Everyone loves a pasta bake and this one is no exception. It's full of good stuff, meaty mushrooms, a creamy sauce that's packed with protein and some greens so you can tell everyone you've been eating your 5-a-day. Hope you love this as much as we do. It makes 2 large portions or 3 smaller ones.
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees or 180 fan. Heat a medium frying pan over a medium high heat. Once hot, add the minced mushrooms and fry until they release most of their moisture. Add the olive oil and garlic along with a pinch of salt and turn the heat down slightly. Fry for another 30 seconds to soften the garlic and give everything some colour.
Sprinkle in the dried thyme then pour in the balsamic and soy sauce. Season with plenty of salt and pepper, then set to one side.
Put the pasta on to cook, salting the water generously and adding in the cavolo nero leaves at the last minute to blanch and soften. Save a large ladle of pasta water for later.
In a blender or jug, add all the ingredients for the creamy sauce with a splash of pasta water, blend until completely smooth and season to taste. The sauce should be the consistency of double cream as it will thicken up in the oven as the pasta bakes (add more milk if necessary).
Get an oven proof dish out and begin to layer everything up. Start with some of the sauce on the bottom, followed by cavolo nero, pasta, mushrooms, basil leaves and more sauce. Continue until you've used everything up then top with plenty of your favourite vegan cheese.
Cover with foil and place the whole thing in the oven for 10-15 minutes, removing the foil and grilling for a few minutes at the end to melt the cheese. Enjoy!
