Creamy Pasta Bake for Lactose Intolerance

I wasn't sure if I wanted to post this, because it's definitely the most boring course our of the four-course dinner I'd prepared earlier this month. But the recipe certainly wasn't boring, so it's worth a mention :) 

I was quite excited to have to attempt a recipe modification for therapeutic reasons, and the one I ended up choosing was lactose intolerance i.e. no dairy products (although interestingly, cheddar cheese is low enough to be tolerated for people with lactose intolerance!). I admit, I didn't exactly come up with the whole recipe myself- I'd seen a recipe for a healthy mushroom gratin and adapted it to a pasta bake recipe, with the result being this!

Instead of the usual creamy white sauce, I substituted it for blended tofu- and before you turn away and say 'yuk!' like my lactose intolerant friend did when I told her of this recipe, I'll let you know that it doesn't taste like tofu at all! Not that it turned out amazing though- I had under-seasoned the tofu 'sauce' and it was a little dry overall as I'd used more pasta than was called for in the recipe- but it's definitely nothing like you would expect, surprisingly creamy, although thicker than your usual white sauce. With a little more seasoning though, it would be a great alternative for people with lactose intolerance- or even those without, because since the removal of butter and cream does cut down a lot of the fat!

Creamy Pasta Bake

150g dried pasta
2Tbsp. Oil (eg canola)
1 cup silken tofu
½ tsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
1Tbsp. Miso Paste
1 tsp. Paprika
2 cloves garlic, peeled
200g chicken breast
150g cup mushrooms
Cheddar cheese, to your liking
(Note: I didn't use cheese in my version because I didn't have any so I used bread crumbs instead)

1. Cook pasta following packet directions until just tender. Drain.
2. Drain the water from the tofu. Squeeze and mash the tofu in the same bowl or in a blender. Strain. Add in the salt, soy sauce, miso, and paprika.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat, add garlic and a pinch of salt and fry for a few moments. Add chicken. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes each side or until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Cover. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until just tender. Transfer to a plate
4. Add the tofu mixture to the pan, then drain the pasta and add to sauce, tossing together until the pasta is well coated (if the sauce looks a bit thick, add some water). Transfer to 6 small ramekins.
5. Sprinkle cheddar cheese onto ramekins and place in hot oven (preheated at 180oC) for around 10 minutes, until browned.