This Vegan Cheese Pasta Bake is the ultimate crowd pleaser and perfect for a weeknight meal or your holiday table! It’s easy and loaded with flavour!
When I was younger, Italian food was my favourite. I’m talking all the pastas, and so when we went to Italy the first time, I was in heaven. Since then my favourite foods have switched up a bit, but I still love an easy, delicious and hot pasta dish. That’s one of the reasons I was so excited to make this Vegan Cheese Pasta Bake. Comforting fall foods? Here we come.
Oh my goodness. It has been a while since I’ve had a pasta bake. Let me write the ways I love thee. Cheesy? Check. Saucy? Check. Baked aka flavour heaven? Check check check. Instead of listing all the reasons why a pasta bake is an excellent idea, let me just go ahead and say – you’ll definitely love and enjoy this dish.
I really wanted to highlight the flavours in this dish. Naturally I immediately reached for my Thrive Algae Oil for this recipe. When I was approached to try this oil, I was definitely intrigued. Did you know that the algae was sourced from the sap of a Chestnut tree?! The makers of Thrive had studied hundreds of strains of algae to find the one with the best fat profile and taste. It’s fascinating to me all the ways that algae can be used to enhance our food. Plus, I’ve tried algal powder before and couldn’t wait to give this a try.
Probably my favourite thing about the Thrive Algae Oil is that it has a really high smoke point. Gav loves to cook his food on high which always terrifies me a bit, so it’s good to know that he can safely use this oil. That also makes it amazing for stir-frying, or in my case, baking with it.
We’ve been using this for weeks now, so it really does last long and works in pretty much any dish! Like I said above, this Vegan Cheese pasta bake just tasted like that – an incredible and mouth watering pasta bake. Since then, we’ve used this oil in almost every dish and I’ve definitely fallen in love.
I hope you guys love and try this recipe and check out Thrive Algae Oil! Enjoy, friends!
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni
- 2 tablespoons Thrive Algae Oil
- 10 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms , cleaned
- 2 tablespoons Sun-dried tomatoes
- 5 cloves garlic , minced
- 5 cups spinach
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 8 ounces vegan mozzarella
- 1 (28 ounce) can or jar roasted tomatoes , or marinara sauce
- 1 (14 ounce) can or jar roasted tomatoes , or marinara sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan Parmesan cheese
- Top with more basil
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions in a pot of salted water.
- Lightly grease a 13” x 9” pan with Thrive Algae Oil, and set aside.
- In a pan over medium high heat, add the Thrive Algae Oil. Add the mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and sauté down for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms are slightly shrived.
- Add in the spinach and season with sea salt and black pepper. Sauté down for about 3 minutes, until spinach is wilted. Stir in the tomato sauce, dried oregano and basil and stir to combine.
- Add the cooked rigatoni to your 13” x 9” pan, then add in the mix until top. Stir to combine. Add ½ cup of your vegan mozzarella throughout the dish and stir to combine again. Then top with remaining vegan mozzarella and vegan parmesan.
- Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes so everything comes together beautiful and the cheese melts. Top with more basil and serve and enjoy!
This Vegan Cheese Pasta Bake is the ultimate crowd pleaser and perfect for a weeknight meal or your holiday table! It’s easy and loaded with flavour!
When I was younger, Italian food was my favourite. I’m talking all the pastas, and so when we went to Italy the first time, I was in heaven. Since then my favourite foods have switched up a bit, but I still love an easy, delicious and hot pasta dish. That’s one of the reasons I was so excited to make this Vegan Cheese Pasta Bake. Comforting fall foods? Here we come.
Oh my goodness. It has been a while since I’ve had a pasta bake. Let me write the ways I love thee. Cheesy? Check. Saucy? Check. Baked aka flavour heaven? Check check check. Instead of listing all the reasons why a pasta bake is an excellent idea, let me just go ahead and say – you’ll definitely love and enjoy this dish.
I really wanted to highlight the flavours in this dish. Naturally I immediately reached for my Thrive Algae Oil for this recipe. When I was approached to try this oil, I was definitely intrigued. Did you know that the algae was sourced from the sap of a Chestnut tree?! The makers of Thrive had studied hundreds of strains of algae to find the one with the best fat profile and taste. It’s fascinating to me all the ways that algae can be used to enhance our food. Plus, I’ve tried algal powder before and couldn’t wait to give this a try.
Probably my favourite thing about the Thrive Algae Oil is that it has a really high smoke point. Gav loves to cook his food on high which always terrifies me a bit, so it’s good to know that he can safely use this oil. That also makes it amazing for stir-frying, or in my case, baking with it.
We’ve been using this for weeks now, so it really does last long and works in pretty much any dish! Like I said above, this Vegan Cheese pasta bake just tasted like that – an incredible and mouth watering pasta bake. Since then, we’ve used this oil in almost every dish and I’ve definitely fallen in love.
I hope you guys love and try this recipe and check out Thrive Algae Oil! Enjoy, friends!
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni
- 2 tablespoons Thrive Algae Oil
- 10 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms , cleaned
- 2 tablespoons Sun-dried tomatoes
- 5 cloves garlic , minced
- 5 cups spinach
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 8 ounces vegan mozzarella
- 1 (28 ounce) can or jar roasted tomatoes , or marinara sauce
- 1 (14 ounce) can or jar roasted tomatoes , or marinara sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan Parmesan cheese
- Top with more basil
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions in a pot of salted water.
- Lightly grease a 13” x 9” pan with Thrive Algae Oil, and set aside.
- In a pan over medium high heat, add the Thrive Algae Oil. Add the mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and sauté down for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms are slightly shrived.
- Add in the spinach and season with sea salt and black pepper. Sauté down for about 3 minutes, until spinach is wilted. Stir in the tomato sauce, dried oregano and basil and stir to combine.
- Add the cooked rigatoni to your 13” x 9” pan, then add in the mix until top. Stir to combine. Add ½ cup of your vegan mozzarella throughout the dish and stir to combine again. Then top with remaining vegan mozzarella and vegan parmesan.
- Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes so everything comes together beautiful and the cheese melts. Top with more basil and serve and enjoy!
Vegan Cheese Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni
- 2 tablespoons Thrive Algae Oil
- 10 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms cleaned
- 2 tablespoons Sun-dried tomatoes
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 5 cups spinach
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 8 ounces vegan mozzarella
- 1 (28 ounce) can or jar roasted tomatoes or marinara sauce
- 1 (14 ounce) can or jar roasted tomatoes or marinara sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan Parmesan cheese
- Top with more basil
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions in a pot of salted water.
- Lightly grease a 13” x 9” pan with Thrive Algae Oil, and set aside.
- In a pan over medium high heat, add the Thrive Algae Oil. Add the mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and sauté down for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms are slightly shrived.
- Add in the spinach and season with sea salt and black pepper. Sauté down for about 3 minutes, until spinach is wilted. Stir in the tomato sauce, dried oregano and basil and stir to combine.
- Add the cooked rigatoni to your 13” x 9” pan, then add in the mix until top. Stir to combine. Add ½ cup of your vegan mozzarella throughout the dish and stir to combine again. Then top with remaining vegan mozzarella and vegan parmesan.
- Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes so everything comes together beautiful and the cheese melts. Top with more basil and serve and enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
Vegan Cheese Pasta Bake https://jessicainthekitchen.com/vegan-cheese-pasta-bake/ October 22, 2018
This Vegan Shepherd’s Pie will be the beautiful centre piece of any table! Loaded with a flavourful lentil filling and a buttery mashed potato topping, it’s a definite crowd pleaser!
Back in January I was introduced to the One Meal a Day for the Planet (OMD) brand . The simple and effective concept that switching to even just one plant-based meal a day for the planet would be enormously beneficial. I really loved the concept so much because finally there was, a simple and straightforward message that showed the emissions saved translating to literally miles driven, gallons of water saved and acres of forest you would save by your choices. You know when people say they can’t make a difference alone? They truly can – and OMD lets you know how. So it was really an honour when the team reached out to me to share their new book with you. As you guys know, I only only share things that align 100% with JITK. Spoiler alert: this truly did.
Last week, I made this “King’s Shepherd’s Pie” from Suzy Amis Cameron’s brand new OMD : The Simple, Plant-Based Program to Save Your Health, Save Your Waistline, and Save the Planet. In fact, I made it, tried it, then made it again for the Facebook Live that I did sharing this recipe . Well, after the Live my family wanted to take a bite. As I shared immediately with the OMD team, my dad went for a bite. Then another. Then after about a 4th forkful went for a bowl. My brother came over right after and did almost the same identical thing. Mom went straight for a plate after seeing this.
NEEDLESS to say – this vegan Shepherd’s Pie was SUCH a loved dish. The layers of flavour in the lentil vegetable filling, topped with a vegan buttery mashed potato mix and baked to a beautiful, slightly crisp perfection. When I saw what was left from our “casual taste test” I knew that this new book by OMD with 50+ recipes would immediately be a hit (and a great holiday gift!). Anyone, whether plant based or not, will truly enjoy the dishes from this book, eat and laugh and chat together, while making such a difference. It’s such a beautiful concept that I had to share it with you guys.
The OMD book has JUST been released (October 23rd) and you can purchase it now ! I promise friends, there are so many more straight forward, easy and delicious recipes for you to get in this book! Plus, it’s even more than just a normal cookbook because there are several chapters explaining the health and environmental benefits all to you. The concept, the why, the how and everything in between. Be sure to check it out and enjoy!!
Ingredients
- 6 Yukon Gold potatoes , peeled and quartered
- 1 cup rice milk
- 4 tablespoons 1/2 stick vegan buttery spread
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 carrots , halved lengthwise and cut into thinly sliced half- moons
- 3 celery ribs , thinly sliced
- 1/2 yellow onion , chopped
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cups cooked brown lentils
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Dash of paprika , optional
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley , optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with oil.
- Place the potatoes in a medium pot, add cold water to cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender, 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the milk, 2 tablespoons of the buttery spread, and the garlic powder in a small pot and heat over low heat.
- In a large skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons buttery spread over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, corn, peas, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, lentils, and 1 teaspoon of the salt.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- When the potatoes are done cooking, drain them and return them to the pot. Allow the steam to dissipate, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the warm milk mixture and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Mash with a potato masher until smooth.
- Spread the vegetable mixture evenly over the bottom of the baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, using a spoon to spread them evenly. Sprinkle the potatoes with the paprika, if desired.
- Bake until the potatoes begin to brown, 25 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve.
