This vegan pasta bake with broccoli, tomatoes, and smoked tofu is a family favorite! It’s super delicious, creamy with a crispy top, kid-friendly, and very easy to make.
Why This Recipe Works
We’ve been making this easy vegan pasta bake for years and our kids absolutely love it! I love that it’s easy to prepare ahead, so you can just place everything in the oven on busy weeknights.
The sauce is super rich and creamy and it has a nice crispy crust. My favorite veggies for this pasta bake are broccoli and cherry tomatoes, but the recipe also works well with carrots, cauliflower, and peas.
Actually, you can use any kind of vegetables you like. So it’s also a great recipe to use up leftover veggies in your fridge.
I highly recommend adding crispy smoked tofu cubes to this recipe. They provide lots of flavor and they are also a great source of plant-based protein. Alternatively, you could use marinated tofu or tempeh or store-bought vegan chicken strips.
For the sauce, I used a combination of vegan cream, nutritional yeast, mustard, vegan butter, and garlic and onion. The nutritional yeast gives the sauce a cheesy and nutty flavor.
From start to finish, you need about 40 minutes for this vegan pasta bake. But 20 minutes are baking time in the oven, during which you don’t have to do anything. I like to prepare this recipe ahead, so it’s perfect for a busy day.
What Goes Into This Recipe
- Pasta – I recommend curly pasta shapes like fussili or rotini.
- Broccoli – I used fresh broccoli.
- Vegan Cheese – use your favorite brand of vegan cheese shreds. They should melt well.
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Smoked Tofu – you could also replace it with marinated tofu or tempeh, but I love the smokey flavor of crispy smoked tofu cubes.
- Onion
- Garlic
- Mustard – I used Dijon mustard.
- Nutritional Yeast – it gives the sauce a nutty and cheesy flavor.
- Vegan Butter – use your favorite kind of vegan butter. You could also use margarine if you have trouble finding a dairy-free butter alternative.
- Vegetable Broth – I use organic vegetable broth without flavor enhancers.
- Flour – to thicken the sauce.
- Vegan Cream – I used store-bought vegan soy-based heavy cream for cooking for this recipe. If you can’t find it, you could replace it with canned full-fat coconut milk.
- Nutmeg – just add a pinch. It adds depth of flavor to the sauce and it has a warm, nutty flavor.
How To Make This Recipe
1. Step: Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
2. Step: Cut the broccoli into florets.
3. Step: Cook the broccoli for 1 minute in boiling water.
4. Step: Cut the smoked tofu into cubes. In a large pan, heat some oil and cook the tofu for about 5 minutes until browned and crispy. Set aside.
5. Step: Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Melt the vegan butter in a pot over medium heat. Then add the onion and the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes or until translucent.
6. Step: Add the flour and stir well. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
7. Step: Add the vegetable broth and stir well with a whisk. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
8. Step: Then add the vegan cream, nutritional yeast, mustard, and nutmeg. Stir well.
9. Step: Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves. Place the cooked pasta, broccoli, tomatoes, and smoked tofu in a large casserole dish.
10. Step: Add the sauce and carefully stir so everything is covered in sauce.
11. Step: Sprinkle your favorite vegan cheese on top.
12. Step: Bake for 20 minutes at 350 °F (uncovered).
Recipe Notes
- You can find smoked tofu at Whole Foods and in many health food stores. You might also be able to find it in your local Asian market. If you’re still having trouble finding it, you can replace it with marinated tofu or tempeh.
- I used store-bought soy-based heavy cooking cream for this recipe to make things easy. However, you could also use a homemade version or replace it with canned full-fat coconut milk.
- I recommend using curly pasta for this recipe because it holds on to the creamy sauce and cheese really well.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Does This Recipe Last?
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it will last up to 4-5 days.
Can I Freeze It?
Yes, this recipe freezes really well. You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Just make sure to let it cool down completely before freezing it. Then you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container.
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I hope you like this vegan pasta bake as much as we do around here.
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Sina
Vegan Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 14 oz curly pasta (like rotini or fussili)
- 1 head of broccoli (about 17 oz)
- 7 oz smoked tofu
- 7 oz cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon vegan heavy cream for cooking (I used a soy-based version), you can also replace it with canned full-fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 pinch nutmeg
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup vegan shredded cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
- Cut the broccoli into florets. Cook for 1 minute in boiling water.
- Cut the smoked tofu into cubes. In a large pan, heat some oil and cook the tofu for about 5 minutes until browned and crispy. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Melt the vegan butter in a pot over medium heat. Then add the onion and the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes or until translucent.
- Add the flour and stir well. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
- Add the vegetable broth and stir well with a whisk. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Then add the vegan cream, nutritional yeast, mustard, and nutmeg. Stir well.
- Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves. Place the cooked pasta, broccoli, tomatoes, and smoked tofu in a large casserole dish.
- Add the sauce and carefully stir so everything is covered in sauce.
- Sprinkle your favorite vegan cheese on top.
- Bake for 20 minutes at 350 °F (uncovered).
Notes
- You can find smoked tofu at Whole Foods and in many health food stores. You might also be able to find it in your local Asian market. If you're still having trouble finding it, you can replace it with marinated tofu or tempeh.
- I used store-bought soy-based heavy cooking cream for this recipe to make things easy. However, you could also use a homemade version or replace it with canned full-fat coconut milk.
- I recommend using curly pasta for this recipe because it holds on to the creamy sauce and cheese really well.
Nutrition
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