Vegan Baked Ziti
This Vegan Baked Ziti whips up easily and is perfect for a weeknight meal. Ready in an hour and 20 minutes!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can 25-ounce marinara sauce
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup lemon
- A pinch of red pepper flakes optional
Ziti:
- 1 pound ziti noodles
- 1 package (12 ounces) vegan Italian sausage, crumbled
vegan cheese sauce:
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and drained
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Topping:
- ¼ cup vegan mozzarella cheese shreds optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Make the sauce: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 7-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute more, until fragrant.
- Stir in diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Cook the vegan sausage: In a separate skillet, cook the crumbled vegan sausage over medium heat until browned.
- Make the cashew ricotta: Drain the soaked cashews and rinse under cold water. In a blender, combine the cashews, water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the ziti: Cook the ziti according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked ziti, sauce, cooked vegan sausage, cashew ricotta, vegan mozzarella cheese shreds, and parsley. Toss to coat evenly.
- Transfer the ziti mixture to a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.
- Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.