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This creamy vegan tomato pasta bake is a super easy, 1 skillet meal perfect for weeknights. This is a no-boil pasta bake that’s vegetarian and vegan friendly but will please even the pickiest of eaters. It uses soy milk and dairy-free cheese to create an unbelievably creamy texture.
Why You’ll Love this Vegan Pasta Bake
This vegan and vegetarian pasta bake is seriously SO easy. You only need one pan or skillet to make it, there’s absolutely no boiling required, and it makes a ton of food.
So if you love leftovers like I do, this is your recipe! Plus, one skillet means fewer dishes, so that’s always a plus! This vegan rigatoni baked casserole can definitely feed 4-5 people and is full of protein to help you stay fuller, longer.
For another easy tomato pasta, try my Lemony Tomato Linguine with crispy tofu, or check out my Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta recipe!
the vegan pasta bake ingredients
This tomato pasta bake is full of flavorful vegan Italian sausage, lots of Italian seasoning, and just the right amount of tomatoey goodness. While this no-boil pasta casserole is completely dairy-free, it’s still amazingly creamy and comforting.
To make this recipe, you’ll need to gather the following pantry friendly ingredients:
- Rigatoni
- Onion
- Garlic
- Pepper
- Vegan Italian Sausage, like Tofurky
- Flour
- Soy Milk, or another neutral tasting dairy-free milk
- Stewed & Crushed Tomatoes
- Olive Oil
- Spices & Italian Seasoning
- Vegan Mozzerella & Parmesan, like Violife
the pasta
I’m using rigatoni in this recipe. It’s great because it’s a thicker yet short pasta that holds up very well in the oven when baked.
Note: You can use a different pasta, but it will affect the cooking time.
I recommend sticking to short pasta like ziti or penne vs. a long spaghetti which is more likely to break after baking.
the best vegan cheese
Vegan cheese can be hit or miss, so even if you’re not a dairy-free cheese lover, I recommend trying out multiple brands to find the one that you like the most!
Below are some of the vegan cheeses that I feel work best in this recipe:
Violife Just Like Parmesan: This is what I used in this recipe. Violife’s parmesan has a great taste that is similar to real parmesan. It’s saltier than some other brands I’ve tried, so keep that in mind when adding seasoning to recipes.
Trader Joe’s Vegan Mozzarella Shreds: I love Trader Joe’s vegan cheese. It’s affordable and works great in dishes where the cheese will be melted. I also used some of their vegan mozzarella in this recipe.
Field Roast Chao Cheese Shreds: Chao just came out with their shredded vegan cheese and I’m all about it! It’s on the pricier side, but for good reason because this is one of my favorite vegan cheese brands.
Daiya Cutting Board Mozzarella Shreds: Daiya often gets a bad wrap for having a very distinctive taste. BUT they’ve modified their recipe over the years and came out with the Cutting Board Collection. So if you haven’t tried them recently you should try them out again. Daiya is the brand that often goes on sale the most at my local big-box grocery store making it the most affordable option for me.
how to make the vegan pasta bake
If you don’t have an oven-safe cast-iron skillet or dutch oven, no worries! You can definitely still make this recipe but it will require a 9×13″ baking dish plus a large stockpot.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Brown the vegan sausage in the cast iron skillet, then set aside.
- Add the olive oil, onion, garlic, and pepper to the skillet and saute for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and cook the mixture for another 2 minutes.
- Slowly pour in the dairy-free milk and whisk it into the mixture.
- Carefully stir in the crushed & stewed tomatoes, dried rigatoni, vegan parmesan, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Also add the crushed red pepper flakes, if using.
- Add in the vegan sausage. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the vegan cheese on top.
- Cover the top of the skillet with aluminum foil.
- Baked covered for 15 minutes. Then, remove the aluminum foil, increase the temperature to 425F and bake for 8 more minutes.
cooking the vegan pasta bake
This dairy-free pasta bake uses a combination of cooking the sauce and filling in the skillet and then finishing the baking in the oven. Cooking the sauce in the skillet prior to baking helps control the texture of the vegetables, vegan sausage, and pasta in the dish. This method helps prevent the pasta and vegan sausage from turning to mush in the oven.
If you don’t have an oven-safe cast-iron or stainless steel skillet, you can prep the ingredients in a large stockpot and then transfer them to a 9×13″ baking dish to finish cooking in the oven.
no boil pasta tips, tricks & faq
You can definitely substitute your favorite store-bought marinara sauce or tomato sauce instead of the crushed tomatoes in this recipe. You’ll want to make sure that you use the same amount since the liquid is crucial in making sure the pasta cooks through.
Pasta casseroles are amazing because you can basically add any ingredient you want to them. If you’d like you could add mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, or other vegetables to this pasta bake.
NOTE: The ingredients in the recipe below make just enough to fill a 12″ cast iron skillet. Adding more to the recipe could cause it to boil over in the oven. If adding more ingredients, suggest halving the amount of vegan sausage or placing the skillet on a baking sheet to prevent spills.
This vegan and vegetarian pasta bake is fabulous served with fresh basil, nutritional yeast, or red pepper flakes sprinkled on top. This dish would be super tasty served with a fresh side salad, like this Lemon Spinach Arugula Salad or this Vegan Caesar Salad.
More Pasta Dishes to Try
Vegan Tomato Pasta Bake – 1 Skillet & No Boil!
Rate this RecipeIngredients
- 1 ¼ cup diced vegan Italian sausage , or spicy vegan sausage – about 7oz
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
Sauce & Pasta
- 2 cups unsweetened soy milk, like West Life, or other unflavored plant-milk
- 2 ½ cups crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz canned stewed tomatoes, with Italian seasoning
- 3 ½ cups dried rigatoni
- ½ cup grated vegan parmesan
- 1 ¾ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- ½ cup vegan shredded cheese, like mozzarella or pepper jack
Instructions
- Brown the sausage: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large cast-iron or oven-safe stainless steel skillet over medium heat. Add the vegan sausage and brown on both sides. Remove from the skillet and set aside.1 ¼ cup diced vegan Italian sausage
- Sauté the vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining oil. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Sauté for 1–2 minutes, until slightly softened.1 medium red onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 large green bell pepper
- Make the creamy sauce: Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the dairy-free milk, whisking for about 1 minute until smooth and no lumps remain.6 tbsp all-purpose flour, 2 cups unsweetened soy milk
- Add the pasta: Stir in the crushed and stewed tomatoes, uncooked rigatoni, vegan Parmesan, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Add the red pepper flakes, if using. Stir for 1–2 minutes until combined.2 ½ cups crushed tomatoes, 15 oz canned stewed tomatoes, 3 ½ cups dried rigatoni, ½ cup grated vegan parmesan, 1 ¾ tsp salt, ¾ tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Assemble: Stir the browned vegan sausage back into the skillet. Remove from the heat, sprinkle the vegan cheese evenly over the top, and cover tightly with aluminum foil.½ cup vegan shredded cheese
- Bake: Bake covered for 15 minutes at 350°F. Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 425°F (220°C), and bake for another 8–10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the top begins to brown.
Recipe notes
- I used a 12" diameter cast iron skillet to make this recipe. It was large enough to hold all of the above ingredients. If you don't have a skillet this size, I recommend prepping the ingredients in a large pot and then transferring them into a 9×13" baking dish. You can also use an oven safe stainless steel skillet.
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