This quick and easy vegan pasta bake is a cozy weeknight dinner recipe. It's made with tender penne pasta, dairy-free mozzarella shreds, fire roasted tomatoes, and veggies. Serve it with one of our fresh and crunchy salad recipes.
We created this recipe way back in 2015, and it's been a fan favorite since day one.
If you like pasta, melted mozzarella, tangy tomatoes, and savory spices, then you're going to love this recipe.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
Here's a visual cue of the ingredients that you'll need to make this recipe.
Pre-cooked Penne Pasta - You can also use ziti if you like. The only real difference between the two shapes is that the ends of the penne is cut at an angle and ziti is cut straight across. Use gluten-free pasta if needed.
Onion and Garlic - Fresh diced red onion and minced garlic is best. If you don't have fresh, you can use onion and garlic powder.
Italian Herbs - A dried Italian herb blend is just fine for this recipe. If you use a blend of fresh herbs, be sure to mince them.
Fire Roasted Tomatoes - Crushed tomatoes work well because they add a little texture. You can use regular crushed tomatoes, but fire roasted improves the flavor.
Lemon Zest - The lemon boosts the acid in this dish and adds a nice flavor.
Cashew Cheese Sauce - This sauce will make the pasta casserole creamy and delicious. You can add more cheese shreds if you don't want to make it, although we highly recommend it.
Vegan Cheese Shreds - We like Violife, Miyoko's, or Daiya shredded mozzarella. It's also good with a liberal amount of vegan parmesan.
Bread Crumbs - The bread crumbs add a lovely texture to this dish. Use gluten-free if necessary.
Instructions
This is a step-by-step tutorial to help you make this vegan pasta casserole.
- While the pasta is boiling, saute the onions and garlic in a large pan, then add the spices, and tomatoes. Cook for approximately 15 minutes.
2. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the sauce, along with finely chopped spinach.
3. Stir in the cashew cream sauce.
4. Add the vegan cheese shreds and lemon zest.
5. Stir the ingredients until the pasta is fully covered in the sauce and cheese shreds.
6. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top of the casserole, cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Take the foil off and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and crispy.
FAQs and Pro Tips
Yes, add vegan "meat" and/or cannellini beans to the dish for added protein.
For best results, boil the pasta for 3 minutes less than the suggested cooking time on the box, then drain and add it to the pan before baking. Feel free to add a half of a cup of the starchy pasta water to the sauce before you add the pasta for a saucier dish.
If you don't want to take the time to make the fire roasted tomato sauce, you can add a 16 ounce jar of pre-made marinara.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
Vegan Baked Penne Pasta
Equipment
- 1 Blender
- 1 large skillet
- 1 stove
- 1 Oven
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 red onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 15 ounce fire roasted tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ground sea salt go taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves, pack the cups chopped
- 1 cup 40 g fresh basil leaves, pack the cup, optional chopped
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup bread crumbs
FOR THE CASHEW CREAM
- 1 cup raw cashews boil for 10 minutes
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground sea salt
- ground black pepper to taste
- 1 to 2 cups vegan mozzarella shreds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C)
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the pasta according to the instructions. For best results, cook until just al dente, approximately 3 minutes less than the cooking instructions. The pasta will cook more while baking. Drain the water.
- In a large skillet heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until they become translucent, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and water (add from the pasta water), add the 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
FOR THE CASHEW CREAM
- Put the cashews, water, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a high-powered blender and blend until the liquid is smooth and creamy. Approximately 2 minutes. There shouldn’t be any pieces of nuts in the mix.
FOR THE CASSEROLE
- Add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet. Add the chopped spinach, basil, cashew cream, vegan cheese shreds, and lemon zest and stir until completely combined. Evenly sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top and cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 minutes or until the crumbs begin to turn brown and crispy.
David says
Clarification: You state 2 Tbs in the recipe but only 1 Tbs in the directions for Italian Seasoning. Can you please clarify. Thanks
Linda & Alex says
Thank you for pointing that out, David. It should read 2 Tbs. We're going to correct that, now.
Kathy says
Do you include the juice from canned fire roasted tomatoes?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Kathy, yes you do. 🙂
Lizz says
Hi, has anyone tried doing this recipe without oil? If so, did you just omit for the blend or substitute with something else?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Lizz, you can certainly saute the onion and garlic in a few tbsp of water or vegetable broth. The oil in the cream sauce gives it a creamier texture and prevents it from drying out too much, but you can leave it out. It might not stay as creamy if you refrigerate it. 🙂