Description
This Vegan Baked Spaghetti recipe combines perfectly cooked spaghetti with sautéed vegetables, vegan cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and marinara sauce, all baked together to create a comforting, delicious, and easy-to-make plant-based meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 16 oz spaghetti
Vegetables
- 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, per preference)
Dairy Alternatives
- 1 batch of vegan cream cheese
Sauces
- 3 cups marinara sauce
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC) to prepare for baking the spaghetti later.
- Cook Spaghetti: Boil the spaghetti in a pot of salted water until it is just al dente, ensuring it is slightly undercooked as it will cook further in the oven. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain and rinse the pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set both the spaghetti and the reserved water aside.
- Prepare Vegan Cream Cheese: Make the vegan cream cheese following your preferred recipe or instructions. This can be prepared ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat a large non-stick pan with a little oil if desired (optional for oil-free cooking). Add diced onion, green pepper, and a pinch of salt. Cook on medium heat, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender yet still slightly crunchy, about 5 minutes. Add baby spinach and stir; if the pan gets too dry, add a small splash of water. Cook until spinach wilts, then remove from heat.
- Combine Pasta and Ingredients: Return the spaghetti to the pot used for cooking. Mix in the vegan cream cheese, sautéed vegetables, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Add reserved pasta water gradually, about 1/4 to 1/3 cup at a time, to help combine the ingredients smoothly.
- Assemble in Baking Dish: In a large baking dish, spread half of the spaghetti mixture evenly. Pour 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce over the first layer. Add the remaining spaghetti mixture on top and cover with the remaining 1 ½ cups marinara sauce. Use a spatula to roughly spread the sauce on top.
- Bake: Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until heated through and slightly bubbly.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the baked spaghetti from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes at room temperature before serving. Optionally, sprinkle nutritional yeast over the dish for a cheesy flavor. Enjoy your vegan baked spaghetti!
Notes
- Sun-dried tomatoes can be used either in oil or dry-packed; adjust oil accordingly if avoiding extra fat.
- Vegan cream cheese can be prepared ahead of time and stored refrigerated.
- Use reserved pasta water to adjust sauce consistency and help ingredients bind.
- Optional to cook oil-free by skipping oil in the sauté step and using water for sautéing.
- Sprinkling nutritional yeast on top adds a cheesy flavor without dairy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: vegan baked spaghetti, vegan pasta bake, plant-based spaghetti, dairy-free pasta, easy vegan dinner
