Baked Penne Florentine from the Starch Solution

The first few nights of cooler weather have us thinking about warm comfort foods. Mary enjoys this dish with an extra kick of spice courtesy of Sriracha.

Prep: 30 minutes | Cook: 45 minutes | Rest: 5 minutes
• Serves 6 to 8
Mary McDougall

8 ounces penne pasta

1 - 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

¼ cup vegetable broth

1 onion, chopped

½ cup raw cashews

1 15 ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon regular or reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon white miso paste

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon mustard powder

¼ teaspoon ground red pepper

½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Have ready a 3-quart baking dish that has a cover.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta, stir and cook until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Add the spinach and mix well. Set aside.

Heat the broth and the onion in a nonstick skillet, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Process the cashews in a food processor and process until they are as fine as possible. Add ¾ cup of water and blend until smooth. Add the cooked onion, beans, soy sauce, miso, lemon juice, mustard, red pepper and 1 cup water; process until the sauce is very smooth.

Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix well. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish, sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top, cover, and bake for 45 minutes.

Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

To make the dish ahead, refrigerate the covered dish for up to 1 day and add 15 minutes to the baking time.

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