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Vegan Baked Rigatoni is an easy weeknight meal the whole family will love! No precooking the pasta or the lentils! This comforting pasta is made in one pan with rigatoni, lentil bolognese, and cheesy tofu mozzarella topping. Gluten-free & soy-free & Nut-free options.Jump to Recipe
You’re going to love this recipe for Vegan Baked Rigatoni! It’s basically a lazy lasagna! Absolutely perfect for when company comes over and you want to please everyone, vegans and carnivores alike. super easy to make this as a busy weeknight dinner because it’s so quick.
It can be made gluten-free if needed or whole grain. For that cheesy topping I went with non-dairy tofu mozzarella cheese which is just blended up tofu and is quick and easy and creamy! You make it in the blender and it takes just seconds to make.
For the “ragu” I went with a simple vegan lentil bolognese that is basically just marinara, lentils, Italian herbs! DONE. How easy is this?
Vegan Baked Rigatoni with Vegan Lentil Meat Sauce
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 1 lb Uncooked rigatoni, or penne or ziti
- 28 oz jar of pasta sauce, or marinara sauce or tomato basil sauce
- 1/3 cup dried split red lentils , or 1/4 cup of red lentils + 1/4 cup of coarsely chopped walnut for best texture
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp italian seasoning, Or mix of basil, oregano or thyme
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups water
For the tofu mozzarella topping
- 7 oz firm tofu or silken tofu
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp miso , or 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tsp flour
Instructions
- In 9 X 13 inch pan, add the pasta and distribute evenly. Add the pasta sauce, lentils, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning and water. And mix well. If the pasta sauce does not have enough salt, add some salt and mix really well and even it out with a spatula. Cover with foil and bake at 350F (180c ) for 50 minutes
- For the tofu mozzarella, blend all the ingredients until smooth, taste and adjust salt and flavor and set aside. (For Soyfree, use my liquid cashew mozzarella)
- Remove the pan from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Now pour the tofu mozzarella over the Pasta and put it back into the oven and broil it for 3-4 mins until browning, Add a drizzle of olive oil and pepper flakes and serve.
Video
Notes
- You can add sautéed mushroom or veggies or spinach etc along with the pasta sauce for variation.
- if you don't have Italian seasoning, use a mix of basil, oregano and thyme
- Yes, the cheese mixture will be thin and runny. That’s ok. It will thicken in the oven.
- add 1 cup more pasta sauce for saucier result. Different pasta brands and lentils can absorb moisture differently.
- You can use nutritional yeast instead of miso paste.
- For gluten-dree, substitute sturdy gluten-free pasta
- to make soyfree mozzarella use my cashew mozzarella
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Baked Rigatoni Ingredients:
- rigatoni – you could use penne pasta or ziti any other tube-shaped pasta you like.
- pasta sauce, or marinara sauce or tomato basil sauce are the base for our vegan ragu. No shame in using store-bought here but you can of course make your own using my recipe for Chunky Tomato Sauce.
- red lentils or 1/4 cup of lentils + 1/4 cup of coarse chopped walnut stand in for the meat and add that bolognese feel to this baked rigatoni recipe.
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar adds some sweetness and acidity.
- I use garlic and Italian seasoning to spruce up the tomato sauce even more!
- For the tofu mozzarella topping, we blend silken or firm tofu and olive oil with some secret cheesy ingredients (garlic +onion powder, miso paste) until super smooth and creamy.
- lemon juice adds some freshness
- We also add some flour to the cheese that will activate once the sauce hits the heat and thicken it up.
- to make a soyfree mozzarella use my cashew mozzarella.
Tips & Substitutions:
- If you don’t have Italian seasoning, use a mix of basil, oregano or thyme
- Yes, the cheese mixture will be thin and runny. That’s ok. It will thicken in the oven.
- You can use nutritional yeast instead of miso paste.
- For gluten-free, substitute sturdy gluten-free pasta (such as a corn and quinoa blend).
- For nut-free, skip the walnuts and add more lentils.
- You can add some cooked veggies or sautéed greens to the lentil and pasta mixture if you’d like!
In 9 X 13 inch pan, add the raw pasta, and distribute evenly. Add the pasta sauce, lentils, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, and water.
And mix well. If the pasta sauce does not have enough salt, add some more and mix really well, and even it all out with a spatula. Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake at 350F for 50 minutes
For the tofu mozzarella, blend all the ingredients until smooth and set aside.
Remove the pan from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Now pour the tofu mozzarella over the baked rigatoni pasta and put it back into the oven and broil it for 3-4 mins until browning, Add a drizzle of olive oil and pepper flakes and serve
How to store this Baked Rigatoni :
This pasta bake can be frozen. Once cooked, let it cool completely, then cover tightly with foil and freeze. When ready to serve, bake at 350 degrees for 20 mins or until warm. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 days, making it a great meal prep for lunches.
MORE VEGAN PASTA RECIPES FROM THE BLOG:
- Vegan Mushroom Fettucine Alfredo
- Cajun Cauliflower Pasta
- Vegan Lemon Asparagus Pasta
- Roasted Red Bell Pepper Chickpea Pasta
- Cauliflower Parmesan Pasta Bake
- Vegan Sundried Tomato Pasta
How do I know if the red lentils are fully cooked? What should I do if they are a tad crunchy after 5 minutes?
If you are using split red lentils, they will cook in the 50 minutes. Let the dish sit for another 10-15 mins with the oven off, the reman at heat will cook them. They are not supposed to get too much has they should have some texture as a meat sub
This has become a staple in my household. So easy and delicious! I add spinach and substitute vegan soy crumbles for the lentils. Very hearty! Thank you, Richa!
sounds perfect
I’ve made this several times, and it’s delicious. This last time, I made a half-batch and it fit nicely in an old Pyrex “French white” oval baking dish. I used 8 oz of ziti and basically halved everything else. Thank you, Richa, for another wonderful recipe. 🙏🏼
oh yes, I know that dish as well
If I wanted to use pre-cooked lentils or soya mince, how much would I reduce the water by? 🙂
Just a 1/4 cup less
Very easy and tasty! Next time I’ll add the extra cup of sauce right away (didn’t see that tip til later and added it before broiling). Forgot to add chopped garlic but drizzled garlic olive oil over the dish at the end. Everything worked out and tasted great. Thanks for another winning recipe!
oooops. it’s all good, thanks JJ
My family loves this recipe, especially my son. I made this in the oven and on the stovetop. Both were great, but I prefer the stovetop. I cooked it over low heat once it boiled so it wouldn’t stick for about 50 minutes so the lentils were cooked. I added the cheese sauce with about 20 minutes left. I mixed it in, and the sauce was so creamy and good!
Awesome
I want to try making this in an Instant Pot. I’ve looked at a few IP pasta recipes and am ready to experiment, but figured I should ask the expert first. Thanks!
yay! follow the guidelines for my ziti: https://fettabbau-trim.today/instant-pot-ziti-with-tomato-sauce/%3C/a%3E%E2%80%9C%3EInstant Pot Ziti with Tomato Sauce 20 Mins!
This was so delicious and ridiculously easy! I split this it o two pans, so my husband could have a real-cheese version and we were both pleased. I’ll be making this again.
thanks for popping in ♡
Another winner! This was my first time making any type of vegan “cheese”, because I’ve always been so dubious of them, but it turned out great! My omnivore husband said the cheese was “a little odd, but not bad.” We both agreed that it was good as its own thing – it was like a cousin of cheese – if you weren’t just looking for actual cheese, and definitely worked well with the dish!
I didn’t have rigatoni on hand, but I had everything else, so I just used some whole wheat lasagna noodles which I broke up and basically made haphazard lasagna. I also subbed the nuts for textured vegetable protein. Definitely recommend to anyone else reading who is, like me, skeptical of this “cheese” creation – give it a go! It was really easy and tasty! I’ve been eating it all week!
I’m going to make tonight. Do I need to cook lentils or throw them in dry? Thank you !!
nope – raw/ dry, they’ll cook with everything else to become the sauce.
I’ve made this once and everyone, including my selective 18 month old, absolutely loved it! I’m out of red lentils and was wondering how you think this recipe would work with green lentils?
Excellent – not in this recipe they won’t bc they require linger cooking time than red..