This Vegan Baked Spaghetti Casserole is an easy and comforting family dinner! It's a one-pan recipe, made with healthy pantry ingredients!
If you are searching for some new family dinner ideas, this recipe will be your next favorite! It's cozy, hearty, and is a real crowd-pleaser!
Baked pasta is usually made with pre-cooked pasta that gets tossed in meat and tomato sauce. Then it's topped with lots of cheese and baked until golden.
My version is a lot simpler because the pasta doesn't require pre-cooking, you simply throw everything into a pan, and bake! And of course, it's still cheesy and saucy, even though it's dairy-free!
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Ingredients and notes
- Marinara: Make sure to use a good-quality marinara sauce, because it makes a lot of difference.
- Tomatoes: Chopped canned tomatoes work best here.
- Vegan cheese: We used dairy-free mozzarella cheese, but any type of melty cheese will work!
- Cooked lentils: Use canned lentils to make this recipe easier.
- Vegetable broth: Either store-bought or homemade. You can also use water.
- Olive oil: It gives some more flavor to the dish, but you can omit if for an oil-free option.
- Spaghetti: We use regular pasta here, but if you want to add more fiber, you can whole-wheat spaghetti.
How to make vegan baked spaghetti
Pre-heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). To a casserole dish, start layering your ingredients. First, add the pasta, then the red peppers, onion, and cooked lentils.
Then, add chopped tomatoes, marinara sauce, spices, minced garlic, basil leaves, olive oil (optional), vegetable broth, and salt and black pepper. Stir carefully until everything is well mixed.
Bake for 25 minutes. Then, remove from the oven, add shredded cheese on top and bake for 20-25 minutes more, or until it's golden on top and the pasta is fully cooked.
Serve right away and garnish with some fresh basil!
Expert Tips
- Add salt in the beginning. Just as with boiling pasta on the stovetop, it's important to salt your pasta in the beggining, before adding the layer of shredded cheese. This way you'll have more flavor in every bite.
- Add enough liquid. It may seem like this recipe requires a lot of liquid at first, but trust me when I say that you'll need all of those 3 cups for your pasta to cook properly.
- Stir halfway to prevent sticking. I personally don't mind if the pasta sticks, but if you are not a fan, be sure to use pasta tongs to stir everything well before adding the cheese on top.
- Add more vegetables. This recipe is so versatile! You can add veggies like mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes, etc. No need to pre-cook them.
FAQ
There is no need to cover your casserole before baking. There is enough liquid to ensure that the pasta won't dry out. Plus, you'll get some crispy edges, which is always a win.
No! There is no need for that one extra step, you can add everything uncooked, including the pasta.
Yes. This recipe freezes well for 3 months, but you can also freeze it uncooked. Make sure to wrap it securely. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as per instructions.
This pasta bake is best served with something fresh on the side, like a vegetable salad. We suggest serving it with these salad kabobs for an extra fun meal.
More Easy Vegan Pasta Recipes
Vegan Mac and Cheese without Cashews
Vegan Kimchi Alfredo Fettucine
Vegan Baked Spaghetti Casserole
Equipment
- Stovetop
- A casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound (500gr) spaghetti (not cooked)
- 1 15 oz can lentils, drained and rinsed
- ½ of a medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 medium red pepper, diced (~1 cups)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dry basil
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3-4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 14.5 oz can chopped tomatoes
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 3 cups vegetable broth or water
- 2 cups shredded vegan cheese*
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- To a 9x13 casserole add uncooked pasta, lentils, onion, and red peppers, followed by minced garlic, fresh basil, dry basil, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Next add olive oil, chopped tomatoes, marinara sauce, and vegetables broth.
- Use your clean hands or pasta tongs to mix everything until it's well coated. Bake for 25 minutes, uncovered.
- Take the casserole out of the oven, and give it a gentle stir to prevent the pasta from sticking. Top with shredded vegan cheese and bake for 20 minutes more or until the top is golden and the pasta is well cooked.
- Serve immediately with fresh basil on top, and if you are feeling fancy, sprinkle with some vegan parmesan. Enjoy!
Emma says
I added cheddar cheese on top and it was very delicious. Thank you!
Petranka says
Thank you for sharing, Emma!