Penne al Forno & Fun at Mt. Hood

How was your Sunday?  Did you do anything special?  Our Sunday was lovely - after a slow start we decided to take the girls sledding up on Mt. Hood.  This is one of the fantastic things about living in Portland - head 50 Miles east on Route 26 and voila you are in Government Camp up on Mt. Hood.  From no snow - to perfect sledding {or skiing} conditions in about 1-1/4 hrs.  Head west on you are at the Pacific coast :).  We went sledding at Trillium Lake. It is a couple of miles outside of Government Camp right across the street from "Sno-Bunny".  The sledding hills are at the far end of the parking lot and they were perfect for our girls. They had so much fun...take a look

So where does the Penne al Forno come in? Okay - this must have been the easiest dish ever.  No kidding!  I assembled it before we left for the mountain and put it in the oven once we got.  Yay - a perfect hot, bubbling meal in less than an hour.  We had a big bowl of deep green mache as a side; tonight's version was Galactosemia safe {by our dietary standards} but not vegan as I added some Parmesiano Regiano.  It can be easily left off for a vegan, and 100% dairy free dish.

Penne al Forno
1 box of Penne
1 batch of Vegan Ricotta*
2 C Vegan Mozzarella {I got mine at Trader Joe's - Daiya will work great}
1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce {Newman's Own Sockaroni is my sauce of choice}
1/2 C Parmesiano Regiano {optional}

*Vegan Ricotta
1       box Extra Firm Nori style Tofu
1/4    tsp Light Agave Nectar
1       tsp Cider Vinegar
1-1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1. Smash Tofu with a fork in a small bowl.
2. Add Agave Nectar, Vinegar, and salt. Mix it all up carefully.  You may want to add a little more
    salt.


1. boil the Penne until barely al dente; about 9-10 minutes.  Drain and rinse off with cold water

After step 3

2. In a baking dish mix Penne with Vegan Ricotta, and 1-1/2 C of Vegan Mozzarella,
3. Add 1-1/2 C of pasta sauce, and mix it all up. {Stop here if you will make it later - cover and put in the fridge}


4. When ready to cook *** Preheat oven to 375F ***
5. Top Penne with remaining sauce from jar - sprinkle with cheese
6. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes, then increase to 450F {leave dish in oven}. When oven reached
    temperature of 450F bake for another 8 minutes.

Serve with a salad!