This vegan pasta bake brings all the comfort and nostalgia of mac and cheese with the addition of a rich and creamy cashew sauce that clings to every piece of pasta.
The winning golden breadcrumb topping adds a perfectly crispy texture contrast to the silky smooth sauce, making the dish a definite crowd pleaser, even if you have non-vegan guests.
Ingredients
For the Cashew Cheese Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (for color)
For the Pasta Bake:
- 1 pound pasta (penne, rigatoni, or shells work well)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cups vegetables of choice (broccoli florets, spinach, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, or bell peppers)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Topping:
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Cashews
Start by placing your raw cashews in a bowl and covering them with very hot or boiling water.
Let them soak for at least 30 minutes to soften.
This step is crucial for achieving that smooth, creamy texture in your cheese sauce.
Having a powerful blender means you can soak your cashews for a shorter time, but even budget cashew crushers can make a silky smooth sauce if you soak for 30 minutes.
Make sure to drain the cashews before using.
Cooking the Pasta
Put a big pot with salted water on the stove, leave the lid on, and wait for it to boil.
Once it boils, add the pasta and wait until it finishes cooking.
Make sure to take it off the stove before the pasta is overcooked, which means it should be a little firm.
Ensure to save the water you cooked the pasta in, too, as the sauce sticks better with the starch on the pasta.
Begin making the Cashew Cheese Sauce
To start making the cashew cheese sauce, take the soaked cashews that you drained,
Then take a high-powered blender, and add the cashews and the vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and olive oil.
Then add the garlic cloves and the Dijon mustard, then add the onion powder and salt.
Finally, add the smoked paprika, black pepper, and turmeric.
Blend the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes at a high speed, and scrape down the mixture with a rubber spatula if you need to.
The sauce is supposed to have a thick but pourable texture, reminiscent of cheese sauce.
Finally, you can take the finished mixture and taste it.
Depending on the taste, you may want to add more lemon juice for tang, more nutritional yeast for texture, or more salt for taste.
Sauté the Vegetables
In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of oil over medium heat.
As soon as the oil starts shimmering, put the diced onion in and cook for around four to five minutes.
It should be soft and see-through.
Now add the rest of your chosen vegetables and let them cook for another five to seven minutes until they are fully cooked, but firm.
Broccoli and asparagus are the more difficult vegetables, but if you’re using delicate greens, like spinach, they’ll be wilted after one to two minutes.
For the last minute of cooking, add the minced garlic, making sure to stir it so it doesn’t burn.
Season with some salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat and Assemble
Set the oven temperature to 375.
Grab a large bowl and combine the cooked pasta, mixed vegetables, and cashew cheese sauce.
Mix the pasta so every piece is covered with the sauce. It should be shiny and thick.
Once you’ve evenly coated every piece of pasta with the sauce, pour the mixture into a 9×13-inch oven-proof dish and flatten the top with a spatula.
Make the Breadcrumb Topping
To make the breadcrumb topping, take a small bowl and combine the ingredients, which are the panko breadcrumbs, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and salt.
With a fork or some fingers, mix the oil into the breadcrumbs.
This step is important, as it will make sure every part of the breadcrumbs is coated, helping them brown and get crispy in the oven.
This mixture can then be layered as the breadcrumb topping on the pasta.
Bake
Now you can place the baking dish in your already heated oven.
This will take around 25 to 30 minutes.
You will know it is time when the edges are bubbling, the sauce is heated throughout the dish, the topping is browned, and the breadcrumbs are a nice golden brown.
In case the top is not as brown and crispy as you like it, turning on the broiler for a minute will get it there.
Just be careful and watch it, as it can burn easily.
Rest and Serve
The pasta bake can be taken out, and it is time to let it rest.
Enjoy and serve it after 5 minutes, which will let the sauce get thicker, and serve it in nice, neat portions.
For the final garnish, you can chop some fresh parsley.
Serve the dish while it is still hot.
Recipe Notes
Soaking the Cashews
This step is crucial to ensure a smooth and creamy sauce.
If you are short on time, you can quickly soak the cashews by bringing water to a boil,
Then cover the nuts in boiling water and let them soak for a minimum of 15 minutes (30 is better).
If you are meal prepping, you can soak the cashews in the fridge the night before.
Blending the Sauce
Please ensure that you blend the cashew sauce for a minimum of 2 full minutes.
This will help to ensure that there is no grittiness to the sauce.
If your sauce is thicker and you want to thin it out, you can add vegetable broth (1 tablespoon at a time) until you reach a good consistency where it is pourable but still creamy.
If your sauce is on the thinner side, that is fine. It will thicken as it bakes.
Vegetable Choices
Pick vegetables that will have the same cooking time so that you will have everything evenly cooked in the end.
With hardier vegetables (i.e, broccoli, cauliflower, butternut squash, etc.), you will want to cut them into small pieces so they are cooked through.
If you are using delicate vegetables (i.e., spinach, kale, etc.), you will want to add those in at the very end of the sauté, as they will just wilt, and you don’t want them to overcook.
Making the Top Extra Crispy
To get an extra crispy top, substitute regular breadcrumbs with panko breadcrumbs.
The olive oil used in the toppings is key in getting the right crunchy, golden texture, so don’t skip it ot attempt to reduce it, as it makes the breadcrumbs really crispy.
Determining if Baking is Complete
The baking is complete if you see the sauce bubbling around the edges and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
The top will also be crispy. If you put a knife at the center to test, it also should be hot to the touch.
Substituting Vegan Cashew Cheese Pasta Bake Ingredients
Substituting the Cashews
If you don’t want to use cashews, you can use blanched almonds or sunflower seeds, but the flavor will be a little different, and you won’t use as many nuts.
Blended silken tofu with the same seasonings also works as a nut-free alternative, but the texture will be totally different.
Alternatives to Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast provides that umami, cheesy flavor, but you can also skip it and slightly increase the salt. Also, for more depth, an extra teaspoon of miso paste is recommended. The flavor won’t be too cheesy, but it will still be good without it.
Pasta Types
The best use of short pasta shapes is in this dish: penne, shell, fusilli, rotini, and rigatoni, but also elbow macaroni.
For a gluten-free version, use your favorite gluten-free pasta and follow the cooking instructions on the package.
Vegetable Variety
Stout your use of veggies with a plethora of additives.
The recipe goes very well with butternut squash, zucchini, peas, artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and asparagus.
Leave out the veggies for a homier mac and cheese bake.
Protein
For extra protein, beans, chickpeas, and crumbled tofu can be used.
Diced and mixed in are also good options like peas, plant-based chicken strips, or sausages.
Heating
For a spicy dish to add to the heat either some red pepper flakes can be added to the sauce, or to the veggies, diced jalapeños.
The cashew sauce also goes well with hot sauce for a nice warm addition.
Storing
The leftover pasta bake can be stored in an airtight fridge for four days.
The bread crumb topping will get a bit soggy, but there will be a good bit of flavoring on the dish that will be mixed and deepened.
Freezer Instructions
You have the option of freezing your pasta bake before or after cooking it.
If you want to freeze it before cooking it, assemble the dish, wrap it first in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and then freeze it for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Then, when you want to cook it, take it out of the freezer the night before and let it defrost in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it.
If it looks like it needs a bit more cooking, add 5-10 minutes to the cooking time.
If you want to freeze it after cooking it, let it come to room temperature,
Wrap it up and keep it in the freezer, either in one large portion or split it up into servings for up to 3 months.
Warming Instructions
If you are reheating one portion, you can pop it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes and give it a stir in the middle.
If your portion is bigger, then you can put it in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 350°F, covered, to let it warm up.
If your portion of pasta bake is still frozen, then you can bake it at 350°F covered for 45 minutes, then take the cover off for 10-15 minutes to let the top brown.
Advance Tips: If you want to save time when it comes to cooking, you can make the cashew cheese sauce a few days in advance, as it keeps well in the refrigerator.
The pasta and veggies can also be cooked a day before you put them in the oven,
So you can just mix it up at the end and continue the recipe steps.
This is a good option for a busy week.
Vegan Cashew Cheese Pasta Bake
This vegan pasta bake brings all the comfort and nostalgia of mac and cheese with the addition of a rich and creamy cashew sauce that clings to every piece of pasta.
The winning golden breadcrumb topping adds a perfectly crispy texture contrast to the silky smooth sauce, making the dish a definite crowd pleaser, even if you have non-vegan guests.
Ingredients
- Ingredients
- For the Cashew Cheese Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (for color)
- For the Pasta Bake:
- 1 pound pasta (penne, rigatoni, or shells work well)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cups vegetables of choice (broccoli florets, spinach, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, or bell peppers)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- For the Topping:
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Instructions
Prepare the Cashews
Start by placing your raw cashews in a bowl and covering them with very hot or boiling water.
Let them soak for at least 30 minutes to soften.
This step is crucial for achieving that smooth, creamy texture in your cheese sauce.
Having a powerful blender means you can soak your cashews for a shorter time, but even budget cashew crushers can make a silky smooth sauce if you soak for 30 minutes.
Make sure to drain the cashews before using.
Cooking the Pasta
Put a big pot with salted water on the stove, leave the lid on, and wait for it to boil.
Once it boils, add the pasta and wait until it finishes cooking.
Make sure to take it off the stove before the pasta is overcooked, which means it should be a little firm.
Ensure to save the water you cooked the pasta in, too, as the sauce sticks better with the starch on the pasta.
Begin making the Cashew Cheese Sauce
To start making the cashew cheese sauce, take the soaked cashews that you drained,
Then take a high-powered blender, and add the cashews and the vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and olive oil.
Then add the garlic cloves and the Dijon mustard, then add the onion powder and salt.
Finally, add the smoked paprika, black pepper, and turmeric.
Blend the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes at a high speed, and scrape down the mixture with a rubber spatula if you need to.
The sauce is supposed to have a thick but pourable texture, reminiscent of cheese sauce.
Finally, you can take the finished mixture and taste it.
Depending on the taste, you may want to add more lemon juice for tang, more nutritional yeast for texture, or more salt for taste.
Sauté the Vegetables
In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of oil over medium heat.
As soon as the oil starts shimmering, put the diced onion in and cook for around four to five minutes.
It should be soft and see-through.
Now add the rest of your chosen vegetables and let them cook for another five to seven minutes until they are fully cooked, but firm.
Broccoli and asparagus are the more difficult vegetables, but if you’re using delicate greens, like spinach, they’ll be wilted after one to two minutes.
For the last minute of cooking, add the minced garlic, making sure to stir it so it doesn’t burn.
Season with some salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat and Assemble
Set the oven temperature to 375.
Grab a large bowl and combine the cooked pasta, mixed vegetables, and cashew cheese sauce.
Mix the pasta so every piece is covered with the sauce. It should be shiny and thick.
Once you’ve evenly coated every piece of pasta with the sauce, pour the mixture into a 9x13-inch oven-proof dish and flatten the top with a spatula.
Make the Breadcrumb Topping
To make the breadcrumb topping, take a small bowl and combine the ingredients, which are the panko breadcrumbs, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and salt.
With a fork or some fingers, mix the oil into the breadcrumbs.
This step is important, as it will make sure every part of the breadcrumbs is coated, helping them brown and get crispy in the oven.
This mixture can then be layered as the breadcrumb topping on the pasta.
Bake
Now you can place the baking dish in your already heated oven.
This will take around 25 to 30 minutes.
You will know it is time when the edges are bubbling, the sauce is heated throughout the dish, the topping is browned, and the breadcrumbs are a nice golden brown.
In case the top is not as brown and crispy as you like it, turning on the broiler for a minute will get it there.
Just be careful and watch it, as it can burn easily.
Rest and Serve
The pasta bake can be taken out, and it is time to let it rest.
Enjoy and serve it after 5 minutes, which will let the sauce get thicker, and serve it in nice, neat portions.
For the final garnish, you can chop some fresh parsley.
Serve the dish while it is still hot.
Notes
Recipe Notes
Soaking the Cashews
This step is crucial to ensure a smooth and creamy sauce.
If you are short on time, you can quickly soak the cashews by bringing water to a boil,
Then cover the nuts in boiling water and let them soak for a minimum of 15 minutes (30 is better).
If you are meal prepping, you can soak the cashews in the fridge the night before.
Blending the Sauce
Please ensure that you blend the cashew sauce for a minimum of 2 full minutes.
This will help to ensure that there is no grittiness to the sauce.
If your sauce is thicker and you want to thin it out, you can add vegetable broth (1 tablespoon at a time) until you reach a good consistency where it is pourable but still creamy.
If your sauce is on the thinner side, that is fine. It will thicken as it bakes.
Vegetable Choices
Pick vegetables that will have the same cooking time so that you will have everything evenly cooked in the end.
With hardier vegetables (i.e, broccoli, cauliflower, butternut squash, etc.), you will want to cut them into small pieces so they are cooked through.
If you are using delicate vegetables (i.e. spinach, kale, etc.), you will want to add those in at the very end of the sauté, as they will just wilt, and you don’t want them to overcook.
Making the Top Extra Crispy
To get an extra crispy top, substitute regular breadcrumbs with panko breadcrumbs.
The olive oil used in the toppings is key in getting the right crunchy, golden texture, so don't skip it ot attempt to reduce it, as it makes the breadcrumbs really crispy.
Determining if Baking is Complete
The baking is complete if you see the sauce bubbling around the edges and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
The top will also be crispy. If you put a knife at the center to test, it also should be hot to the touch.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10 servingsServing Size:
Approximately 1 1/2 cupsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 385gTotal Fat: 18ggCholesterol: 0mgmgSodium: 420mgmgCarbohydrates: 47ggProtein: 12gg