We’ve been regularly enjoying a light and healthy pasta bake, each time with slight variations. The recipe has gradually evolved to perfection, and I’m excited to finally share it on the blog.
This is a low-fat, high-protein recipe. Often, quality ingredients in other dishes are overshadowed by an excessive layer of cream and cheese, but not in this one.
Note: The recipe combines both fresh and dried onions and garlic. They aren’t just alternatives to each other; their combination ensures a perfectly balanced flavor profile. Dried onion and garlic add a deeper aroma to the dish.
The recipe is wonderfully straightforward, summed up in four steps:
- Cook the pasta until it’s done.
- Sauté the onions until they’re translucent.
- Boil the sauce ingredients for 10 minutes.
- Combine everything and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
And that’s all there is to it! More detailed instructions, as always, are provided below.
Table of contents
- Ideal pasta varieties for this dish
- Best vegetables to pair with this recipe
- How to prepare the pasta bake – step by step
- Recipe
Ideal pasta varieties for this dish
I typically prepare this dish with macaroni, but on one occasion when the store ran out of them, I had to use clam-shaped pasta instead. Since then, I’ve never looked back and now prefer clam-shaped pasta over any other variety – the results were outstandingly juicy and packed with flavor.
If clam-shaped pasta isn’t available, any other variety of shaped pasta will work wonderfully as an alternative.
Best vegetables to pair with this recipe
This recipe is quite versatile when it comes to vegetables, so feel free to deviate from the instructions as you see fit. I’ve incorporated a variety of vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper, among others.
Below, you’ll find the version of the sauce that includes zucchini, which we liked a lot:
How to prepare the pasta bake – step by step
Begin by cooking the pasta in a large pot until it’s done, following the package instructions. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water before you put in the pasta.
Once cooked, drain the pasta.
Next, chop the onion and crush the garlic. Sauté them in a pan with oil until they become soft and translucent.
Then, add the remaining sauce ingredients to the pan. Let it simmer on low heat until the soy meal has plumped up and the vegetables have softened slightly – be careful not to overcook them.
Transfer the drained pasta and sauce into a large baking dish.
Stir them together until well combined, then bake in an oven preheated to 200 degrees Celsius (or 400 F) on the middle rack for about 35 minutes.
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Vegetable-packed vegan pasta bake
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Try our delightful vegan pasta bake with a medley of fresh vegetables. A delicious and easy-to-make dish for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 400 g of pasta
- 1 teaspoon of salt in the boiling water
Sauce
- 1 onion
- 2 crushed garlic cloves
- 200 g zucchini (or other vegetables)
- 380 g bean mix (canned beans)
- 2 dl dark soy meal
- 3 dl water
- 400 g ready-made pizza sauce (e.g. Mutti Pizza Sauce Aromatica )
- 2 teaspoons of Italian spice mix (e.g. Urtekram)
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons soy flour
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot following the package instructions. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the boiling water before adding the pasta.
- Drain the cooked pasta.
- Chop the onion and crush the garlic. Sauté them in oil in a pan until they turn soft and translucent.
- Incorporate the remaining sauce ingredients into the pan. Let it simmer over low heat until the soy meal swells and the vegetables slightly soften. Be cautious not to overcook the vegetables.
- Transfer the drained pasta and sauce into a large baking dish. Mix until the ingredients are evenly combined.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 200 degrees Celsius (or 400 F) on the middle rack for approximately 35 minutes.
- Prep Time: 5
- Bake time: 35
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Pasta bake
- Method: Stove and oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: vegan pasta bake healthy, vegan pasta bake no cheese, vegan pasta bake tomato, baked pasta veg, vegan bean casserole, vegetable pasta bake, can you make pasta bake without cheese, vegan casserole recipes
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