Vegan “meaty” pasta bake

My fiancé is my biggest vegan recipe critic since he’s not vegan himself. He tasted the “meat” sauce I made for this, couldn’t get enough and kept coming back for more spoonfuls. He said it’s one of my best recipes… I’ll take it! This recipe is completely soy-free and, depending on the pasta you choose, is gluten-free, as well.

Ingredients

1 can no salt added tomato sauce (Muir Glen is my favorite)

1 package Beyond Meat ground “beef” (NOT the patties)

2 cups crimini or portobello mushroom, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon dried basil

1/2 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon olive oil

Pink salt and pepper, to taste

1 box pasta (I used Banza brand chickpea pasta)

1 bag vegan mozzarella shreds (I used Violife brand)

Instructions

Boil water for the pasta and prepare according to the box.

In a large sauce pan, add oil to warm over medium high heat.

Add minced garlic, mushrooms and ground “meat” to pan, while using a wooden spoon to break it up.

Once the mushrooms have become golden and “meat” has browned, add seasonings and sauce.

Simmer for 10 minutes.

In a glass dish, spray the bottom with oil spray, add the drained and rinsed cooked pasta to the pan, sprinkle half of the package of cheese over the pasta, top with the meat sauce and add remaining cheese to the top. I divided the ingredients into two smaller Pyrex glass dishes (to keep one at home and bring one to work for lunches).

Pop dish into the oven and broil, until cheese is bubbling. Serve hot.

Reheat leftovers in the oven at 350 (or microwave) until the cheese and sauce start to bubble.