Vegan Pasta Bake

This vegan pasta bake with broccoli, tomatoes, and smoked tofu is a family favorite! It's super delicious, creamy with a crispy top, kid-friendly, and very easy to make.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 539kcal

Author Sina

Ingredients

14 oz curly pasta (like rotini or fussili)
1 head of broccoli (about 17 oz)
7 oz smoked tofu
7 oz cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced
2 tablespoons vegan butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon vegan heavy cream for cooking (I used a soy-based version), you can also replace it with canned full-fat coconut milk
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 pinch nutmeg
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup vegan shredded cheese

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
Cut the broccoli into florets. Cook for 1 minute in boiling water.
Cut the smoked tofu into cubes. In a large pan, heat some oil and cook the tofu for about 5 minutes until browned and crispy. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Melt the vegan butter in a pot over medium heat. Then add the onion and the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes or until translucent.
Add the flour and stir well. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly.
Add the vegetable broth and stir well with a whisk. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
Then add the vegan cream, nutritional yeast, mustard, and nutmeg. Stir well.
Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves. Place the cooked pasta, broccoli, tomatoes, and smoked tofu in a large casserole dish.
Add the sauce and carefully stir so everything is covered in sauce.
Sprinkle your favorite vegan cheese on top.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350 °F (uncovered).

Notes

You can find smoked tofu at Whole Foods and in many health food stores. You might also be able to find it in your local Asian market. If you're still having trouble finding it, you can replace it with marinated tofu or tempeh.
I used store-bought soy-based heavy cooking cream for this recipe to make things easy. However, you could also use a homemade version or replace it with canned full-fat coconut milk.
I recommend using curly pasta for this recipe because it holds on to the creamy sauce and cheese really well.

Nutrition