tofu-spinach baked ziti

Bring some
water
to a boil, and add
2 packed cups of finely chopped spinach

Boil spinach until it is wilted. It should only take a few minutes. Then drain the spinach and set it aside. If you like, you can reserve the water for reuse in cooking the ziti.

Prepare
1/2 lb. uncooked ziti
according to the package's directions.

Over medium heat on a stove, heat
2 Tablespoons olive oil
and then add
2 cloves minced garlic
Sautee garlic for a few minutes, until it is golden brown. Then add
13 oz. firm regular tofu, crumbled
1 tsp. kosher salt
and stir until tofu is coated with oil and salt. Then add
1/2 cup okara
and incorporate into the mixture. Finally, add the
spinach
stirring well. Try to break up all the spinach lumps so that it is evenly distributed throughout the tofu mixture.



In a large bowl, combine the cooked ziti with the spinach-tofu mixture. Add
zest of one lemon
juice of half one lemon
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
and stir until thoroughly combined. Spread the ziti-spinach-tofu mixture evenly into an 8x8 pan.

In a small bowl, combine
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 cup ground walnuts
and stir until mixed. Evenly distribute breadcrumb mixture onto surface of ziti.



Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: I didn't cover the casserole with aluminum foil and the topping got slightly burnt. So covering it with foil is probably a good idea.



Verdict: I loved this. However, I think I could have juiced the whole lemon without negatively affecting the flavor. I also should have put way more basil into the mixture.