Fall Vegetable Baked Spaghetti with Pumpkin Tofu Ricotta

As a member of the Healthy Aperture Blogger Network, I was asked to participate in the #PastaFits campaign. I was compensated for my time. Thanks for supporting Hummusapien!

If a glorious yellowy-orange-ruby-red speckled leaf and a wiggly wobbly noodle birthed a child...it would be this.

I have made my Baked Spaghetti with Tofu Ricotta more than nearly any other recipe on this blogaboo. Why? Why NOT.

Welp, mainly because it's so easy. But, BUT...also because it tastes scrumptious times fifty nine.  I'm not even that into pasta. It's pretty much the last thing I'd order at a restaurant. But the perfectly ricotta-like tofu topping amidst dreamy tomato sauce and veggies galore...I'm salivating just thinking about it. Thus...a fall version.

I have absolutely no idea why but lately I've had pumpkin on the brain. All the time. So naturally I added Brussels sprouts and squash to the base and pumpkin and sage to the "ricotta." It was life-changing.

It changed lives.

What could be better than a pasta dish where you don't even have boil the noodles? The oven does it for you. Thank you, oven, for enabling me to be the lazy cook I always aspired to be. I won't forget you.

Now let's talk filling. I loved using Brussels, squash, and spinach here but feel free to use whatever veggies you have in your crisper. Kale, mushrooms, peppers, carrots, peas, zucchini, asparagus, chicken thighs....they're all winners in my book. As far as the tofu topping goes, you will likely think it's cheese. Don't skip this part. That would be oh so very terribly tragic.

Pasta is the bomb because it goes well with like, everything. I go with the 100% whole grain kind that's packed with oodles of filling fiber, plant-powered protein, and energizing B vitamins. It's essentially a blank canvas begging to be splatter painted with each and every edible entity under the sun and stars and moon.

The other amazing part about this meal-in-a-bowl (meal-on-a-plate?) is that it's essentially an air freshener. It will make your house/apartment/barn/tree house smell like DREAMLAND.

I go to sleep praying my dreams will smell and/or taste an eighth as good as this fall veg pasta.

A girl can dream. Hashtag carbs.

Fall Vegetable Baked Spaghetti with Pumpkin Tofu Ricotta

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 3 reviews

• Author: Alexis Joseph, MS, RD, LD
• Prep Time: 40 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 mins
• Yield: 6-8 1x
• Category: Entree

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Description

Get the most of comforting fall flavors with this super simple and healthy baked pasta dish! With high protein-tofu, veggies, and whole grain pasta, it's truly a meal in a bowl!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the vegetables:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive
• 1 lb Brussels sprouts, end removed and finely sliced
• 2 cups cubed butternut squash (about ½ a medium squash)
• 5oz bag baby spinach (about 3-4 cups)
• ½ tsp salt
• Pepper, to taste

For the pumpkin tofu ricotta:

• 16oz extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
• ½ cup roasted garlic hummus (I used my favorite local Oasis hummus)
• ¼ cup pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• ½ tsp dried sage
• ½ tsp salt
• Pepper, to taste

For the baked spaghetti:

• 12oz whole grain spaghetti, uncooked
• 32 oz jar of pasta sauce (I used local Carfagna's gourmet pasta sauce)
• 2½ cups water

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Instructions

1. Drain and press tofu. (If you don't have a tofu press, wrap tofu in a kitchen towel and place on a plate. Cover with a couple heavy objects, like a book or two. Let sit for 30 minutes to an hour.)
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F. Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add Brussels sprouts and squash and cook for ten minutes, stirring often. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach and saute for 2 more minutes, or until wilted. Set aside.
3. Crumble pressed tofu and place in a medium bowl. Add hummus, pumpkin, nutritional yeast, dried sage, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to combine mixture. It should be moist and resemble ricotta cheese. Set aside.
4. Spray an 9x13in glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place uncooked noodles in the pan, criss crossed. I broke most of the noodles in half. It will look like a messy layer of noodles, and that's ok! Cover noodles evenly with the jar of pasta sauce followed by the water. It will look soupy--that's normal.
5. Top with vegetable mixture, then sprinkle small handfuls of the "ricotta" evenly on top. Season with a dash of salt and pepper.
6. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow pasta to "set" for 15 minutes prior to serving.

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