Creamy Vegan Baked Ziti

Easy & Comforting Meatless Pasta Recipe for Busy Weeknights

Prep time 15 minutes | Cook time 30-40 minutes

This vegan baked ziti is comfort food made simple — a cozy, cheesy, weeknight-friendly casserole that proves plant-based meals can be fast, flavorful, and entirely satisfying. It’s built on hearty pasta, a robust tomato sauce, and a creamy tofu ricotta that melts into pockets of tangy, herby goodness.

The recipe is intentionally easy: no chopping, no complicated techniques, and it assembles quickly so you can have a delicious dinner on the table on busy nights without sacrificing taste.

The secret of this dish is the tofu ricotta. Creamy and versatile, it’s flavored with lemon, nutritional yeast, and fresh or dried herbs until it tastes like the real deal. Use it as the “cheese” layer in the ziti, dolloped and swirled for a luscious texture that bakes up into creamy comfort food.

Because the tofu ricotta is so adaptable, make a double batch — it’s fantastic in lasagna, I even put it on toast for a protein rich and savory vegan breakfast. Its long fridge life and freeze-friendly nature make it a great staple to keep on hand for last-minute cooking.

This recipe fills a 9×13 inch baking dish— enough to feed a family or provide several generous leftovers. Bake it once and enjoy it multiple times: the ziti reheats beautifully, so portions are perfect for next-day lunches or reheated dinners when time is tight. Simply portion into containers for meal prep, or reheat slices in the oven or microwave until warmed through. The flavors actually meld and improve after a day or two, making this one of those rare dishes that loves being made ahead.

Beyond convenience, this vegan baked ziti is also flexible. Swap in whole-wheat pasta or gluten-free tubes, add sautéed vegetables for extra nutrition, or bulk it up with plant based meat for more protein. For the tomato sauce in this recipe I used my favorite jar sauce to keep it quick but if you are looking for an authentic Italian homemade pasta sauce you can find my recipe here where I also teach you how to make irresistible vegan “meatballs.”

Full Written Recipe Here!

Ingredients

• 1 pound of penne pasta

• 1 block of firm tofu

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, avocado oil, or plant based butter

• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

• 1 teaspoon salt 

• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (alternatively you can ¼ cup of vegan parmesan cheese- see notes and adjustments below)

• 2 tablespoons creamy plant based milk (I use oat milk or cashew milk)

• juice of ½ -1 lemon - taste as you go!

• 24 ounce jar of a good marinara sauce-I recommend Rao’s

• 1 12 ounce bag of vegan mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

• Boil your pasta in salted water, cook for approximately 2/3 of the recommended cooking time, for example if the cooking time is 12 minutes cook for 8 minutes

• Drain the pasta and return to the pot with a dash of oil so it does not get sticky

• Drain the water out of your block of tofu–I do this with my hands for this recipe since you will ultimately crumble the tofu, but you can also use a tofu press

To Make the Vegan Ricotta

• Crumble the tofu into a bowl then add the ingredients below and mix well to combine

• Add to bowl:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, avocado oil, or plant based butter

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil

  • 1 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

  • 1 teaspoon salt 

  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast (see notes and adjustments below for substitutions)

  • 2 tablespoons creamy plant based milk

  • juice of ½ -1 lemon

• Add the vegan “ricotta” to the drained pasta and mix it well until combined

• Add in one 24 ounce jar of pasta sauce

• Add your cooked pasta mixture to a 9x13 glass baking pan (metal is fine if you don’t have glass)

• Sprinkle one 12 ounce bag of vegan mozzarella cheese over the pasta/sauce/ricotta mixture (My favorite vegan shredded “mozzarella” cheeses are Trader Joe’s Cashew Mozzarella, Violife, and Follow Your Heart)

• Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil

• Bake on 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes until the pasta is bubbly and the cheese has melted

• Enjoy!

Notes and Adjustments:

Don’t skip the nutritional yeast in this recipe! It gives the ricotta a “cheesy” flavor. If you want it to be extra decadent add in about ½ a cup of vegan mozzarella cheese to the “ricotta” mixture.

If you would like to make a homemade vegan parmesan you can find a great recipe here

If you want to add protein to this recipe you can add in ground plant based meat or textured vegetable protein. If you want to do that saute it first and add it to the pasta when you add the ricotta.

If you want to use fresh herbs in the ricotta (I do when I make it for breakfast toast) just double the amount of dried herbs.

• Links: When available I use affiliate links and may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Order nutritional yeast here:

https://amzn.to/3UHUfZT (Amazon)

Order my favorite jar sauce here Rao’s (tastes like homemade!)

https://amzn.to/3QjIXeZ (Amazon)