No-Boil Chickpea Noodle Casserole

Step 1

preheat the oven to 425F and set a 9×13″ casserole pan aside.

Step 2

add the soaked and drained cashews, water, bouillon, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 45-60 seconds, until the cashews completely dissolve and you are left with a smooth and creamy sauce.

Step 3

add the pasta, chickpeas, onion, celery, carrot, and peas to the casserole dish and mix until evenly distributed. Pour the sauce over the casserole, then use a spatula or spoon to press everything down evenly into the sauce, especially the pasta noodles.

Step 4

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil (or parchment paper, followed by aluminum foil) and bake in the middle rack of the oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before uncovering. You may notice that the pasta is cooked, but a few noodles on top are not covered in sauce; because of this, I like to stir the casserole before serving, to evenly distribute the sauce.

Step 5

warm; leftovers can be stored in the fridge and are best eaten within 5 days