Vegan Baked Ziti

4.98 stars (115 ratings)

Learn how to make the best Vegan Baked Ziti, a cheesy, meaty, and easy comfort food that’s ready in 1 hour! Enjoy it for weeknight family dinners or freeze and reheat it later on.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Entree, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Calories: 513kcal

Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

Cashew Cheese

1 1/2 cups raw cashews
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt

The Rest

1 pound ziti pasta
(2) 24- ounce jars marinara sauce
16 ounces vegan ground beef Impossible/Beyond/or vegan sausages
Optional: 2 cups vegan shredded mozzarella cheese + 1/4 cup vegan parmesan
chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare oven and dish: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
Make the cheese sauce: Bring 3 cups of water to a boil (I use my tea kettle). Pour the hot water over the raw cashews and let soak for 5 minutes, or up to an hour. Drain the cashews and add to a high-powered blender along with the fresh water (¾ cup), lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, onion powder and salt and blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Cook the pasta: Prepare pasta according to package instructions. You can cook the pasta while your cashews are soaking to save time. Drain the noodles and add to the casserole dish.
Cook the vegan meat: Cook the vegan ground beef (or sliced sausages) in a pan until browned and cooked through.
Combine in the baking dish: Pour the jars of marinara sauce and cooked vegan meat on top of the noodles and stir to combine. Spoon the cashew cheese on top of the pasta in large dollops. Stir it in just a little bit, leaving some pockets of cheese intact (you don’t want to mix it a lot, the cheese will become thicker as it bakes and taste incredible).
Bake: If desired, sprinkle with some vegan mozzarella and/or parmesan. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately, sprinkled with some fresh herbs for garnish.

Notes

Gluten Free: Use gluten free noodles that are a similar shape to ziti, such as gluten free Penne.
Vegan Meat: I used Beyond beef, but you can use Impossible, Gardein, or even TVP that has been rehydrated. Vegan sausage also works, sliced or chopped.
For a Veggie Variation: In a pan, saute a few cups of veggies such as zucchini, spinach, bell peppers and/or mushrooms. Stir into the pasta with the sauce.
Storage and Reheating: Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 days, making it a great meal prep for lunches. Simply reheat in the microwave until warm, or an oven-safe dish.
Freezer: This dish can be frozen. Once cooked, let it cool completely, then cover tightly with foil and freeze. When ready to serve, bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until warm.

Nutrition