Vegan Baked Ziti

This Vegan Baked Ziti is your new favorite comfort food dinner! It’s a simple vegan pasta bake that’s perfect for a busy weeknight dinner idea.

this RECIPE

Vegan Baked Ziti

What comes to mind when you think about delicious holiday recipes? I hope it’s a cozy vegan baked pasta dish! If it’s not, then your world is about to change!

THIS vegan baked ziti recipe deserves a spot on your holiday table. It’s cozy, saucy, hearty and perfect for pleasing even the meat-eaters at your table. I mean first of all, who doesn’t want to eat a big batch of pasta in celebration of the end of the year? But also, there’s just something about a casserole that is so craveable in the cold months. They’re warm, comforting and so easy to make. On that note, does baked pasta count as a casserole?

Whether or not you classify this vegan pasta bake as a casserole, it’s definitely worth trying before the end of the year!

Ingredients for This Vegan Pasta Bake

Don’t let me scare you away from trying this vegan baked ziti, but we’re going to make our own cashew mozzarella for this recipe! It’s way easier than you might think and it makes this vegan baked pasta so beyond delicious!

Here’s everything you’ll need to make a batch of vegan baked ziti:

• Pasta. We’re making baked ziti, so as the name suggests you’ll need ziti! If you can’t find it, try rigatoni, penne or mostaccioli.
• Olive oil. The key to building the base of all the flavors!
• Vegetables. We’re using yellow onion, plenty of garlic, and canned diced tomatoes to make the sauce for our baked pasta.
• Herbs. I used dried oregano, thyme and basil in this recipe. You could also use fresh herbs if you’d like!
• Seasonings. You’ll want garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes and of course salt and pepper.
• Vegan beef crumbles. If you prefer, you could also crumble up a block of tempeh.
• Sugar. I know what you’re thinking! Sugar? Yes! It will balance out the acidity of the tomatoes in our homemade vegan marinara sauce.
• Cashews. We’re making our own cashew mozzarella for this vegan baked ziti! It’s easier than you might think. Make sure your cashews are raw and unsalted. You’ll also need to soak them the night before.
• Non-dairy milk. You can use any variety you like, but go for unsweetened and unflavored.
• Tapioca starch. This will help thicken up our vegan mozzarella and make it super stretchy.
• Miso. I know it sounds odd, but miso will add that umami flavor we’re looking for in a cheese!
• Lemon juice. Just a bit to add a touch of acidity to our vegan cheese.

How to Make Baked Ziti

This vegan baked pasta recipe is perfect for busy nights. Yes, we are making homemade mozzarella and marinara sauce, but once you’ve got all the components prepped, all that’s left to do is assemble and toss it in the oven!

Most of the cooking time for this recipe is hands-off, so just get the elements started a couple hours before you want to eat, then baked it up and you’re ready for dinner!

Here’s how to make vegan baked ziti:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Cook ziti according to package directions and drain.
3. Make the sauce. Heat oil in a pan and sautee for 5-7 minutes, then add garlic and cook for another minute. Add vegan beef crumbles and cook until heated through, then finally add the diced tomatoes, sugar, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, pepper, and water. Stir, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Once the sauce is ready, mix in your pasta
4. Make the cheese. Add all of your cheese ingredients to a blender and process until completely smooth. Add the vegan mozzarella to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 5-7 minutes. The sauce will transform into a thick, gooey cheese.
5. Assemble the baked ziti. Add half of ziti and red sauce mixture to your baking dish. Top with dollops of half of the vegan mozzarella mixture. Repeat until you’ve used all of the ingredients.
6. Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 15 minutes. Broil on high for 1-2 minutes until cheese is lightly browned.
7. Top your vegan baked ziti with chopped parsley, vegan parmesan, and red pepper flakes.

How to Freeze Baked Ziti

Casseroles and pasta bakes like this recipe are perfect for meal prep. Make it one night, pack up the leftovers and freeze them for easy meals another day!

If you want to freeze a few pieces of this baked ziti for easy meals later, go ahead. I would suggest freezing them individually so that the pieces don’t stick together. These are my favorite meal prep containers for freezing leftovers.

When you’re ready to eat, thaw in the microwave or place in the oven at 350ºF until heated through.

More Vegan Pasta Bakes

I am 10000% confident that this vegan baked ziti is your new favorite plant-based comfort food dish. It’s probably one of the best recipes I’ve ever created – and I’ve developed 100+ recipes during my blogging career! If you’re looking for more comforting casseroles and vegan pasta bakes, check out these other ideas!

• Vegan Lasagna
• Creamy Vegan Pasta Bake with Brussels Sprouts from Love and Lemons
• Creamy Cauliflower, Mushroom and Kale Pasta Bake by Top with Cinnamon
• Vegan Pasta Bake with Mushrooms by Cooking for Peanuts
• Creamy Vegan Red Pepper Pasta Bake by The First Mess

How to make:

Vegan Baked Ziti

This Vegan Baked Ziti is your new favorite comfort food dinner! It’s a simple vegan pasta bake that’s perfect for a busy weeknight dinner idea

Prep Time:

15 mins

Cook Time:

1 hour 30 mins

Total Time:

1 hour 45 mins

Author:

Emilie

Yield:

8 1x

Rating: 5 from 3 reviews

Print the recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound (16 ounces) ziti*

For the sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups vegan beef crumbles or crumbled tempeh
• 2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, no salt added
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup water

For the cheese:

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight and drained*
• 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons tapioca starch
• 1 teaspoon miso
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Optional toppings:

• Chopped parsley
• Vegan parmesan
• Red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Cook ziti according to package directions. Drain.
3. Make the sauce. In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil. When hot, add onion. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring, until lightly browned. Add garlic; cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring. Add vegan beef crumbles; cook, stirring, until thawed (if frozen) and heated through. Add diced tomatoes, sugar, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, pepper, and water. Stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cooked pasta; stir to combine.
4. Meanwhile, make the cheese. To a blender, add all cheese ingredients. Blend until completely smooth. Add cheese sauce to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring consistently, for 5-7 minutes. The sauce will transform into a thick, gooey cheese. Remove from heat.
5. Assemble the baked ziti. To a 9×13 baking dish, add half of ziti and red sauce mixture. Top with dollops of half the cheese mixture. Repeat.
6. Cover lightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 15 minutes. Broil on high for 1-2 minutes until cheese is lightly browned.
7. If desired, top with chopped parsley, vegan parmesan, and red pepper flakes.

Notes

*Use gluten-free pasta if necessary.

**If you forget to soak them overnight, boil cashews for 10 minutes, then drain.

4388.4 g967 mg12.3 g2 g62.6 g7.1 g20.6 g0 mg