This easy vegan pasta bake is a one-pot pasta bake that is packed with flavor, super easy to assemble, and perfect for meal prep for the week!
Even though I love to cook, I hate doing the dishes… It is really not a task that I look forward to! So, whenever I can opt for a one-pot meal or stir fry I will go for it, especially when I am down in time.
What do you need to make this one-dish vegan pasta bake?
Pasta – as you could guess this is one of the main ingredients. I have only tried this dish with both wholewheat and white spaghetti but I think it should equally work with penne or some other type of pasta.
Dried red lentils – whenever I am making a meal, I usually try to have a source of protein in it, and, since dried red lentils cook really quickly, I decided to go for it, try it with these lentils, and trust me, it works perfectly! If you are looking into how to cook dried beans, check it out here.
Garlic and onion – the secret for the onion not to be raw is to chop it very finely so that it can cook in the oven.
Carrots – the carrots won’t cook completely and that is one of my favorite things. It will make the pasta have some crunchy elements!
Artichokes hearts – I am aware this is not really a cupboard ingredient but it brings a crazy amount of flavor to this pasta bake. All you need is 4 artichoke hearts and it is enough.
Water, chopped tomatoes and tahini – this will be the main sauce for this recipe. The tahini will add extra flavor to the tomato sauce.
Oregano, nutritional yeast, and smoked paprika – for the spices, I tried to simplify more than some of my other recipes and it did not disappoint! If you are still wondering which spices you should have at home, check my vegan pantry staples
How to make it?
- If your oven takes a while to heat up, preheat it before doing anything else, to 180ºC.
- Chop the onion the most finely you can, mince the garlic, and cube the carrots.
- To a baking dish, add the spaghetti, along with the onion, garlic, olive oil, and salt. Use your hands to toss everything together.
- Add the chopped carrot, dried lentils, tahini, and spices.
- In a separate bowl, mix the can of chopped tomatoes and water and, add it to the baking dish.
- Bake for 40 minutes covered with either foil or a silicone cover.
When the 40 minutes are over, remove the cover, add the chopped artichoke hearts and sprinkle as much nutritional yeast as you want or, if you have some, feel free to add some vegan cheese. Bake for 10 minutes (uncovered) and enjoy it!
Recipes tips and tricks
Pasta – if you are not a spaghetti fan, or you simply have some leftover raw pasta at home, you can try it with this recipe. I have to tell you, I haven’t tried it but if you do, I would love it if you would let me know in the comments below!
Garlic cloves – 4 might seem like a high number but trust me, it doesnt get overpowering. As long as you mince it, it will spread quite evenly throughout the dish.
Lentils – I have only tried with red dried lentils as they cook much faster than the brown ones.
Vegetables – since the baking dish is still 40 minutes covered, most vegetables would have time to cook during this time. If you have some leftover vegetables, add them too! If you are unsure if they will cook or not, chop them very finely to ensure that happens.
Can I reheat pasta bake?
Yes, you can. I wouldn’t advise on freezing it but you can store it in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and reheat it in the microwave and it will be perfect.
Can I freeze pasta bake?
Personally, I don’t think spaghetti freezes well so this is not the most perfect recipe to freeze in my opinion.
IF YOU TRY THIS HEALTHY VEGAN PASTA BAKE RECIPE LET ME KNOW!
Leave a comment, rate it and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @nutsandpumpkin . I absolutely love seeing and sharing your recreations!
Finally, are you on Pinterest? Why not save this photo below to your boards so you can come back and try it another time!
LOOKING FOR MORE ONE POT MEALS THAT ARE QUICK AND DELICIOUS? TRY THESE NEXT!
Easy Vegan Pasta Bake
Equipment
- Baking dish
- Bowl
Ingredients
- 180 gram white pasta
- 1 small white onion (100g) chopped very finely
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 80 gram dried red lentils
- 1 large carrot (120 gram) chopped finely
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 500 ml water
- 1 can chopped tomatoes (400g)
- 2 tbsp tahini (40g)
- pinch of black pepper
- 4 artichokes hearts from a jar or a can
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
- Chop the onion the most finely you can, chop the carrot into small size cubes and mince the garlic.
- Add the pasta to the bottom of the baking dish. To the baking dish, add the chopped onion, minced garlic along with the salt and olive oil. Mix everything together.
- Add the chopped carrot and dried lentils, the tahini, and spices.
- In a bowl, add all the tomato sauce and water and mix well. Add it to the baking dish.
- Bake for 40 minutes, covered with either foil or a silicone cover.
- Remove the cover, add the chopped artichoke hearts and sprinkle with nutritional yeast or vegan cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
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