Vegan Baked Ziti

Vegan baked ziti is a blend of ziti noodles, in a cashew basil cheese sauce and homemade marinara, with lentil meat and mushrooms baked to a golden brown in the oven. This vegan baked ziti recipe is a family favorite topped with vegan parmesan cheese.

To make a GREAT vegan baked ziti, you only need a few unique ingredients! Everyone in my house loves pasta, especially in the wintertime. Something about a vegan baked ziti recipe warms me from the inside out. 

Jump to:

• What is Ziti? 
• Cashew Basil Cheese Ingredients
• Cashew Basil Cheese Ingredient Substitutions
• Homemade Marinara vs. Jarred Sauce
• Lentil Meat and Vegetable Filling
• Lentil Meat Ingredients
• Lentil Meat Ingredient Substitutions
• How to Make Vegan Baked Ziti
• Serving Suggestions
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• More Easy Vegan Pasta Dishes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

One of the best things I love about this baked ziti recipe is making it in advance and cooking it when I'm ready. 

Since the kids are coming home for dinner, I decided to make vegan baked ziti, a large salad with creamy Italian dressing, and some vegan garlic bread. 

To tell the truth, I entice my kids with good food so they keep coming home!  

What is Ziti? 

Ziti is smaller than rigatoni noodles. Although some Ziti noodles may have smooth sides, most resemble mini rigatoni noodles with lines or ridges on the pasta's outer surface. Like penne, the ziti noodles ends are cut in a straight line versus diagonally. 

However, the vegan ziti pasta recipe is a layered, cheesy, delicious baked casserole to die for! 

Cashew Basil Cheese Ingredients

Even though there are many vegan cheese options today, I prefer to make my own. Like my vegan lasagna recipe, I make my basil cashew cheese, which is creamy and goes perfectly with vegan baked ziti. 

However, if you have a nut allergy, I also make an oil-free, nut-free vegan nacho cheese sauce recipe, which works great with this baked ziti recipe. 

I adore cashews, and they make the BEST creamy sauce for ziti, so if you aren't allergic to nuts, give this cheese sauce a try. 

• Raw Cashews: The raw cashews provide creaminess to the sauce. If you want a nut-free option, see the many substitutions below.
• Organic Vegetable Broth: A vegetable broth made from organically grown vegetables can be an excellent source of essential electrolytes.
• Lemon Juice: Lemon juice provides some acidity to the sauce.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is the dried and finely ground form of garlic
• Onion Powder: Onion powder is dried onion that's been ground.
• Fresh Basil: Fresh basil is always preferred over dried when making Italian pasta recipes.
• Nutritional Yeast: The nutritional yeast provides nutritional value and a cheesy taste.

Cashew Basil Cheese Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of using cashews, try sunflower seeds for a nut-free option. Or, use silken tofu or white beans as an option as well. But, if using silken tofu or white beans, reduce the vegetable broth by one-half.
• I recently tried a new product called Yondu, which replaces vegetable broth in recipes. If you haven't tried it, I suggest you do.
• Although I prefer fresh lemon juice in recipes, bottled lemon juice in a pinch is fine. Another idea is to freeze lemon juice in ice cube trays when lemons are in season to use throughout the year.
• 1 medium garlic clove to substitute for ¼ teaspoon garlic powder.
• Use about ½ cup fresh onion for every tablespoon of onion powder.
• If you don't like or don't have nutritional yeast, try using soy sauce, Tamari, liquid aminos, or white miso paste. Use ½ Tablespoon of soy sauce (or other alternatives) for every Tablespoon of nutritional yeast.

Homemade Marinara vs. Jarred Sauce

Since I prefer making as many recipes as possible with homemade sauces and cheese, I also make my own oil-free marinara sauce. Often, I find it easier to find a jarred sauce with a bunch of sugar, oil, and other preservatives. 

With that being said, I understand that everyone doesn't have time for making their own sauce. However, I do make my marinara sauce ahead of time and freeze it, so when I want to make a recipe like baked ziti, it can thaw it quickly. 

But if you don't want to make your own marinara sauce, I have a few favorite jarred sauces you may want to consider.

• DeLallo Marinara Sauce
• Muir Glen Organic Portobello Mushroom Pasta Sauce
• Pomi Tomato Sauce (add Italian Seasoning, and it's marinara sauce)
• 365 Everyday Value (Whole Foods)
• Engine 2 Marinara Sauce (Whole Foods)

Lentil Meat and Vegetable Filling

Vegan baked ziti, although plant-based, needs a little "meat" to taste similar to authentic baked ziti. Therefore, I made lentil meat to incorporate with my cheesy, saucy noodles. 

Most ziti recipes do not have vegetables, but I decided to throw some into my lentil meat for a double meat texture to the vegan ziti since I love mushrooms. 

Of course, you can cook lentils beforehand, but I buy Trader Joe's steamed brown lentils available in the produce section for a quick and easy option for a quick and easy option. 

Lentil Meat Ingredients

• Yellow Onion: White or red onion substitutes well for yellow onion in this vegan baked ziti recipe.
• Garlic: One clove of garlic equals about ⅛th of a teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Mushrooms: Use any mushrooms. I like using baby portobello mushrooms because they are firm and meaty.
• Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: Fire-roasted tomatoes are canned tomatoes that are fire-roasted over an open flame to accentuate their flavor. They taste sweet and subtly smoky right out of the can instead of bitter and acidic like most standard canned tomatoes
• Vegetable Broth: I buy organic vegetable broth in bulk because I often use it.
• Cooked Brown Lentils: I used Trader Joe's 17.6-ounce package of steamed, cooked lentils.
• Oregano: Fresh oregano is best. I often find it in small pre-packaged containers in the produce section.
• Bail: I also prefer fresh basil, which I am fortunate to grow all year round.

Lentil Meat Ingredient Substitutions

• White onion is often substituted for yellow onion in recipes.
• One clove of garlic equals about ⅛th of a teaspoon of garlic powder.
• If you don't like mushrooms or don't have any on hand, try using eggplant or zucchini.
• Diced tomatoes with a ¼ teaspoon of liquid smoke work well to mimic the flavor in fire-roasted tomatoes.
• Cook the lentils and use canned lentils.
• A general rule of thumb for the dried-to-fresh herb ratio: Use one-third the amount of dried herb for the fresh herb called for in the recipe.

How to Make Vegan Baked Ziti

• Begin with a thin layer of vegan marinara sauce in the bottom of the casserole pan. As a result, the pasta and other ingredients won't stick. 
• Then add half the noodles, followed by the lentil meat mixture. 

• Next, add a layer of creamy vegan cashew basil cheese sauce, followed by more marinara sauce. 

• Once the first layers are executed, start again with the rest of the noodles, more lentil meat, basil cheese sauce, and topped with vegan marinara sauce.

• Additionally, I enjoy some vegan parmesan cheese to cook at the end for the last 10 minutes for a crispy topping. 

Serving Suggestions

One of my favorite parts about this recipe is making it ahead of time and cooking it 30 minutes before serving dinner.

Serve with a bit of basil for an extra garnish! I also serve this vegan baked ziti with an Italian Chopped Salad.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• Instead of using cashews, try sunflower seeds for a nut-free option. Or, use silken tofu or white beans as an option as well. But, if using silken tofu or white beans, reduce the vegetable broth by one-half.
• If using jarred sauce, choose a jar with at least 25 ounces, but no more than 32 ounces.
• I like to make the vegan ziti recipe ahead of time, and then I can throw it in the oven when I'm ready to cook it for dinner.
• Another idea is to freeze lemon juice in ice cube trays when lemons are in season to use throughout the year.
• Always place sauce on the bottom of the pan in a thin layer, covering the bottom to prevent sticking and keep the noodles from drying out.
• If you don't like or don't have nutritional yeast, try using soy sauce, Tamari, liquid aminos, or white miso paste. Use ½ Tablespoon of soy sauce (or other alternatives) for every Tablespoon of nutritional yeast.
• I suggest serving it with an Italian chopped salad with creamy Italian dressing.

Try vegan baked ziti for a weeknight or a holiday meal the whole family will love.

More Easy Vegan Pasta Dishes

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📖 Recipe