Creamy vegan green vegetable pasta bake

INGREDIENTS

350g pasta

1 head of broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets

1 zucchini, quartered and sliced

1 cup frozen peas

½ cup panko crumbs

Pesto:

½ cup pine nuts

2 cups spinach

1 bunch basil

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Zest from 1 lemon

Juice from 2 lemons

1 garlic clove

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

Béchamel sauce:

50g margarine/plant-based butter

¼ cup flour

2½ cups milk of choice (I used oat milk)

¼ cup nutritional yeast

Pinch of nutmeg

Cook pasta until al dente, drain and set aside.
Add broccoli to a pot of boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
Lightly toast pine nuts in a pan on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Add all the pesto ingredients to a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Combine pasta, broccoli, zucchini, peas and pesto in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C.
Melt margarine in a pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Slowly add the milk to the pot and whisk continuously for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat. Add nutritional yeast and nutmeg and stir to combine.
Transfer the pasta mixture to a large baking dish. Pour the béchamel sauce over the top and sprinkle with panko crumbs.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Cool slightly before serving.

Cook pasta until al dente, drain and set aside.
Add broccoli to a pot of boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
Lightly toast pine nuts in a pan on low heat for 2-3 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Add all the pesto ingredients to a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Combine pasta, broccoli, zucchini, peas and pesto in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C.
Melt margarine in a pot over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring with a wooden spoon.
Slowly add the milk to the pot and whisk continuously for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat. Add nutritional yeast and nutmeg and stir to combine.
Transfer the pasta mixture to a large baking dish. Pour the béchamel sauce over the top and sprinkle with panko crumbs.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling. Cool slightly before serving.

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