Truly cold weather has finally moved in so ‘hello, all things cosy’. Foodwise, this vegan pasta bake is my latest creation that I am a bit obsessed with at the moment. It features unctuous meaty meatless Bolognese-like pasta sauce with insane depth of flavour, perfectly cooked pasta, a layer of creamy bechamel and an optional scattering of crispy breadcrumbs. From the day I made it for the first time, it’s been a massive hit in my house.
This vegan pasta bake is not hard to make although it does take a little time to prepare. First I make the sauce, which other than seasonings and aromatics, consists mainly of mushrooms and smoky tofu. The first ingredient gives it a real oomph of flavour and the second texture and protein, which makes this dish super satiating. The sauce does not take a long time to make. There is no need to reduce it too much as it will continue cooking and reducing in the oven.
The next step is to par-boil the pasta so that by the time the dish comes out of the oven, it’s cooked to perfection rather than overcooked or undercooked. Finally, the top layer of this bake is a creamy cashew bechamel that comes together in seconds in a blender. Oh and if you want to go the extra mile, you can make the breadcrumb topping as well. Or you could dish the bechamel layer and go for double the breadcrumbs if you prefer.
This vegan pasta bake is so comforting and nourishing. It’s made completely from scratch with wholesome plant ingredients only but it still feels a little indulgent and naughty. It’s a perfect thing to tuck into on a cold winter night and that’s exactly my plan. I made two of these in preparation for this recipe and I am very happy about them sitting in my fridge right now. I can get absorbed in knitting all weekend knowing that dinner has been taken care of for the foreseeable. I really hope that you’ll give this recipe a try and that it will bring you as much comfort as it has brought us.
MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
MUSHROOMS: Mushrooms are what gives the sauce delicious savouriness and meatiness without any meat. I used chestnut mushrooms (known as cremini in the US) and some fresh shiitake, but any aromatic mushrooms will be just as good.
TOFU: I used a block of smoked tofu – Tofoo is my favourite and available in all UK supermarkets – to up the amount of protein in this dish and to add another texture. Smoked tempeh would also work nicely if you like tempeh and would rather use that.
ONION & GARLIC: Onion and garlic are two non negotiable aromatics that form of the base of the sauce. Any onion (red or brown) or shallots will work.
CANNED TOMATOES: A can of quality plum tomatoes gives the sauce body and flavour.
TOMATO PASTE: A spoonful or two of tomato paste (aka tomato concentrate) adds more depth to the sauce.
HERBS: Any winter herbs work, I used a blend of rosemary, sage and oregano. You can use dry or fresh, whatever you have on hand.
WINE: Red wine is a non essential but a recommended addition. It adds depth of flavour to this vegan pasta bake and all the alcohol cooks out during the cooking anyway so you don’t need to worry about getting tipsy on the food alone. If you are still not keen on using wine, use more mushroom stock and a tablespoon or so of balsamic vinegar.
SMOKED PAPRIKA: I wanted the flavours of this vegan pasta bake to be rich, deep and comforting so smoked paprika was an obvious choice. I used smoked sweet paprika.
SOY SAUCE: A small splash of soy sauce helps to amp up the umami of this vegan pasta bake as well as season it. If you want to make this dish without gluten, use gluten-free soy sauce (i.e. tamari) and make sure to use gluten-free pasta too.
MUSHROOM STOCK: Mushroom stock is a fantastic flavour booster. You can use one made from dried porcini or use a mushroom stock cube too. The former delivers more flavour, but I often use the latter when I’m in a hurry and it works perfectly well. Once your porcini is done soaking, chop them up very finely and add to the sauce to add another texture and even more flavour.
MISO PASTE: Now a small amount of miso paste makes a massive difference to the flavour of this sauce so don’t be shy. If you haven’t got the red one (which is what I used), white is fine too. It’s a little more mellow, that’s it. Both are very salty so be mindful of that and do not add salt until the very end, if it’s at all needed.
CASHEWS: As I dislike commercial vegan cheeses, I made a simple cashew bechamel to top this vegan pasta bake with. It adds creaminess and comes together in seconds, in a blender. If you want an alternative, you could make a traditional dairy-free bechamel sauce (recipe here) or top the bake with your favourite grated vegan cheese.
BREADCRUMBS: Breadcrumbs seasoned and moistened with olive oil make for a lovely crispy topping. It’s an optional element, but if you are a texture fiend like myself, you’ll be glad you went the extra mile.
HOW TO MAKE IT?
1) MAKE THE SAUCE
The first step is to make the sauce. It doesn’t take that long as we want it quite wet when we are done so that pre-cooked pasta can borrow some of that moisture to finish off cooking in the oven. The sauce actually benefits from being made in advance – resting gives all the flavours a chance to mellow and mingle – so if you can make it a day or so ahead.
2) PAR-BOIL THE PASTA
Before you are ready to assemble this vegan pasta bake, you need to par-boil your pasta. You want to pick a medium size pasta that you’ve cooked before and cook it approximately 7 minutes less than you would typically. For example, I like to use mezzi rigatoni and it usually takes it full 15 minutes (from the moment I put it in water) so for this dish I only cooked it for 8 minutes. Once pasta is done, drain it and stir it well into the sauce. Spend some time doing this so that the sauce is evenly distributed throughout the dish.
3) WHIZZ UP BOTH OR ONE OF THE TOPPINGS
Now, it’s time for both or one of the toppings. To make the bechamel, simply pop all of the ingredients into a small blender (smoothie maker) with water and blend until silky smooth. Taste, adjust the seasoning and blend again. If you don’t want to use cashews, you have three options. First option is to use sunflower seeds instead of cashews – the colour will be a little less white but the flavour just as nice. The second option is to make a classic bechamel like in this recipe. The final suggestion I have for you is to double the amount of breadcrumbs and olive oil and make a very dense breadcrumb topping instead – if doing that you may want to make the sauce a little wetter as a lot more moisture will escape whilst the vegan pasta bake is in the oven when there is no layer of bechamel.
The final element, which you can totally skip, is a crispy breadcrumb topping. Use coarse breadcrumbs mixed in with olive oil. I like to get in there with my hands to make sure the oil is well incorporated.
4) ASSEMBLE AND BAKE
Even out your bake and pour the bechamel on top. Next scatter the breadcrumb topping and bake until piping hot, the bechamel is set and the breadcrumbs are golden.
- 15 g / 0.5 oz dry porcini or 1 mushroom stock cube
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 150 g / 5.3 oz pressed smoked tofu* (see NOTES)
- 350 g / 12 oz fresh mushrooms*
- herbs: 1 tsp rosemary, 1 tsp rubbed sage
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 15 ml / 1 tbsp all purpose soy sauce (or tamari)
- 240 ml / 1 cup red (vegan) wine
- 400 g / 14 oz can peeled plum tomatoes*, crushed
- 1½ tbsp tomato paste / concentrate
- 30 g / 2 tbsp red miso paste
- 1 bay leaf
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 350 g / 12.3 oz mezzi rigatoni pasta*
CASHEW BECHAMEL (or regular bechamel)
- 160 g / 1¼ cup cashews, soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes
- small garlic clove or ½ tsp garlic powder
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- salt & pepper, to taste
- ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)
- 1 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
CRUMB (optional)
- 40 g / scant ½ cup coarse breadcrumbs
- 30 ml / 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper
- Create mushroom stock by pouring 300 ml / 1¼ cup boiling water over dry mushrooms or by dissolving mushroom cube in it. Cover the cashews for the bechamel with boiling water in a separate bowl. Set both aside.
- Slice cleaned mushrooms thickly, put them into a food processor and pulse until most of them are minced small – be careful not to overprocess. Set aside.
- Pre-heat a heavy bottom pan on a low-medium heat. Add olive oil then add onion, sauté on low heat until translucent. Next add in garlic. Once garlic is no longer raw, add in minced mushrooms (set the food processor aside) and herbs. Sauté the mushrooms until all of the water they release has completely evaporated.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, squash canned tomatoes with a potato masher in a medium bowl and set aside. Place tofu in the food processor and pulse to mince well.
- Once mushrooms are dry, add squashed tomatoes and their juices, minced tofu, soy sauce, tomato paste, miso, bay leaf and a generous amount of pepper to the pan along side wine. Remove porcini (if using) and add mushroom stock too, being careful not to tip in the grit that likes to settle at the bottom.
- If using porcini, clean off any grit under a tap and mince them very finely with a sharp knife, add minced porcini to the sauce.
- Simmer on medium heat for about 25 minutes, stirring from time to time. Meanwhile par-boil your pasta 7 minutes less than normally so mine usually takes 15 minutes and I cooked it for 8 minutes. Drain well.
- Once the sauce is done, it should have thicken a bit but still quite loose. Taste and season with salt if at all needed. Stir in precooked cooked pasta.
- Set the oven to 200° C / 390° F.
CASHEW BECHAMEL
- Place drained cashews with the remaining ingredients in a small blender. Add 300 ml / 1¼ cup of water and blend until super creamy and smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste and set aside.
CRUMB
- Use your hands to work olive oil into your breadcrumbs. Season a little and you may want to add some herbs – I added a spring of finely chopped rosemary – but that’s optional.
ASSEMBLY
- Stir cooked pasta into the sauce, even out the surface and pour the bechamel sauce on top. Finally sprinkle with the crumb if using.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is nicely set and breadcrumbs toasted.
*TOFU: I used a brand (Tofoo) that sells very well pressed tofu. If using unpressed tofu, you may want to use a bit more – I would say about 250 g / 8.8 oz is more or less an equivalent to what I used.
*PASTA: I used mezzi rigatoni for this dish, regular rigatoni or similar medium shaped pasta shapes will work well too.