A few days ago I posted a very easy, quick pasta casserole in my stories on Instagram and I really didn’t expect such a huge demand for the recipe. So, of course I’m pleased to give to you! This vegan pasta casserole is not only super delicious but you also need just a few ingredients. It’s also very versatile as you can substitute a lot of the veggies with what you have at hands. And the best thing: It’s such a comforting soulfood. I used “red lentil fusilli” for the pasta casserole, which is a nutrient dense, gluten-free pasta type. But you can use any kind of vegan pasta you have at home right now. Only spaghetti doesn’t fit, but you can use penne, maccheroni or rigate. If you want your casserole especially hearty, you can also add some crumbled smoked tofu. The pasta casserole will be simply fantastic, I promise. This vegan noodle casserole is definitely a dish for the whole family – especially suitable for children. I wish you a lot of pleasure with this feel-good meal and I’m looking forward to your feedback! Take care of yourself & stay healthy, xxx Lea
Ingredients (serves 4, one large casserole 10 x 6 inch)
Basic ingredients
- 200 g vegan pasta (I used red lentil fusilli but you can chose any vegan pasta to your liking)
- Salt
- 1 onion (ca. 70-100 g/2-3.5 oz)
- 200 g (7 oz) frozen peas
- 120 g (4.2 oz) zucchini (may be replaced by other vegetables)
- 100 g (3.5 oz) bell pepper (also optional but super delicious)
- 250 g (8.8 oz) frozen leaf spinach
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce (or use gluten free Tamari or just more salt)
Ingredients for gratinating
- 1 package of silken tofu (400 g/ 14 oz)
- 1 can of white Cannellini beans (400 g (14 oz)/ 250 g (8.8 oz) drained net weight)
- 1 tbsp. hot mustard
- 15 g (3 heaped tbsp) yeast flakes
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce (or gluten free Tamari or miso paste or more salt)
- 50 ml (0.2 cups) plantbased milk
- 1 tbsp. herbes de Provence
- Salt & pepper
Instructions (20 minutes preparation time + 25-30 minutes baking time)
- Cook vegan pasta in salted water according to the package instructions until firm to the bite.
- Peel and halve the onion and cut into fine strips. Defrost frozen peas briefly in a bowl of very warm water. Wash and dice the zucchini and bell pepper or cut them into small pieces.
- Defrost frozen leaf spinach in a pot on the stove or simply in the microwave. Then carefully squeeze the liquid out of the spinach with your hands and mix the spinach with 1 tbsp. soy sauce.
- Preheat oven to 200 °C/ 392 °F fan/circulating air.
- Puree silken tofu, rinsed boiled white beans, 1 tbsp. of hot mustard, 3 heaped tbsp. of yeast flakes, 1 tbsp. of soy sauce, the plantbased milk and 1 small tbsp. of herbs de Provence in a blender. Season the mixture with plenty of salt and pepper to your liking.
- Pour the cooked pasta into a large bowl and mix it with the onion, peas, zucchini and pepper pieces. I hold back 2 tbsp. of peas and some bell pepper for garnishing.
- Then add 3/4 of the prepared sauce, mix the ingredients thoroughly and fill into the casserole dish. Add a little more salt.
- Spread the spinach over the noodles, fold in some of it slightly and pour the rest of the sauce over it. At the end I add some of the retained peas and pieces of bell pepper over it.
- Bake the pasta casserole in a preheated oven at 200 °C/ 392 °F fan for about 25-30 minutes until the surface is nicely golden brown.
When serving, I spread the remaining peas and pieces of bell pepper over the casserole. You can also use other vegetables of your choice for garnishing or sprinkle the casserole with fresh parsley, for example.
The pasta casserole becomes incredibly moist and creamy. If you want the casserole to be firm, let it cool down once completely. But you can also eat it immediately. I prefer to eat it hot and fresh from the oven.
