Vegan Pasta Bake

4.98 from 47 votes

Rich and creamy vegan pasta bake that feeds a crowd AND you can make it in advance so it's perfect for a dinner party! It's comforting, satisfying, and leftovers are simply divine too!

Prep Time1 10

Cook Time20

Total Time1 30

Course: Dinner, Entree, Savory

Cuisine: Vegan

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 569kcal

Author: Alison Andrews

Ingredients

For the Pasta:

16 ounces Penne Pasta (450g) Dry Weight

For the Bolognese Sauce:

1 Medium Onion White, Yellow or Brown, Chopped
1 teaspoon Crushed Garlic
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
5 cups White Button Mushrooms (480g) Sliced
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
½ cup Tomato Paste (130g)
15 ounce Can Brown Lentils (1 can) or 1 and ½ cups cooked brown lentils
28 ounces Canned Chopped Tomato (800g)
1-2 Tablespoons Light Brown Sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Cashew Cream:

1 cup Raw Cashews (150g)
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
½ cup Water (120ml)
½ teaspoon Salt

For the White Sauce:

3 Tablespoons Vegan Butter
2 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
14 ounces Coconut Milk (400ml) Full Fat, Canned, Unsweetened
⅓ cup Vegetable Stock (80ml) or Broth
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
¼ cup Nutritional Yeast (15g)
Sea Salt to taste

Instructions

Put the pasta on to cook while you prepare the vegetables for the bolognese sauce. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, cover it (to prevent it from drying out) and set aside.
Prepare your bolognese sauce. Add the onion and garlic to a pot with the olive oil and fry until softened. Then add in the sliced mushrooms and soy sauce. Cover the pot for a minute and allow the mushrooms to release their water. Then remove the lid from the pot and let the water from the mushrooms cook off a little. Add in the tomato paste, lentils and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer. Add the sugar to balance out the flavors and add salt and pepper to taste.
Prepare your cashew cream. Add the cashews, lemon juice, water and salt to the blender jug and blend until smooth.
Add the cashew cream to your bolognese sauce and mix it in. Then add your pasta and mix it all in together.
Now prepare your white sauce. Add the vegan butter to a saucepan and let it melt and start to sizzle just a little. Add in the flour and stir it quickly, then add in the coconut milk and vegetable stock and whisk it very quickly to get rid of the lumps. Then switch to a wooden spoon and keep stirring while you bring it to the boil. Once it boils keep stirring for about another 4 minutes until thickened. Then remove from heat and add in the black pepper, dijon mustard, nutritional yeast and sea salt.
Preheat the oven to 430°F (220°C).
Place the pasta and bolognese mix into a rectangular oven-safe dish and smooth down.
Pour the white sauce over the top and smooth down.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes until golden on top.

Notes

The cashews - we didn't soak the cashews first since we didn't find it necessary in our Vitamix. However, if you think your blender may struggle with it, then add the cashews to a bowl, pour over boiling hot water from the kettle and leave them to soak for 15 minutes to soften. Then drain and rinse.
Make ahead. If you want to make this in advance then complete all the steps except for baking it in the oven. Keep the dish covered in the fridge and when you're ready, pop it in the oven to bake. You may need a few extra minutes baking time to account for the dish being cold to begin with.
Storing and freezing. Leftovers keep very well in the fridge for 4-5 days. It's also freezer friendly for up to 3 months.

Nutrition