This easy vegan baked spaghetti recipe by Jessica Laroche promises a delightful blend of flavors and textures, making it a perfect comfort food option for families seeking a hearty and plant-based meal. The dish incorporates whole grain spaghetti, vibrant green pepper, sweet onion, and nutrient-packed baby spinach, all complemented by the savory richness of sun-dried tomatoes. What sets this recipe apart is the inclusion of a homemade vegan tofu cream cheese, adding a creamy and luscious element to the pasta. The marriage of these ingredients is further enhanced by a generous amount of marinara sauce, either store-bought or prepared from scratch.

The cooking process involves a few simple steps, from boiling the spaghetti to sautéing the vegetables until they reach the perfect balance of tenderness and crunch. The vegan cream cheese is seamlessly integrated with the cooked pasta and veggies, creating a sumptuous and well-coated mixture. The dish is then assembled in a baking dish, with layers of the spaghetti mixture and marinara sauce, resulting in a visually appealing and mouthwatering casserole. After a brief stint in the oven, the vegan baked spaghetti emerges golden brown and inviting, ready to be enjoyed.

The recipe also provides useful tips, such as removing excess oil from sun-dried tomatoes if they are in oil, and suggests alternatives for those seeking an oil-free version. Additionally, the dish can be customized with a variety of vegetables, allowing for flexibility based on personal preferences. Whether served for a weeknight dinner or prepared ahead for a special occasion, this vegan baked spaghetti promises to be a satisfying and flavorful addition to any plant-based culinary repertoire.

Vegan Baked Spaghetti

This easy vegan baked spaghetti makes for the best comfort food recipe to serve to your family! It is so full of amazing flavors and it includes vegan tofu cream cheese with marinara sauce and yummy crunchy vegetables. Perfect to make ahead and fully vegan, dairy-free and easy to make gluten-free.

PREP TIME20minutes mins

COOK TIME30minutes mins

TOTAL TIME50minutes mins

AUTHORJessica Laroche

INGREDIENTS  

  • 16 oz spaghetti – I used the whole grain spaghetti from Barilla
  • 1 green pepper – diced
  • 1 sweet or yellow onion – diced
  • 3-4 cups baby spinach
  • ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes – chopped (in oil or not, see notes)
  • 1 batch of vegan cream cheese – I used my vegan tofu cream cheese
  • 3 cups marinara sauce – choose store-bought or make your own marinara sauce

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350º.
  • Cook the spaghetti in boiling water until just al dente (do not over cook, they will cook more in the oven). Reserve some pasta cooking water (about 1 cup), then drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Set the spaghetti and reserved pasta water aside.
  • Make the vegan cream cheese. Then, set aside. This can also be made ahead and kept in the fridge covered until ready to use.
  • In a large non-stick pan, warm up a little oil (optional, can be made oil-free) and then, add the onion, pepper and a little salt. Cook on medium heat stirring often until tender, but still crunchy, about 5 minutes. Then, add the spinach and stir. If it gets too dry, then add a splash of water. Keep cooking until the spinach is wilted, then remove from the heat.
  • Return the cooked pasta back into the pot used to cook them and then, add the cream cheese, cooked vegetables, sun-dried tomatoes and stir. Add a little bit of pasta cooking water to help combine the pasta, about ¼-1/3 cup at the time.
  • In a large baking dish, add about half of the spaghetti mixture, then spread 1 ½ cup of the marinara sauce over. Cover with the rest of the spaghetti and finally, top it off with the other 1 ½ cup of marinara sauce. Use a spatula to roughly spread out the marinara sauce on top.
  • Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes and let the dish rest for 5-10 minutes at room temperature before serving. You can sprinkle some nutritional yeast over before serving. Enjoy!

NOTES

  • If using sun-dried tomatoes in oil, then first transfer the slices of tomato on a few layers of paper towel and gently press on them to remove as much oil as you can. To make this recipe oil-free, then use oil-free sun-dried tomatoes in a sealed package that’s kept in the pantry. In this case, rehydrate the sun dried tomatoes in boiling water for about 1 hour before draining and drying with towels.
  • This dish keeps for about 3-4 days covered in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or use the oven.
  • You can use whatever vegetables you like in this recipe, such as broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, green beans, baby kale, etc.
  • If you like store-bought vegan cheese, then feel-free to sprinkle some over the dish before baking it in the oven.