Maltese Style Baked Macaroni

Crunchy on top, yet moist in the middle, this is a favourite dish in our home. In many households this dish is traditionally made with a mixture of minced meat (ground crumble),  usually both pork and beef mixed. They then bind it with eggs – I used tofu instead which did a great job.  Cheese is added, which also helps the mixture to bind – I used my own homemade cheese, but use whatever you wish.    I have veganized this dish so that it is not only cruelty-free, but cholesterol-free too !  Over the years, I have made different versions of this, and it just keeps on getting better and better – I made this yesterday, and we devoured it. It’s crazy delicious and packed with so much flavour, it’ll put a smile on your face, and I warn you, you will definitely be going back for seconds – may be even thirds.  Let me know what you think once you have made yours !  Meantime, go make, bake and Enjoy.

 

Makes 4 portions (depending on appetite and portion size)

INGREDIENTS

olive oil

1 red onion finely chopped

1 courgette/zucchini, finely chopped into squares

½ tsp garlic granules

3 vegan sausages, slightly grilled and then processed into a crumble (I used Linda McCartney)

1 cup frozen vegan ground crumble/mince

3 Tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp curry powder

¾ cup water

salt to taste

 

2 cups grated vegan cheese – don’t omit (I used a mixture of my cheddar and my mozzarella)

1 cup soya or other dairy-free vegan milk (the creamier the better)

½ cup firm silken tofu (or 1 cup cashew nuts processed with the vegan milk)

 

 

300g macaroni, boiled to al dente (see packet instructions) drained, rinsed in cold water and set aside in a large saucepan or dish (you will need to do this, as you will be adding the sauce to this, and will need to mix them together)

METHOD

Heat up the oil in a large saucepan, and fry the onion and courgette/zucchini until lightly golden.
Then add the ‘sausage’ crumble/mince, and the ground crumble – mix until it’s well incorporated.  Now stir in the curry powder, and allow a few minutes stirring here and there until the spice is well mixed.
Next, spoon in the tomato paste, stirring continuously.  Add the water a little at a time, and add the garlic granules and salt to taste.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until a rich thick sauce has formed (similar to a bolognese) – if you need a little bit more water, add it, but it must be a little thick.
Preheat your oven to 400ºF (200ºC).
Meantime, process the milk, tofu and cheese in a processor until you have the consistency of single cream.  Set aside for a minute.
Now pour the sauce onto the pasta, and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the tofu and cheese mixture you have processed (if using the nuts, add the nuts mixture with the cheese and milk that you have processed into one mixture) – pour this into the pasta dish, and stir it.  This is ready for the oven.
Next, grease an oven dish, carefully spoon/pour the pasta into the dish, and bake until golden on top and crusty at the edges.
Serve with grated vegan parmesan (as in my book), or other of your choice. Enjoy !

 

All recipes and content © Miriam Sorrell mouthwateringvegan.com 2010

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