Vegan Pasta Casserole

8:00 AM

Don't worry. I'm still here! I turned 22 on the 22nd and my body decided the best way to celebrate was to get sick. So lots of resting and about a dozen episodes of F.R.I.E.N.D.S later and I'm back in business!

Before I share this wonderful recipe, you should know my husband and I are in NO way fully vegans.
 We personally like our chicken, fish, and ice cream.
However, I like to find and make at least one vegan meal a week just to shake up our already healthy lifestyle.

My husband is a little hesitant when it comes to vegan meat and cheese, as any manly man would.
But he was actually very open to the idea of this recipe to my surprise.
And I'm glad because it was amazing.
The Beyond Meat Beef Crumbles were a great addition to the creamy Daiya mozzarella cheese and gluten free pasta!
Vegan Pasta Casserole
2 tbsps olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups marinara sauce(or your favorite pasta sauce)
2 cups water
1 - 1 1/2 cup Vegan Ground Crumbles (such as Beyond Meat )
12-16 oz box/bag of gluten free pasta (I used LiveGfree Organic brown rice and quinoa : similar)
1-2 cups vegan mozzarella, shredded (Such as Daiya

Heat your oven to 375F and prepare a 9X13 baking dish with a cooking spray of your choice (such as olive oil or vegetable oil) 

In a large skillet or saucepan, add olive oil and onions. Cook over medium heat until they're tender, about 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and add the chopped garlic.

Add the tomatoes, marina, and water and bring this mixture to a boil. Turn down heat and add the veggie crumbles. Stir to combine.

Spoon just enough of the marina sauce mixture to cover the bottom of your prepared 9X13 pan. Pour the box of uncooked pasta over the top of this, spreading it out evenly across the pan. Now, you simply pour the rest of that marina sauce mixture over the uncooked macaroni, being sure to spread it out evenly as well.

Top the casserole with the vegan mozzarella. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil (don't forget to spray the foil so the cheese doesn't stick), crimping the edges just slightly to keep the heat inside. 
Bake for 50 minutes. Then remove the casserole from the oven and keep the foil on the pan for 15 minutes or so if you think it needs to sit a bit more. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Vegan Pasta Casserole
I know a lot of people turn their noses up to "vegan cheese", 
but vegan cheese is actually super tasty and creamy when melted. 
Same goes for "meatless crumbles". My husband couldn't even taste the difference, it was that good!

Happy Cooking Friends! 

0 comments

Aww! How sweet of you to leave a comment! I love reading them and replying to them. If you need a quick response - please see my contact page for my email!