Vegan Alfredo Pasta Bake

Creamy, cheesy, warming Vegan Alfredo Pasta Bake… is there anything better? Pasta noodles are tossed in a super luscious plant-based alfredo sauce, then spread with homemade vegan mozzarella for the most impressive comfort food that will please any crowd (vegan or not)!

This vegan pasta bake recipe takes a few steps to make but is SO worth the effort. Plus, you can prep the entire dish ahead of time and bake it fresh when you are ready to serve it.

The vegan alfredo sauce is made using ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen including vegan butter, onions and garlic, flour (gluten-free will work here too), your go-to plain plant-based milk, nutritional yeast (a vegan pantry must), and miso paste (which adds an aged tanginess to the sauce giving it those cheesy vibes).   If you do not have miso paste on hand, you can substitute it with a splash of sauerkraut brine, or you can simply omit it and it will still taste great. The sauce is tossed with hot pasta and is so tasty that you could absolutely stop here and enjoy the dish as is.

But… if you really want to take it to the next level, I recommend making a simple homemade vegan mozzarella made from raw cashews (another vegan pantry staple), more plant-based milk, tapioca starch (see notes for substitute options), nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, salt, and garlic powder. This vegan mozzarella cheese recipe is quick and simple to make, but if you're not feeling up for it, you could alternatively substitute it for store-bought vegan mozzarella cheese. Spread the mozzarella on top and bake the who dish for cheesy gooey heaven.

How to Make Vegan Alfredo Pasta Bake:

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a  9"x13" baking dish.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the packaged instructions. Drain and set aside.

In the meantime make the alfredo sauce:

Melt the vegan butter in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally until the onions soften and just begin to brown. Sprinkle over the flour and stir to coat the onions. Keep stirring while cooking the flour for about 60 seconds.

Add the plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, miso paste, salt, and pepper and whisk well. Cook, while whisking often until the sauce thickens, 5 - 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of parsley and remove from the heat.

Spread the cooked pasta in the baking dish and pour over all of the alfredo sauce, stir to coat the pasta. I used rigatoni pasta, but you could use penne or another short pasta.

To make the Mozzarella (optional):

Softening the cashews (optional): Softening the cashews helps them blend. If you have a high-powered blender you can skip this step, but if not, this step is important to get a smooth mozzarella. You can either boil or soak the cashews.

• To boil the cashews (the fast method): add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender.
• To soak the cashews: add the cashews to a bowl, and cover them with water. Let soak for 4 hours or overnight until tender. Drain and rinse cashews before using.

Add the cashews, plant-based milk, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, vinegar, salt, and garlic powder to a blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy. Pour into a small pot and cook while stirring often. The sauce will start to get clumpy as it cooks, and then will turn into a gooey cheese sauce.

Remove from the heat and then dollop the mozzarella over the pasta. Use a spatula to spread it over the pasta.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until the pasta is heated through.

Optionally you can brown the mozzarella a bit by putting it under the broiler for a few minutes while keeping a close eye on it so that it doesn't burn. Garnish with the remaining tablespoon of parsley and serve hot.

This Vegan Alfredo Pasta Bake is…

• Creamy, cheesy, comfort food perfection
• A crowd pleaser
• Totally vegan, dairy-free, and can even be made gluten-free

More vegan pasta recipes you might enjoy:

Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Pasta Bake
The Best Ever Vegan Lasagna
Vegan Truffle Mac & Cheese
The Best Vegan Hamburger Helper
Classic Vegan Baked Ziti

If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.

Bon Appetgan!
Sam Turnbull.

4.97 from 31 votes

(click stars to vote)

Vegan Alfredo Pasta Bake

Creamy, cheesy, warming Vegan Alfredo Pasta Bake. Pasta noodles are tossed in a luscious alfredo sauce, and topped with homemade vegan mozzarella. Perfect for pleasing a crowd (vegan or not)!

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 45 minutes mins

Total: 55 minutes mins

Servings: 6

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Ingredients

 

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For the alfredo:

• ▢ 14 oz rigatoni, penne, or other short pasta, (gluten-free if preferred)
• ▢ 3 tablespoon vegan butter
• ▢ 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour, (gluten-free if preferred)
• ▢ 3 cups plant-based milk, (such as oat or soy)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ▢ 1 tablespoon white miso paste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, divided

For the mozzarella (or sub 1 ½ cups store-bought vegan mozzarella):

• ▢ ½ cup raw cashews
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup plant-based milk, (such as oat or soy)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons tapioca starch, (see notes for substitutions)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ▢ 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

 

OnOff

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a  9"x13" baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the packaged instructions. Drain and set aside.
  
• In the meantime make the alfredo sauce. Melt the vegan butter in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally until the onions soften and just begin to brown.
  
• Sprinkle over the flour and stir to coat the onions. Keep stirring while cooking the flour for about 60 seconds. Add the plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, miso paste, salt, and pepper and whisk well. Cook, while whisking often until the sauce thickens, 5 - 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of parsley and remove from the heat.
  
• Spread the cooked pasta in the baking dish and pour over all of the alfredo sauce, stir to coat the pasta.
  

To make the Mozzarella (optional):

• Softening the cashews (optional): Softening the cashews helps them blend. If you have a high-powered blender you can skip this step, but if not, this step is important to get a smooth mozzarella. You can either boil or soak the cashews. To boil the cashews (the fast method): add the cashews to a small pot, cover with water, and boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are very tender. To soak the cashews: add the cashews to a bowl, and cover them with water. Let soak for 4 hours or overnight until tender. Drain and rinse cashews before using.
• Add the cashews, plant-based milk, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, vinegar, salt, and garlic powder to a blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy. Pour into a small pot and cook while stirring often. The sauce will start to get clumpy as it cooks, and then will turn into a gooey cheese sauce.
  
• Remove from the heat and then dollop the mozzarella over the pasta. Use a spatula to spread it over the pasta.
  
• Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until the pasta is heated through. Optionally you can brown the mozzarella a bit by putting it under the broiler for a few minutes while keeping a close eye on it so that it doesn’t burn. Garnish with the remaining tablespoon of parsley and serve hot.
  

Notes

White Miso Paste: adds an aged tanginess to the sauce giving it those cheesy vibes).  If you do not have miso paste on hand, you can substitute it with a splash of sauerkraut brine, or you can simply omit it and it will still taste great. 

Raw Cashews: cashews are my favorite to make the smoothest creamiest cheese. Alternatively, you could sub-blanched almonds or macadamia nuts. For a nut-free option, you could try raw sunflower seeds but they might give the cheese a green tint.

Tapioca Starch: makes the cheese stretchy and gooey. It's my favorite starch to use for vegan cheeses. If you do not have it on hand you could substitute it with 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch which will make a nice cheese but won't be stretchy. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (recipe makes 6 servings) | Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 629mg | Potassium: 614mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1040IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 265mg | Iron: 3mg

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Author: Sam Turnbull

Cuisine: Italian

Course: Main Course, Pasta

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