This is the most Amazing Vegan Baked Ziti ever and the best comfort food to make any day of the week! It has amazing flavor, packed with whole foods and easy ingredients and nothing processed. Oil-free with a gluten-free option. A total crowd-pleaser and will make the best vegan dinner to serve to guests!
VEGAN BAKED ZITI
Learn how to make the absolute best Amazing Vegan Baked Ziti all with whole foods! No processed cheese from the store, no fake meats, none of that, just pure whole food plant-based goodness! Totally oil-free and healthy! You can easily make this gluten-free by using your favorite gluten-free pasta and nut-free by trying sunflower seeds.
I called it amazing because quite simply, my family went crazy over it and we all thought it was so delicious. The perfect comforting vegan weeknight meal. You do not need dairy to make delicious baked ziti. For the cheese sauce, as always, I kept it whole food based. It has similar ingredients as my Vegan Mozzarella Cheese, but more simple and more of a lemon and garlic punch. I based it off of my original cashew lemon cream sauce from my meal plan. If you have that, you will notice this sauce is the same, just doubled and with added garlic.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED
(Only 8 main ingredients needed. Full details and measurements on the recipe card below.)
- Ziti or penne pasta: As you can see in the photo, I actually used penne. I know it’s not ziti, but they are very similar and I had many boxes of penne to use up. It really doesn’t matter since the result will taste the same.
- Marinara sauce or pizza sauce: I used my homemade pizza sauce because it’s so delicious, full of flavor and takes just 5 minutes to make. Make sure to use a smooth sauce.
- Potato: Potato is used to thicken up the creamy garlic cheesy sauce.
- Italian seasoning: I used my homemade blend, but store-bought is fine, too.
- Lemon juice: The sauce gets loads of flavor from lots of lemon juice, so that it really stands out in the end dish.
- Garlic powder
- Raw cashews: This makes the sauce super creamy, thick and rich, so that the dish tastes as rich as a dairy version. If you are allergic, you can try sunflower seeds instead, but just keep in mind that they are quite stronger in flavor and not as creamy, so it will change the flavor and texture a bit.
- Fresh basil: You can’t have a vegan baked ziti without fresh basil now, c’mon!
- Lemon parmesan cheese: I topped the dish with this before baking. It is optional, but highly recommended. It gives a beautiful toasty topping and adds another layer of delicious cheesy and lemony flavor!
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN BAKED ZITI
Step 1: If using my homemade pizza sauce, have that ready to go. It only takes 5 minutes to make and is so delicious. Also, make the lemon parmesan cheese as well, but DO NOT cook it first, as listed on that recipe. You will only be mixing up the ingredients, since it will be baked up in the ziti dish.
Step 2: Cook the pasta until al dente, making sure to salt the pasta water well. Be careful not to overcook, as it will still cook some in the oven.
Step 3: While the pasta is cooking, make the creamy garlic lemon cheese sauce. Add the cooked and peeled, mashed potato (measuring 120 grams) to a high-powered blender or food processor. Add the cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic powder and salt and blend until 100% creamy and smooth.
Step 4: Drain the cooked pasta, rinse briefly and add to a very large bowl. You will need a HUGE bowl to mix everything, so if you don’t have one, use a pot. This makes a TON!
Step 5: To the same bowl, add the pizza/marinara sauce, Italian seasoning and chopped fresh basil. Stir very well until everything is evenly coated.
Step 6: Pour the pasta mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish and spread out evenly.
Step 7: Drizzle the cashew garlic lemon cheese sauce all over the pasta and stir it around carefully, but don’t mix it fully in. You just want to stir from the bottom and around a bit to evenly disperse the cheese throughout, while leaving some large spoonfuls on top.
Step 8: Top with my vegan lemon parmesan or Italian bread crumbs, if using. You can also just bake as is, if preferred.
Step 9: Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes until you can see it bubbling through the sides (I used a glass casserole dish, so this was easy to spot) and the top is turning golden brown. Serve immediately!
MORE VEGAN PASTA AND CASSEROLE RECIPES
- Best Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce
- Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake
- Vegan Lemon Florentine Pasta
- Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
Amazing Vegan Baked Ziti (All Whole Foods!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (120g) cooked, peeled and mashed potato (I used gold potato)
- 1 cup (145g) raw cashews (see Notes)
- 3/4 cup (180g) water
- 2 tablespoons (30g) fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 lb ziti or penne pasta (use gluten-free if needed)
- 4 cups (960g) marinara sauce or pizza sauce (I used my homemade pizza sauce because it's so delicious, full of flavor and takes just 5 minutes to make. Make sure to use a smooth sauce.)
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (I used my blend, but store-bought is fine, just make sure it doesn't have added salt or red pepper)
- 1 cup (25g) fresh basil leaves only, finely chopped
- 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional only if you want a spicy kick)
- 1 batch of my homemade lemon parmesan cheese (This is optional, but HIGHLY recommend since it gives a wonderful toasty topping and extra dose of flavor. See Notes below for sub.)
- I use this scale.
Instructions
- If using my homemade pizza sauce, have that ready to go. You will need to make double the batch of my pizza sauce to have enough. It only takes 5 minutes to make and is so delicious. Additionally, if using my parmesan cheese, make that as well, but you will NOT be cooking it as listed on that recipe. You will just be adding the parmesan mixture, uncooked, to the top of this ziti, since it will bake up in the dish.
- Cook the pasta until al dente, making sure to salt the pasta water well. Be careful not to overcook, as it will still cook some in the oven. If using gluten-free, keep in mind that gluten-free pasta tends to cook faster and can turn mushy, so follow the box directions carefully.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the creamy garlic lemon cheese sauce first. If you don't have a high-powered blender, soak the cashews overnight or boil them to get them really soft. Drain, rinse and proceed. Add the cooked and peeled, mashed potato (measuring 120 grams) to a high-powered blender or food processor. Add the cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic powder and salt and blend until 100% creamy and smooth. Scrape the sides as needed.
- Drain the cooked pasta, rinse briefly and add to a very large bowl. You will need a HUGE bowl to mix everything, so if you don't have one, use a pot. This makes a TON!
- To the same bowl, add the pizza/marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, chopped fresh basil and red pepper flakes (if using). Stir very well until everything is evenly coated.
- Pour the pasta mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish and spread out evenly.
- Drizzle the cheese garlic sauce all over the pasta and stir it around gently, but don't mix it fully in. You just want to stir from the bottom and around a bit to evenly disperse the cheese throughout, while leaving some large spoonfuls on top. Refer to photo above for reference.
- Sprinkle the lemon parmesan cheese mixture all over the top of the casserole. This adds amazing color, texture and a wonderful zing of cheesy lemon flavor!
- Bake at 400°F for 15-20 minutes until you can see it bubbling through the sides (I used a glass casserole dish, so this was easy to spot) and the top is turning golden brown. Mine was perfect at 18 minutes. Top with extra fresh basil, if desired, and serve immediately!
Notes
Nutrition
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This has quickly become a family favorite! It does require a little more time to make the sauce and lemon parm but well worth the effort.
So happy to hear that!
This recipe is really amazing! Bursting with flavor! Each member of my family now requests it for their birthday dinner…so, WOW! Quick question, Brandi. Can this be made in advance and frozen? Thanks girl 🙂
Thank you so much Tanya! I’ve not tried freezing it personally, so I’m not really sure! You can always try it out though.
This recipe is a keeper, sooo delicious, thank you!!!
My teen daughters, one vegan, one vegetarian, loved this recipe and so did I! It was easy to make and so so good. The only modification I made was the mashed potatoes. I just opened a can of whole, peeled potatoes and lightly mashed them with a little almond milk. I have nothing to compare it to, but I think that was a great shortcut rather than peeling and boiling potatoes from scratch. Thanks for posting this recipe!
Thank you so much Laura! I’m so glad your family enjoyed this recipe!
This was so good!!! Can I prepare the tomato sauce and both cheeses and refridgerate for a few days, then assemble and bake the day we plan to eat? It would be easy to take with us on vacation that way 🙂
So glad you loved it Michele! Yes, that should be fine! They will thicken up, so just let them thaw and soften before use!
Having recently switched to a mostly plant-based, whole-foods diet, I was skeptical that this sauce could compare to cheese- especially without nutritional yeast, but it exceeded my expectations. So creamy, flavorful, and fantastic! I’m happy that I can still enjoy a creamy pasta casserole that is packed with flavor and deliciousness! I also added zucchini to add an extra bit of freshness and texture, and I’m very happy with how it turned out!
Woohoo, so awesome, thank you Michelle!
Company Worthy! Oh my…..this was DELICIOUS! My hubby said he prefers this to our favorite Italian restaurant!
I assume I cook put this together, then freeze it and bake when ready to use. What do you think?
I have 12 persons to feed next week for an 80th birthday: what would you recommend to accompany this to feed that many, My first time to feed a family with 3 vegans.
Thank-you
I’ve never froze this before baking it. I don’t know how the cashew cheese would hold up that way. I would probably do a test version or just make the separate cheese components, pizza sauce early the day of to save time and then put it all together to bake it so it’s fresh before serving. You could serve my Caesar salad along with it. https://thevegan8.com/vegan-caesar-dressing/
Do you think I could add some zucchini that I need to use to this?
Yes I think that would be delicious! I just would be careful of adding too much since zucchini releases a lot of moisture and you don’t want the dish to end up watery.
Making this today to serve for my husbands birthday tomorrow. I have to work tomorrow, so this dish provides a yummy meal with little last-minute effort. We’ve had this dish many times & it is always delish! It is one of my standards when we have non-vegan guests because it has universal appeal. Thanks Brandi!
I made this last month and froze some of it in a vacuum-sealed bag. Today i took that out of the freezer, transferred the contents in a bowl and topped it with about 6 fresh sliced mushrooms and a handful of fresh mixed greens. I steamed all of this for about 10-15 minutes then topped it with more of the vegan parmesan. Mind-blowing!!!
Curious now, do you think it would also work if i baked it with the sliced mushrooms stuffed inside and maybe spinach or kale from the get go or would the mushrooms make it too watery?
So happy to hear this Eric!! That sounds so delicious! I think as long as you use fresh spinach, it should be ok, just don’t use frozen!
Exceptional Brandi! I made this tonight along with a Caesar side salad (ur delicious dressing!). I also used Penne bc Wegmans didn’t have whole wheat Ziti. Thanks again for helping me achieve another brilliant gastronomy experience.
Awesome!! So glad to hear that Mark, that is wonderful!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It is perfect! I’m whole food plant based and this is one of the best recipes I’ve had! I was a little skeptical about the creamy cheese sauce but it’s amazing! This will definitely be in my regular rotation!
Thank you for creating this delicious recipe. I made it for dinner last with brown rice penne pasta. It is a new favorite for me and my husband! The cheese sauce is amazing!
I make this baked ziti ALL. THE. TIME.
For myself when I’m craving a good pasta dish, for non vegan friends whom I’m trying to impress, for picky kids- the whole bit. It’s the best!!
Can I use ground almonds for almond flour?
It’ll be a bit more gritty since it has the skins, unlike blanched almond flour, so if you don’t mind that!
Love the instructions and pictures. Turned out delicious and I added some nutritional yeast to the bread crumb topping.
This is excellent! I will definitely be making again. I used a jar of store bought marinara and used Italian parsley instead of basil. I mixed the chopped parley into the cashew sauce before stirring it in. I was very impressed (and so were my meat and dairy loving guests). Thank you!
Thank you so much Sarah, I’m so happy to hear this!!
Another family favorite that won’t disappoint! Made it several times now & it will be our go to recipe for pasta bakes!
Yay thank you so much Naomi for the review!
Delicious! Added to my favorites!
Wonderful!!
This was seriously amazing. It was everything you promised and more! I made it exactly as written, including the lemon parm. The flavor is out of this world. My family all loved it and it’s truly a company-worthy dish.
Love, love, love this delicious dish!!!!!!
But this time, I need to replace thealmond flour. Would pumpkin seed flour wirk better than sunflower seed flour? Or one of them mixed 50% with hazelnut or cashew flour? Help!!!!
I live this dish! My 2 toddlers and husband love this dish. I love making this for company to show them how yummy plant based can be. I plan to make this for friend and freeze for her post partum period. The cashew cheese and vegan parm topping are just **chefs kiss* I am so happy to have found this recipe. Thank you so much!