This vegan baked spaghetti is a comfort food that the whole family will enjoy! It's a one-pan recipe, made with healthy pantry ingredients, making it perfect for busy weeknights. Simply mix everything together, pop it in the oven, and let it do the work for you!
If you are searching for more dinner ideas, this vegan baked spaghetti will be your new family favorite! It's cozy, hearty, and a real crowd-pleaser!
Baked pasta (also called spaghetti pie) is traditionally made with pre-cooked pasta that gets tossed in a hearty 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 casserole dish, and bake until cheesy perfection!
This baked pasta dish is 100% plant-based, soy-free, and dairy-free, and can be made oil-free.
For more pasta recipes, check out my Silken Tofu Pasta, Gochujang Pasta, and French Onion Pasta which all have vegan options.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Comes together in less than 10 minutes. The hardest part is adding everything to the baking dish, literally.
- Hands-free. After you assemble the casserole, the oven will do all the work for you while you relax and enjoy your day.
- A no-boil pasta casserole. The best part about this recipe is that you don't have to boil the pasta in a separate pot. This means fewer dishes and less effort!
- Versatile. You can use any veggies you have in your fridge. You can even swap out the lentils for another protein of choice like chickpeas, tvp (textured vegetable protein), or vegan ground meat.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Spaghetti: We use regular pasta here, but if you want to add more fiber, you can whole wheat spaghetti noodles.
- Marinara: Make sure to use a good-quality marinara sauce or your favorite pasta sauce, because it makes a big difference.
- Canned tomatoes: Diced tomatoes from a can work best here.
- Vegan cheese: We use vegan mozzarella cheese, but any type of dairy-free cheese will work! If you don't have vegan cheese on hand, you can top the casserole with a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast instead.
- Cooked lentils: Use canned lentils to make this recipe easier. They add protein and fiber and give volume to the dish. You can also use black beans or chickpeas.
- Broth: Either store-bought or homemade vegetable broth. You can also use water and a bullion cube.
- Olive oil: It gives some more flavor to the dish, but you can omit it for an oil-free option.
- Vegetables: For this, I am using red bell pepper and red onion, but you can also use yellow onion, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and spinach.
- Spices: You'll need Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. If you don't have Italian seasoning on hand, you can use equal parts oregano and dried basil.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and exact measurements.
How to Make Vegan Baked Spaghetti
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray, and start layering your ingredients. First, add the pasta, then the red peppers, onion, and cooked lentils.
Step 2: 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.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: Serve right away and garnish with some fresh basil and a sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.
👩🏼🍳 Petra's Tips
- Add salt in the beginning. Just as with boiling pasta on the stovetop, it's important to salt your pasta in the beginning, 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. Be sure to use pasta tongs to stir everything well before adding the cheese on top.
- Don't overcook! You want your spaghetti to cook just until al dente, meaning it shouldn't be super soft and should have a slight bite to it.
- 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, simply toss them raw into the baking dish.
Recipe FAQs
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.
If you're concerned your leftovers might be too dry, try adding a spoonful of pasta sauce like marinara. This simple step will freshen up your meal, keeping both the flavor and texture as good as when you first enjoyed it.
Yes, make sure to freeze it after baking for best results. Let it cool to room temperature, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.
If you want to switch things up, you can use penne, fusilli, linguini, or angel hair pasta. The pros of using small-shaped pasta like penne are that stirring the casserole halfway through is a lot easier.
Also, note that if you're using angel hair pasta you'll need to add ½ cup less vegetable broth and bake the casserole for 10-15 minutes less since angel hair pasta is thinner and cooks faster.
Yes, this recipe can be assembled 2-3 days in advance and kept in the fridge until you're ready to bake! Just make sure to add the vegetable broth at the last minute. Also, wrap the top of the casserole dish with foil or cover it with a lid to prevent it from drying.
Vegan Baked Spaghetti Serving Suggestions
This vegan baked spaghetti casserole is perfect to serve alongside roasted frozen Brussels sprouts, Mediterranean risoni salad, or ciabatta garlic bread.
To add more protein serve it with a protein-rich main dish like these easy vegan tofu meatballs or my vegan chicken cordon bleu.
It's also delicious paired with a side salad like my arugula spinach salad or this sweet potato beet salad.
Storage & Freezing
- Fridge: Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 4-5 days!
- Freezer: Let leftovers cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months (and sometimes longer).
More Easy Vegan Pasta Recipes
If you tried this Vegan Baked Spaghetti or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Baked Spaghetti Casserole
Ingredients
- 1.1 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
- 2 teaspoon italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ 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
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Spray a 9x13" baking dish with cooking spray, and start layering your ingredients.
- 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!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Emma says
I added cheddar cheese on top and it was very delicious. Thank you!
Petranka says
Thank you for sharing, Emma!