Vegan Baked Ziti
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Vegan Baked Ziti is an easy weeknight meal! This comforting pasta dish is made with cooked ziti noodles, marinara sauce, cashew cheese and optional vegan “meat”. Gluten free & Nut free options.
This recipe was one of the first I ever posted to my website nearly 3 years ago. It remains one of my most popular recipes for a reason, and always receives rave reviews from everyone who tries it!
I decided to give it a fresh look with new photos, as well as improved instructions, but the recipe itself is unchanged from the original.
You’re going to love this Vegan Baked Ziti! It’s perfect to make when company comes over, a holiday dinner, or just a busy weeknight because it’s SO EASY.
Plus! It can be made gluten free if needed, whole grain or nut free. You can top the whole thing with some non-dairy cheese shreds, and add vegan ground “meat” to the dish if desired.
How to make Vegan Baked Ziti, step by step
- Add cooked ziti noodles to a lightly greased casserole dish, then pour a jar of marinara sauce over the noodles. If adding vegan ground “meat”, add it now as well. Stir a little bit.
- Make the cashew cheese, then add it to the pasta. Stir lightly, but not too much, leaving pockets of cheese throughout.
- Optional: Top with a bag of non-dairy cheese shreds, I used Daiya mozzarella.
- Bake, uncovered for 25 minutes until hot. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, if desired.
Special Tips & Substitutions
- Gluten Free: Use gluten free pasta. You might not be able to find ziti, but a similar shape will work just fine.
- Nut Free: For a totally nut free option, use a bag of non-dairy cheese shreds instead of the homemade cashew cheese. Make sure your cheese isn’t made of nuts though! I do this sometimes just to save time.
- Vegan “Meat”: Use a few cups (2-2 1/2 cups, or one bag) of vegan ground “beef” such as Gardein, Beyond Beef or another brand. You could also add a few sliced vegan italian sausages (I love Field Roast brand). I don’t cook them first, just add to the pasta and sauce frozen or cold.
- Instead of topping with mozzarella non-dairy cheese, sprinkle with Vegan Parmesan instead.
This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
Want more Vegan Pasta Recipes?
- The Best Vegan Lasagna
- Spaghetti and Vegan Meatballs
- Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
- The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
Vegan Baked Ziti
Ingredients
Cashew Cheese
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
- 3/4 cup water
- juice from 1 large lemon (2-3 tablespoons)
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
The Rest
- 1 pound ziti noodles, gluten free if needed
- 25 ounces marinara sauce ( 1 jar)
- 2 1/2 cups vegan ground "beef" OR 2-3 sliced vegan sausages, optional
- 1 bag non-dairy mozzarella cheese shreds, optional for topping
- Optional: Vegan Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
- Make the Cashew Cheese sauce: Soak the cashews in boiling hot water for at least 5 minutes. Drain the cashews and add them to a high powered blender along with the water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, onion powder and salt. Blend until smooth, scraping the sides down as needed. Set aside.
- Prepare pasta according to package instructions. You can cook the pasta while your cashews are soaking to save time. Drain the noodles and add to casserole dish.
- Pour the marinara sauce and "meat", if using, on top of the noodles and stir to combine.
- Spoon the cashew cheese on top of noodle/sauce mixture and stir gently, leaving pockets of cheese intact.
- Sprinkle with non-dairy mozzarella cheese shreds OR about 1/2 cup of Vegan Parmesan.
- Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes until hot throughout.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Gluten Free: Use gluten free noodles that are a similar shape to ziti, such as Penne.
- Nut Free: Substitute a bag of non-dairy cheese shreds (check ingredients to ensure nut free) for the Cashew Cheese.
- If you don't care for nutritional yeast, you may leave it out of the cheese.
- My favorite brands of vegan ground beef are Gardein or Beyond Beef crumbles. I like Field Roast brand Italian sausages for this recipe as well.
- This dish can be frozen. Once cooked, let it cool completely, then cover tightly with foil and freeze. When ready to serve, bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until warm.
- Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 days, making it a great meal prep for lunches.
Nutrition
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201 Comments on “Vegan Baked Ziti”
I make this on repeat in the oven. It’s delicious. Does anyone know how I could make this in an instant pot?
Delicious and so easy to make. I didn’t use any meat/meat substitute and it was very filling. I used violife shredded mozzarella. Loved by all!!
Thank you for the wonderful feedback! Glad you are loving the ziti!
Nut Free: Substitute a bag of non-dairy cheese shreds (check ingredients to ensure nut free) for the Cashew Cheese.
What size bag? what type of cheese ? mozzarella? I am making this for my vegan son so very new to this.
Thanks.
Most bags of shredded vegan cheese hold about 2 1/2 cups. It can be a little more or less as well. The brand depends on what you like and is available to you, but I love Violife mozzarella shreds and Daiya mozzarella. Hope that helps!
thanks! will try the Daiya mozzarella then. Happy Holidays!
Hi! This looks amazing and I cannot wait to make it! I plan to use gardein beef less grounds for my “meat”. Should I cook it first? I know you said you don’t for the field roast sausages, but does that apply to the gardein product as well?
Hi there! If you are using frozen crumbles, I would probably cook them a bit first. Just so the ziti doesn’t take longer to cook. Hope you enjoy it!
This was delicious. I added chopped kale for a bit of green. The cashew sauce was wonderful. I used a whole lemon – to cut the the cashew. a bit more. This is a rich dish, so a little goes a long way, which makes for leftovers to look forward to. I used two packages of Yves regular ground, one package of Daiya mozzarella and a bit of their vegan parm on top. Creamy, with a nice browned crust on top. A great source of protein and with a salad it was a prefect comfort meal.
Hi Joan. I’m glad you enjoyed the Ziti! Thank you for taking time to share your great review, comments, and ideas! Your additions sound delicious! Happy cooking!
I have a family member coming at Christmas who is vegan. Could this recipe be made ahead of time and frozen before baking it?
You could, yes. I do think it’s better fresh, but freezing then baking will work. The noodles just may be a bit more mushy. Thanks!
One of my favorite weeknight dishes ever! My husband is a pasta lover, so we make this recipe at least 2 or 3 times a month. So easy, quick, and filling, plus we have left overs for lunch the next day!
Thank you for sharing your great review and comments! I’m thrilled this recipe is part of your meal rotation! I love leftovers of baked ziti! Happy cooking!