Rigatoni, Vegan Sausage, and Broccoli Rabe Bake

Give me pasta any day and I'll be a happy lady! This is a colourful and hearty dish and it's sure to please anyone to which you serve it. Veggies, sausage, and cheese. What could be better?

I'm not a huge fan of Tofurky sausages so I probably would've enjoyed this dish more had we made our own sausage but sometimes life doesn't grant you the luxury of making homemade vegan sausage. C'est la vie! 

But, without making your own sausage this dish is fairly quick to prepare and the payoff is substantial! Full stomachs all around the table! (whoa, why does stomach look like such a weird word right now?)

Enjoy!!

Rigatoni, Vegan Sausage, and Broccoli Rabe Bake

Adapted from Adventures in Vegan Cooking

Ingredients

1 large bunch of broccoli, chopped and using the upper half of each stalk

1 package of rigatoni

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 large can of diced tomatoes

3 tbsp tomato paste

½ tsp salt

freshly ground pepper

1 package of Daiya Mozzarella shreds

2 -3 vegan sausages, like Tofurky Italian Sausage, cut in half lengthwise and then into bite-sized pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish with olive oil.

Boil a large pot of water. Add the broccoli rabe and blanch for 1 minute. Remove with a spider or slotted spoon. Rinse in cold water. Add the pasta to the pot and cook according to the package. When it’s done drain and return to the pot.

Add the sausage to a pan over medium heat. Toss them around until heated through.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Add the olive oil to a pan and heat over medium heat. When the oil is heated add the onion and pepper, cook until tender. Add the can of tomatoes and break up the tomatoes further with a wooden spoon or a spatula. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and make sure it is completely dissolved. Add the salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the sausage and veggie sauce to the pot with the pasta. Add in 3/4 of the bag of Daiya cheese shreds. Mix it about so that everything is evenly distributed. Place it in the casserole dish and then in the oven.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for another 5 minutes or until the cheese on top is melted.

Let sit for a bit before serving.