain and return to the pan. Add spinach and combine. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased casserole dish and set aside.
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In a small sauce pan combine broth, onion and garlic. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
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Place cashews in a food processor until they are finely ground. Add half the water blend until smooth.
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Add onion mixture, beans, lemon juice, dry mustard, salt, and pepper to food processor and blend until smooth. Stir in remaining water.
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Pour mixture into the casserole dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
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Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.