Cheesy Pasta Bake
[Vegan]

For the Breadcrumb Topping:

1. Preheat oven to 430°F. Roughly tear each bread slice into 6-8 pieces.
2. Spread the bread pieces on a baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes until light golden brown. The baking time needed depends on the moisture content of the bread. So, check at 10 minutes and bake for a few more minutes if required.
3. Once cooled, transfer to a mixer jar along with nutritional yeast, salt, and Italian seasoning. Grind into a coarse powder. Store in an air-tight container in a cool place for up to a week.

For the Cheese Sauce:

1. In a pressure cooker, cook potato pieces, carrot pieces, and cashews with 2 cups of water over high heat for 4 whistles. Let it cool down.
2. Transfer the mixture to a grinder jar. Add 1-2 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast extract and 1 tablespoon ACV. Blend till smooth. Taste and add more ACV as required. Mix in the salt and spices.

For the Vegan Cheesy Pasta Bake:

1. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet. Keep aside.
2. In a big mixing bowl, toss together the cooked pasta and steamed veggies with the cheese sauce. Add some plant milk if you find the sauce too thick. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
3. Transfer to a greased baking dish. Sprinkle liberally with the bread crumbs.
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 10 minutes at 200 degrees C (390 F). Serve hot!