Italian Macaroni and Cheese

I have been experimenting on cooking silken Tofu for a while. However, none of the dishes I tried satisfy me. The Mac and Cheese with Tofu I saw the other day totally inspired me to try a pasta dish with Tofu. Another article I read last night added even more creativity to my dish. With all the twists added to this dish, I would like to call it "Italian Macaroni and Cheese". It is really yummy, not too rich, not too bland, just perfect.

Italian Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Ingredients: 4-6 servings

1 lb Penne pasta, 1/2 whole grain and 1/2 regular

1 package (19 oz) silken Tofu
1 cup grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 can (8 oz) tomato paste
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup dried parsley
1/4 cup dried basil (fresh would be better)

Some grated Parmesan cheese for topping
Olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Boil a big pot of water to cook pasta, till al dente.
3. While pasta is cooking, prepare sauce. Simply blend all the 2nd part of the ingredients in a food processor till smooth.
4. After drain the pasta, put them back to the pot. Scoop the blended sauce to the pasta, mix well.
5. Pour the mix into a 9X13" baking dish. Dash with some olive oil and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake covered for 25-30 mins, then back uncovered for 5 mins.