Creamy Vegan Pasta Bake with Vegetables
This Vegan Pasta Casserole is pure comfort food; tender pasta and veggies coated in a rich and creamy vegan bechamel sauce topped with seasoned breadcrumbs. A hearty and nourishing meal the whole family will love.
Servings 6 people
Calories 381kcal
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 cup broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 4-6 sprigs parsley
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 1 pinch nutmeg
Pasta and veggies
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup onions diced small, about half a small onion
- ½ cup carrots diced small, about 1 medium
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup zucchini diced medium cubes
- 1 cup red bell pepper diced, about 1 small
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms about 5-6
- 1 cup peas fresh or thawed from frozen
Casserole
- 8 ounces short shaped pasta rotini penne or other short pasta
- ⅓ cup seasoned breadcrumbs or make your own with ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
Start sauce
- Add the coconut milk and broth to a saucepan with 3-4 sprigs of parsley, sprigs of thyme and a bay leaf to the pan. Cook at low heat for 10 - 15 minutes over low heat. Watch carefully to avoid boiling it as it will make a huge mess.1 can coconut milk, 1 cup broth, 1 bay leaf, 4-6 sprigs parsley, 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
- Remove the sprigs of herbs and bay leaf from the pot. Ladle up about 1 cup of the liquid into a small bowl and whisk in 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Add it back to the saucepan. Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes or until it thickens.3 tablespoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 pinch black pepper, 1 pinch nutmeg
Cook veggies and Pasta
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and garlic and cook until softened, about five minutes. Stir frequently to keep from burning. Add zucchini, mushroom and bell pepper, cook 3-4 minutes or longer to soften mushrooms. Add green peas, remove from heat and set aside.1 tablespoons olive oil, ½ cup onions, ½ cup carrots , 3 cloves garlic , 1 cup zucchini, 1 cup red bell pepper, 1 cup sliced mushrooms, 1 cup peas fresh or thawed from frozen
- Heat salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions for al dente pasta.8 ounces short shaped pasta rotini
Assemble casserole
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Combine pasta, veggies and sauce in a large bowl. Mix together well. Place into a 2 quart (2 liter) baking dish, top with breadcrumbs and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.⅓ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
Notes
- Grease the baking dish: For an easier clean up spray the baking dish with cooking spray or olive oil spray.
- Use short shaped pasta: The casserole will hold together best if you use a short shaped pasta. Make sure that the pasta is cooked al dente so it holds its shape.
- Use full fat coconut milk: Don’t be tempted to use low fat coconut milk as it is too watery and won’t give you a rich bechamel sauce.
- Don’t overcook the veggies or the pasta when prepping: Cook the veggies until they are just soft, you don’t want them to get too soggy once they bake up in the casserole. Make sure to cook the pasta just to al dente.
- Make your own breadcrumbs: If you don’t have breadcrumbs on hand, toast a few slices of bread and then process them into crumbs. This works for regular breadcrumbs and gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Nutrition
Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 121mg | Potassium: 535mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 4348IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 3mg
