This hands-off creamy vegan pasta bake requires no boiling of noodles and is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner! Simply combine fresh zucchini, gluten-free noodles and marinara sauce in a baking dish and pop it in the oven. Just before serving, mix in a generous portion of homemade cashew cream and enjoy!
It's the weeknight meal you and the whole family deserve: delicious, comforting and filling, while also being so incredibly easy to make. This easy vegan pasta bake recipe is a weeknight dinner winner!
Serving pasta dishes for dinner has become routine in my household. It is a comfort food, makes for easy meal prep and don't require a ton of effort. But did you know that you can skip the large pot of salted water and just throw everything into a casserole dish to bake without any boiling?
This creamy vegan pasta bake is one of my all-time favorite vegan pasta recipes. Using my homemade recipe for cashew cream, no one would ever suspect it is a plant-based baked pasta with no cheese given its texture and flavor. But for a cheesier taste such as in my vegan mac and cheese, feel free to add nutritional yeast or a dairy-free cheese like vegan mozzarella. You can't go wrong!
Ingredients
For this vegan baked pasta recipe you will need:
- Olive oil
- Gluten-free short cut pasta (rotini or penne pasta)
- Marinara sauce
- Water
- Red onion
- Garlic
- Fine salt
- Black pepper
- Garlic powder
- Red pepper flakes
- Zucchini (good source of vitamin A, fiber, potassium and carotenoids)
- Homemade vegan cashew cream
- Fresh baby spinach
- Fresh parsley to garnish
See the recipe card for precise measurements and instructions.
Instructions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 13 x 9-inch rectangular baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
Step 2: Place dry pasta, marinara sauce, water, onion, garlic, zucchini and spices in the baking dish and stir well to incorporate.
Step 3: Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes.
Step 4: Remove from oven and remove the aluminum foil. Stir in the vegan cashew cream and spinach while still hot. Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
Recipe Variations
The best part about this dish is that you can customize it based on your preferences or what you have on hand already. Add a bell pepper or cherry tomatoes for some additional veggies. Throw in fresh basil or Italian seasoning for some additional flavor. And if you don't want to use cashew cream, vegan Alfredo sauce is a great option for a white sauce to mix in for creaminess. This recipe accommodates all!
Storage
You can store any leftover pasta bake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 5 days. Simply reheat in the microwave or oven and enjoy! This veggie pasta bake actually tastes even better the next day.
I especially love how easy this recipe would be to make and deliver to a friend. You could assemble everything but the vegan cashew cream, spinach and fresh herbs, and deliver it with cooking instructions. It would be perfect for a friend or family member who has just moved or had a new baby, someone who is feeling under the weather, or to comfort a loved one navigating some rough times. I always think food is the best gift!
Frequently Asked Questions
I have gone through all of my reader's comments on this post and added some helpful tips and tricks to make sure this vegan pasta recipe with zucchini always tastes amazing.
Which gluten-free pasta is the best?
My favorite pasta for this gluten-free pasta bake is made by the brand Jovial, which you can find in most grocery stores. Your favorite brand would work great here, though. You can even use regular pasta if your family eats gluten. The beauty of this pasta casserole recipe is just how versatile it is.
What marinara sauce can be used for this recipe?
This recipe calls for a 28-oz jar of your favorite marinara sauce. I always grab Rao's when I need a good store-bought sauce! If you want to make your own tomato sauce, I provide instructions in my chunky tomato basil spaghetti recipe using just olive oil, tomato paste, tomatoes, vegan butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Both options produce a flavorful, savory, and hearty vegan pasta bake!
How do you ensure that the pasta gets cooked in the oven?
Make sure you seal the baking dish as tightly as you can with aluminum foil before baking. If too much moisture escapes during baking, your pasta bake could come out dry and undercooked.
After baking for the first 45 minutes, remove the casserole dish from the oven and taste test one of the cooked pasta noodles. It should be perfectly cooked and al dente. If the pasta is dry or too hard, then add a splash more water, mix well and bake for another 5-10 minutes. Repeat if necessary until pasta is cooked through.
Vegan Creamy Pasta
A huge contributor to the perfect texture in this pasta bake comes from my homemade vegan cashew cream! This creamy sauce adds so much delicious flavor to all of your favorite dishes, and it makes this no-boil pasta bake absolutely out of this world.
Using soaked cashews, the cashew cream also adds plant-based protein in addition to other important nutrients. You definitely don't want to skip the addition of this cream to your pasta mixture!
This creamy pasta bake recipe is vegan, soy-free, grain-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, raw and nut-free. If you give it a try, please let me know! Leave a comment below, rate it above, and tag a photo @eatingbyelaine so I can see your delicious vegan creamy pasta bake creations!
Print
No-Boil Creamy Vegan Pasta Bake with Zucchini
- Total Time: 50
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This hands-off creamy vegan pasta bake requires no boiling of noodles and is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner! Simply combine fresh zucchini, gluten-free noodles and marinara sauce in a baking dish and pop it in the oven. Just before serving, mix in a generous portion of homemade cashew cream and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces gluten-free pasta (short-cut variety such as penne or rotini)
- 28 ounces jarred marinara sauce (I like Rao's the best)
- 1 cup filtered water
- ½ large red onion, diced
- 4. large cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 teaspoons fine salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 medium zucchini, spiralized on blade C and roughly chopped
- 1 batch homemade vegan cashew cream
- 2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach
- Optional: garnish with fresh parsley and/or fresh basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 13 x 9-inch rectangular baking dish with olive oil and set aside.
- Place dry pasta, marinara sauce, water, onion, garlic, zucchini and spices in the baking dish and stir well to incorporate.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven and remove the aluminum foil. Stir in the vegan cashew cream and spinach while still hot. Serve immediately. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to five days.
Notes
Baking time may vary based on the type of noodle are you using. If your noodles are not cooked through, re-cover the baking dish with the aluminum foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes. If it seems dry, add more marinara sauce or water before baking for additional time.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Entree
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Penny says
Hi. Making this soon. Zucchini is added step 2? Thanks!
Elaine Gordon says
Yes add zucchini with step #2 - I hope it turns out great for you!
Jamie says
I am in awe of this recipe!! I added broccoli, and doubled the pasta/cashew cream (so I added a lil extra sauce & water). All I have to say is WOW. This is the creamiest dairy free pasta I’ve ever eaten and will definitely be making it anytime I’m craving something comforting!!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Jamie! I really appreciate that! So happy to hear you enjoyed it so much and love your spin on it. More cream is always a good thing in my book!
Jodi says
I've made this twice already because it's such a crowd pleaser and super easy! The first time around a few of the noodles remained hard. The second time I made it I gave the noodles a quick stir halfway through baking and it came out perfect. I also added !/2 cup extra water. So delicious!! Thank you for making cooking fun and easy!
Elaine Gordon says
Aw yay! Thank you so much for letting me know! So happy to hear you have been loving this easy recipe. Yes, different noodles might need different cooking times but the same process applies - glad you figured that out! Thanks again!
Rebecca says
This turned out amazing! Low effort and great tasting—what's not to love?
Elaine Gordon says
Aw yay! Thank you so much, Rebecca! So happy to hear you enjoyed the process and the result! 🙂
Rozzi says
Used this as a blueprint, as I had to make a bunch of changes mainly due to what ingredients I had in the pantry. But turned out delicious! And so super easy! Will definitely make again!
Elaine Gordon says
Fantastic! So happy to hear it worked out so well for you even with your own spin on it! It is a great base recipe for that kind of thing for sure! Best, Elaine
Kiara Brown says
So so delicious. I saw you make this on your Instagram stories yesterday and I had to make it today. I used what I had on hand but man was it good. I used eggplant, baby Bella mushrooms, and a yellow bell pepper. I threw in fresh basil and frozen green peas once it was finished. I didn’t add the cashew cream sauce this time. But it was even delicious without it. I’m definitely making this again!!!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Kiara! So happy to hear my IG stories inspired your take on it. It really is totally flexible and you can definitely sub any veggies you have on hand. I'll have to try frozen green peas next time... I love peas and always forget about them in the freezer! Definitely try it again with the cashew cream sauce - it takes it to another level for sure! Thank you again for the comment/rating. Best, Elaine
Sarah Brown says
Perfect recipe for Italian pasta craving
Elaine Gordon says
Thanks, Sarah! Thanks for the five star review!
Christina says
This recipe was delicious and so easy to make! I added chopped carrots as well. And the addition of the cashew cream at the end was SO good! Definitely making it again!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much, Christina! Love your addition of the chopped carrots. I'm sure that was delicious! So happy to hear you enjoyed this one and plan to make it again. Thank you for the five star rating too! Best, Elaine
Caitlyn says
Can I leave out the zucchini??? I am dying to try this, but the husband and kids can’t eat zucchini.
Elaine Gordon says
Hi, Caitlyn: I'm sorry for the delay. I hope I'm not too late.
I'm sure you could leave it out but if you do maybe add a bit more water. The zucchini releases a good amount of liquid as it cooks so I would hate for you to leave it out and then have it be too dry. Please let me know how it goes for you! Best, Elaine
Andrea says
Wow! This was my first time making a vegan cream sauce, and it is to die for! I discovered that putting in some chopped frozen spinach (since I didn't have fresh) as the last step worked fine too. The heat and some stirring cooked the spinach enough so that it wasn't frozen anymore.
Will definitely make again! Thank you for sharing!
Elaine Gordon says
Wonderful idea to use frozen! Frozen always saves the day! So happy you loved the cream sauce. Thank you for letting me know! Best, Elaine
Gail says
Loved it! FYI, Pinterest would not let me pin it. Claimed it couldn’t fetch the picture.
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you SO much for letting me know - I will look into this right away. Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Gail! 🙂
Phallon says
This is SO delicious! I added some peas at the based on another reviewers comments and it's perfect! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much for letting me know, Phallon! That is wonderful! Thank you for the five star review. Best, Elaine
Mari says
Does spiralizing the zucchini do anything important? I don’t have a spiralizer so I’m wondering if it would be okay to just chop the zucchini small? Or if there’s something else you’d recommend
Elaine Gordon says
yes you can totally chop it up or grate it even. The zucchini noodles just blend in more. But it is fine however you do it.
Riri says
Made this the other night! Taste wise it was fantastic! My family is vegetarian, not vegan so we've never tried the cashew cream before but the flavor and creaminess of the pasta was really good. I did add some smoked paprika and TJ's 21 seasoning salute to the spices. The baking time though was definitely finicky, put it in for an extra 10 mins and then another 5 but there were still some less cooked penne pieces in there. Just because timing experimenting can be hard, i might lightly pre-boil the pasta next time but flavor wise this dish was definitely well loved!
Elaine Gordon says
Thank you so much for making it and for the 5 stars, Riri! I’m so happy the flavor was a hit, and yay for your first cashew cream moment.
And thank you for the note about the penne. Do you remember which penne you used (brand and whether it was regular, whole wheat, or gluten-free) and what size/type of baking dish? Also, did you cover it with foil and was it tightly sealed?
So glad it was well loved overall, and I really appreciate you taking the time to share the details so I can help troubleshoot for next time! Best, Elaine
Riri says
it was barilla regular penne in a 13x9 glass pan. I'd like to believe it was tightly sealed but it was definitely harder to seal the additional times with the pasta being larger. Admittedly, I just remembered I had done the whole box aka 16 oz instead of 12. Although I did add an extra half cup of water to account for the extra pasta. Perhaps it needed more cooking time because of the added quantity?
Elaine Gordon says
Hi Riri, Thank you for the extra details, that helps so much! Barilla regular penne in a 13x9 glass pan makes total sense, and the big clue is that you used the full 16 oz box. With baked/no-boil pasta, the exact pasta-to-liquid ratio and a tightly sealed cover matter a lot. With 16 oz (plus a glass dish that heats a bit more slowly), it would definitely need more time and typically more liquid than just an extra 1/2 cup, especially if the foil wasn’t perfectly sealed after opening it. If you try it again, I’d either stick with the 12 oz so it matches the recipe exactly, or if you want to use the full 16 oz, add more liquid and keep it tightly covered for longer (and try not to open it until the pasta is tender).
So glad it was a flavor win, and I really appreciate you sharing what you did!