Vegan pasta bake | gluten-free, healthy, low-fat, cheesy recipe

Vegan pasta bake with mushrooms and spinach

Cheesy, creamy, dreamy and so yummy! Vegan pasta bake, my latest addiction. Do you sometimes crave a pasta bake but are you afraid that it might be too complicated to cook it? This recipe is very simple and I have included all step-by-step pictures below. I made this vegan casserole with gluten-free pasta and added mushrooms, spinach, and cauliflower to make it healthy and low-fat.

Healthy low-carb cauliflower sauce

The sauce for this vegan pasta bake contains one head of cauliflower which makes it low-carb. You simply need to process all ingredients in a blender or food processor and the sauce is ready. You can add your favorite spices, I love to add lots of onion powder, garlic powder, dried Italian herbs, and also some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne/chili powder.

Vegan pasta bake with cheesy sauce

A pasta bake with cheese is so much better than a pasta bake without cheese, that’s why I added my easy vegan cheese sauce. That sauce is ready in 3 minutes, it’s nut-free, soy-free and super delicious. I just pour it over the vegan pasta bake and cook it in the oven until the casserole can be served. So simple and good.

Uncomplicated pasta bake

To make this vegan pasta bake recipe even more uncomplicated you could cook the pasta and cauliflower already in advance (e.g. in the morning). 30 minutes before you want to serve this dish you only need to fry the mushrooms and spinach, make the cauliflower sauce and the cheese sauce. This altogether won’t take longer than 10 minutes. And then you can relax while the casserole is in the oven. If you have any leftovers you can simply store them in the fridge and reheat them the next day for lunch or dinner.

This vegan pasta bake is:

• Gluten free
• Healthy
• Low-fat
• Dairy-free
• Plant-based
• Flavorful
• Cheesy
• Comforting
• Easy to make

Use your favorite ingredients

I am a big fan of mushrooms and spinach, that’s why I added them to this delicious vegan pasta bake. However, if you prefer e.g. zucchini over mushrooms or spinach, then simply add zucchini slices or tomato slices etc. You can vary this dish to your preference, I love that it’s so versatile and always tasty.

Should you recreate my vegan pasta bake, please leave a comment below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your recreations.

5 from 6 votes

Print

Cheesy vegan pasta bake recipe

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook/Chill Time

20 mins

Total Time

45 mins

 

This vegan pasta bake with cauliflower, mushrooms, and spinach is a great comfort food which is plant-based, gluten-free, and healthy. It's cheesy, creamy, delicious, and easy to make.

Course: Main Course, Pasta

Servings: 3

Ingredients

• 17 oz gluten-free pasta or pasta of choice (500 g)
• 12 oz of mushrooms (340 g)
• 5 oz of spinach (140 g)
• 1 medium-sized head of cauliflower cut into florets (approx. 500 g)
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups of vegetable broth (360-480 ml) *see recipe notes
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 1/3 cup coconut milk canned (80 ml) *see recipe notes
• Spice mix: 1-2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp dried Italian mixed herbs, 1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 batch of easy vegan cheese sauce (or vegan cheese of choice)

Instructions

1. In a pot, cook cauliflower florets in salted water until tender (15-20 minutes) then discard the water.

   
   

2. In another pot, cook pasta according to the instructions of the packaging.

   
   

3. Once the cauliflower is fork tender, put it in a blender or food processor, together with the vegetable broth, garlic, coconut milk, spices, and salt + pepper. Blend until the mixture is smooth.

   
   

   
4. Heat oil in a skillet and fry the mushrooms over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add spinach and fry for an additional minute. Turn off the heat.
   
5. Place the cooked pasta in a large bowl, add the cauliflower sauce, the mushrooms & spinach, and stir to combine.
   
6. Pour everything in a greased baking dish (mine measures 13x9 inches / 33x23 cm).
   
7. Make a batch of my easy vegan cheese sauce and pour it on top or use any vegan cheese of choice.
   
8. Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for about 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

If you want your pasta bake to be creamy (with a little bit of sauce) use 2 cups of vegetable broth, otherwise, use 1 1/2 cups.

 

Instead of canned coconut milk, you can use any other plant-based CREAM of choice (e.g. soy cream, oat cream etc).

 

You can also cook the pasta and cauliflower already in the morning and store it in the fridge until you start making this dish.

If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo: