Vegan Pesto Baked Ziti
A Delicious and Meatless Pasta Recipe
Prep time 5 minutes | Cook time 20–30 minutes
This vegan baked ziti recipe combines the rich flavors of pesto with hearty pasta for a comforting and satisfying meatless pasta dish.
Packed with protein-rich tofu combined with nutritional yeast, it is vegan high-protein meals that is also rich in vitamin b12.
This easy vegan recipe features only 5 ingredients including a premade creamy pesto sauce that beautifully coats the ziti before being baked to perfection, making it an ideal choice for busy weeknights.
Perfect for anyone seeking easy vegetarian recipe ideas, this dish proves that effortless cooking can still yield fantastic flavor. If you're looking for a versatile dinner option, add this baked ziti recipe to your list of vegan recipes for dinner and enjoy a delightful meal that's both nourishing and delicious.
P.S. I call this a “Trader Joe’s Haul Recipe” because you can get all of the ingredients at Trader Joe’s if you have on, if not no worries, the ingredients are easily found at other grocery stores too.
Ingredients
10 ounces of cooked pasta, I like to use penne or bowties
1 block of extra firm tofu
2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon of salt
2 containers of vegan kale basil pesto from Trader Joes - or you can use this homemade vegan pesto recipe
1 bag of vegan mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup of vegan parmesan cheese–optional but highly recommended
1 and 1/2 cups of diced cherry tomatoes
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Boil your pasta according to package directions and strain it.
Squeeze the water out of your block of tofu–I do this with my hands for this recipe since you will ultimately crumble to tofu, but you can also use a tofu press.
Crumble the tofu into a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast and combine it very well.
Add 3/4 of a container of Trader Joe’s kale vegan basil pesto or 3/4 cup of homemade pesto to the crumbled tofu and combine well.
Optional–add 1/4 cup of vegan parmesan to the crumbled tofu and combine well.
Add your cooked pasta to a 9x13 glass baking pan (metal is fine if you don’t have glass).
Add the tofu mixture to your pasta and combine well.
Chop the tomatoes into halves or thirds/bite-size pieces and mix into the tofu/pasta mixture.
Add another 1/2–3/4 cup of vegan pesto to the pasta/tofu mixture and mix well.
Top your casserole dish with vegan mozzarella cheese, I use about 3/4 of a 7 ounce bag and I love the Trader Joe’s cashew mozzarella
Cover your baking pan/casserole dish with aluminum foil tightly.
Bake the baked ziti for about 20-30 minutes until it is warm and bubbly and the cheese is melted.
Enjoy!
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Order nutritional yeast here:
https://amzn.to/3UHUfZT (Amazon)
