When it comes to weeknight meals, it just doesn't get easier than this. Gather ingredients, put them in a dish, and pop it in the oven. That's it! It's a no-stress dish that the entire family can enjoy!
It's the weeknight meal you deserve: absolutely delicious, comforting, and filling, while also being so incredibly easy to make. This easy vegan pasta bake recipe is a weeknight dinner winner!
Ingredients
For this recipe you will need:
- Olive oil
- Gluten-free short cut 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.
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!
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! The pasta bake tastes even better the next day.
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 your vegan pasta bake always tastes amazing.
Which gluten-free pasta is the best?
My favorite gluten-free pasta is made by the brand Jovial, which you can find in most grocery stores. Your favorite brand would work great here, though. You could even use regular pasta if your family eats gluten! The beauty of this recipe is just how versatile it is.
What marinara sauce can I use 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 sauce, I show you how in this recipe. Both ways produce a flavorful, savory, and hearty vegan pasta bake!
How to cook pasta bake in oven?
Make sure you seal the baking dish as tightly as you can with aluminium foil before baking. If too much moisture escapes during baking, your pasta bake could come out dry and undercooked.
After baking the pasta bake for the first 45 minutes, remove from the oven and taste test one of the pasta pieces. 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 lot of the creamy, perfect texture in this pasta bake comes from my Easy Homemade Vegan Cashew Cream! This cashew cream adds so much delicious flavor to all of your favorite dishes. It makes this No-Boil Pasta Bake absolutely out of this world. The vegan cashew cream also adds some awesome plant-based protein! Learn more about How (and Why!) to Soak Cashews in this post.
This recipe is vegan, soy-free, peanut-free, and gluten-free!
More Pasta Recipes
One-Skillet Baked Butternut Squash Pasta with Sage
Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Garlic Pasta
Vegan Chickpea Bolognese Pasta
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 and #eatingbyelaine on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook so I can see your delicious vegan creamy pasta bake creations!
I was first inspired to make this dish by Laney at Life is But a Dish and Inspiralized. Everyone is on the hunt for EASY and tasty meals, and a vegan creamy pasta bake is one of the best!
Print
No-Boil Creamy Vegan Pasta Bake
- Total Time: 50
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
It's the weeknight dinner winner! This no-boil creamy vegan pasta bake is made with gluten-free pasta, fresh veggies, and creamy marinara sauce. It's a no-stress dish that the entire family can enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces gluten-free pasta (short-cut variety such as penne or rottini)
- 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 (learn more about How (and Why!) to Soak Cashews in this post.)
- 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
Keywords: no-boil pasta bake
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! 🙂