Vegan Baked Ziti

5 from 55 votes

Vegan baked ziti is a cozy Italian-American comforting pasta bake turned meat and dairy-free! A crowd-pleasing, make-ahead, freezer-friendly meal.

Prep Time20

Cook Time15

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: to 6

Calories: 1045kcal

Author: Toni

Equipment

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 large red or yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
10+ ounces of vegan beef crumbles
1 tablespoon of paprika
30 ounces of tomato basil sauce
¼ cup of nutritional yeast
1 pound of firm tofu
1 lemon
½ teaspoon of salt
1 pound of ziti or penne pasta
2 cups of vegan mozzarella cheese
Fresh parsley and/or basil leaves, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

In a large pot with a lid, add the oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and vegan beef crumbles for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the paprika, mix well, and cook for 10 seconds stirring continuously.
Add the sauce and nutritional yeast. Mix well, cover with a lid, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Cook the pasta for 3 minutes less than the recommended cooking time on the package. It will continue to cook in the oven. Drain and set aside in a colander.
To prepare the tofu, wrap it in a clean kitchen towel and dry it well. Slice it into about ½-inch thick slices and place the slices on the cutting board. Squeeze a lemon on them and sprinkle salt. Set aside while the oven preheats.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Turn off the heat for the sauce and add 1 cup of sauce to the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Add the pasta to the pot with the sauce and mix well.
Add ½ of the pasta to the baking dish and spread it into an even layer.
Place the tofu slices into an even layer over the pasta, sprinkle 1 cup of the vegan mozzarella, and top with an even layer of the remaining pasta.
Top with the remaining mozzarella, drizzle some olive oil, and bake for 15 minutes or until the vegan cheese is melted.
Remove from the oven and allow it to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley or fresh basil.

Notes

Undercook the pasta: The key is to cook it until just before al dente or al dente, as it will continue to bake in the oven without becoming mushy.

Layer the ingredients: While it may not seem important, creating layers helps ensure you get 'cheesiness' in every bite and is worth the effort.

For air fryer baked ziti: At 350F/175C for 6-9 minutes until the vegan cheese has melted and is bubbly.

Nutrition