Author: You are going to love this Saucy Vegan Spaghetti Bake! It's easy to make and takes just 10 minutes of prep time! Uncooked spaghetti is added to a baking dish along with water, tomato sauce, and seasonings, and then it's baked. Yes, you read that right: the spaghetti bakes in the oven! (How cool is that?) Topped with a 5 minute homemade vegan alfredo sauce, this easy recipe will become a new weeknight staple!
I just couldn't resist sharing with you another sneak peek recipe from my new cookbook Craving Vegan which will be released on October 24th! So soon! Have you reserved your copy and claimed all of the bonuses yet? You will want to make sure to order your copy before October 24th so that you can get access to $167 worth of free goodies! Now back to spaghetti:
You're in for a treat with this scrumptious easy baked spaghetti recipe! This pasta recipe is so easy and so comforting that it has become a go-to dish for chillier nights. Saucy Spaghetti Bake is from part of the "Carby" section of Craving Vegan but it is also tagged "Creamy" thanks to the easy-to-make vegan alfredo sauce.
This Saucy Vegan Spaghetti Bake is a game-changer in the world of pasta dishes. What makes it truly special is that you skip boiling spaghetti completely! When baked in the oven, the spaghetti cooks in the sauce to the perfect al dente texture, it's so fun and easy! When spaghetti is boiled, the water that you drain away has a ton of starch in it, but in this recipe, the starch has nowhere to escape, so it cooks into the sauce and makes it extra luscious and creamy! You will not believe how flavorful and delicious this makes the pasta!
Let's dive into why this recipe is a standout:
Flavor Explosion: With aromatic ingredients like garlic, basil, oregano, and more, every bite is a burst of flavor that will make your taste buds dance.
Easy Prep: You won't believe how easy it is to prepare this dish. Just mix the ingredients in a casserole dish and bake. While it's in the over whip up the super simple 5 minute vegan alfredo sauce. Spread it over the baked pasta, return to the oven for a few minutes to get all bubbly and delicious, then voila! Dinner is served.
Creamy Alfredo Sauce: What elevates this dish to the next level is the creamy alfredo sauce. Made with plant-based milk, vegan butter, and an array of seasonings, it adds richness and indulgence to the spaghetti.
Versatile and Hearty: Vegan Spaghetti Bake is a complete meal that satisfies both your comfort food cravings. It's a hearty dish that's perfect for a cozy family dinner or a satisfying weeknight meal.
Craving Vegan is packed with recipes like this one, thoughtfully organized by cravings, so you can easily find dishes that cater to your taste buds. Whether you're in the mood for something "Carby" like this Saucy Spaghetti Bake, or if you're craving flavors like "Cheesy," "Meaty," "Spicy,"or "Chocolatey," the cookbook has you covered.
If you're excited to explore more delicious, plant-based recipes like this, don't miss out on your chance to own a copy of Craving Vegan. And the good news is, when you order your copy now, you'll receive a whopping $167 worth of bonuses as a free gift! Order your copy here or at your favorite book retailer.
How to Make This Saucy Vegan Spaghetti Bake:
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Make the spaghetti: in a large 4½-quart (4.5 L) casserole dish, combine the spaghetti, tomato sauce, water, tomato paste, onions, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Use tongs to mix everything until combined. Cover and bake for 40 minutes, stopping halfway through to stir and make sure the pasta isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Make the alfredo sauce: While the spaghetti is baking, melt the vegan butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute while stirring. Sprinkle with the flour and stir to make a paste. Cook the flour paste for 1-2 minutes while stirring frequently to cook the flour. Whisk in the plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, salt, basil, onion powder, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is nice and thickened, about 5 minutes. remove from the heat.
- After the pasta has baked for the 40 minutes, remove the lid and spread the alfredo sauce over the pasta. return to the oven and bake another 10-15 minutes, until bubbly. Allow the pasta to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Vegan Baked Spaghetti is...
- Super easy to make!
- Carby, creamy, saucy, and oh so comforting
- the perfect warming meal for a chilly night
More Vegan Pasta Dishes You'll Find in Craving Vegan:
Stuffed Pasta Shells
Walnut Cacio e Pepe
Baked Panko Mac & Cheese
White Lasagna
Creamy Linguini Alfredo
Velvety Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
Get all of these recipes in Craving Vegan: 101 Recipes to Satisfy Your Appetite the Plant-Based Way. Order your copy today and get $167 worth of free goodies! Learn more here.
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Saucy Spaghetti Bake
Servings: - 8
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Ingredients
FOR THE SPAGHETTI:
- 1 lb uncooked spaghetti, (see note)
- 1 jar 22 fl oz/ 650 mL prepared tomato sauce , (Or 1 batch simple Tomato sauce- page 165 in Craving Vegan)
- 3 ½ cups water
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, (optional)
FOR THE CREAMY ALFREDO SAUCE
- ¼ cup vegan butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups plant-based milk, (such as oat or soy)
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried basil leaves
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Make the spaghetti: in a large 4½-quart (4.5 L) casserole dish, combine the spaghetti, tomato sauce, water, tomato paste, onions, garlic, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Use tongs to mix everything until combined. Cover and bake for 40 minutes, stopping halfway through to stir and make sure the pasta isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Make the alfredo sauce: While the spaghetti is baking, melt the vegan butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute while stirring. Sprinkle with the flour and stir to make a paste. Cook the flour paste for 1–2 minutes while stirring frequently to cook the flour. Whisk in the plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, salt, basil, onion powder, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is nice and thickened, about 5 minutes. remove from the heat.
- After the pasta has baked for the 40 minutes, remove the lid and spread the alfredo sauce over the pasta. return to the oven and bake another 10–15 minutes, until bubbly. Allow the pasta to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕More vegan pasta recipes to try:
Alyssa says
This is just so perfect and easy! I could watch my toddler in the back yard at the same time I was cooking. We both devoured this! It was perfect with garlic bread. I wish I could attach the picture of her devouring the pasta. We both thought it was delicious! I added a little more garlic than recommended and it was even more perfect.
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay! So happy you loved it Alyssa. A litte more garlic never hurts 😉
Lyn says
Oh my gosh! I have been having a few days of recipe failures so it was nice to make this and have it turn out so wonderful!. I can hardly stop myself from eating it! Love it!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Yay! That's wonderful!
Leslie says
I made this with chickpea pasta and reduced the water to 2 cups. I found the pasta cooked so fast that the onions were still crunchy and raw. I’ll make it again, but for other gluten-free cooks, I’d recommend sauteeing the onion first until translucent.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Good tips for gluten free, thank you!
Patricia G. says
I made this - sort of - I used chickpea pasta and cooked it in an electric skillet, adjusting quantity and liquid accordingly. I added broccoli florets in the last 10 minutes, and drizzled with some tofu ranch/alfredo I had left over from something else. It went really fast - less than 30 minutes - and was, in a word, DELICIOUS. I will definitely make this again. Many thanks for the idea!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Terrific!
Judi Sweat says
I have relied on your recipes in the past, but lately you have failed me. This recipe was terrible. It took far longer to cook than the recipe called for. The spaghetti noodles are mushy and tasteless. It was terribly dry. I am trying to save it by adding more Italian seasoning and some no beef broth to moisten it. I am adding granulated garlic to get it to taste like something. I am very, very disappointed in this recipe. I followed it to the letter originally. I really hate to waste food, but if I can't resurrect it, it goes by the wayside. I have been cooking wfpb since 2001 and know a little about recipes. This one just doesn't cut it. Sorry!!
Alicia says
Love the way this sounds! Just a quick question: what do you mean by prepared tomato sauce? The plain kind, that we would call "passata" in Italy or a sauce like marinara?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Marinara would be best!
Karen says
Made this last night , it didn't disappoint. I pretty much followed the recipe as is , added some kale. and a few spices. It is so good. I will definitely make this again
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Wonderful, Karen!
Nathalie says
Just made this for the week, and WOW!!! I can’t believe how easy it was to prepare and how flavorful it is. I did add a second jar of spaghetti sauce because I’ve had issues with liquid amounts with these types of recipes.
Ashleigh Denton says
Okay this is my 4th or 5th recipe to make and my gosh!! They do not disappoint. I just ordered her latest cookbook to make it easier and I don’t order tons of books!
I made this 97% following the recipe
I added extra red pepper flakes and an extra sprinkle of nutritional flakes
It’s so delicious
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Thanks for sharing your experience, Ashleigh!
Madison says
Hey there, huge fan of your blog/website. Any idea if I can do this recipe with already cooked spaghetti/how to approach that? I am trying to get rid of leftovers
Sam Turnbull says
This recipe won't work with already cooked spaghetti. You could enjoy your leftover pasta with vegan bolognese sauce. 🙂
Marie says
I make a version of baked spaghetti using cooked spaghetti; it is delicious! I cook 12 or 16 oz of spaghetti al dente, drain, and set aside in a mixing bowl or used left over. I saute a diced medium sweet onion with a green pepper chopped small and set aside. While doing the onion and pepper, I pan fry vegan beef crumbles of choice and amount. Then I pour the onion, pepper, and crumbles into my cooked spaghetti, add 1-2 jars of spaghetti sauce (depends on amount of spaghetti) or marinara sauce and toss together. Pour the whole mixture into a baking dish, cover with parchment paper then aluminum foil, and bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees F or until hot in the center. This can even be put together, refrigerated, and baked the next day. I make this a lot for church fellowship meal, everyone loves it and even requests it. This one of Sam's is great for variety and ease. Hugs to Sam for all her hard work. 🙂
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Thanks for sharing your tips and your kind words, Marie!
@umami_umeggi says
I love this recipe mainly because any hands off way to make a delicious meal is a yes from me! Thank you so much for developing and sharing it with us.
The flavors meld so well and it is really foolproof! The starch being contained in the baking dish makes the sauce a beautiful texture too. Can’t wait to try the technique with other flavor combos too!
The only future change I would make as a matter of personal preference is either serving the bechamel on top after serving, or going without the bechamel. It looks stunning but once you serve the spaghetti and it naturally mixes in, you can’t taste it much. I’d prefer to use something like milk in the baking process to make it creamy or stirring yoghurt through after rather than adding the step and butter from making bechamel.
Julie says
Made this last week and it was delicious! I didn't have prepared tomato sauce (I'm assuming that means spaghetti sauce?) so I used a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes and a 15 oz can of plain tomato sauce, and only used 3 cups of water. Next time I will mix all the ingredients except the noodles first, and then add the noodles so it's easier to stir together. Overall it's a great recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it Julie!
Alec Marra says
Hi just wondering will this recipe also work for penne pasta!
Sam Turnbull says
I haven't tried it, but I imagine it will!
Barbara says
Made this for dinner today. It was excellent.!Thanks for another great recipe.
Michelle says
I made this last night and it was a HUGE hit. Another amazing recipe Sam
I used bucatini since that’s all we had so I had to add to the cook time and about another half jar of sauce and it was well worth the extra cook time.
I added some crumbled tofu that I pan seared at the end and even the anti tofu family member loved it! They’re actually going to buy some tofu to replicate it.
Tamar says
I made it, almost to the letter, and it was amazing. Leaving the noodles in the water really does make the dish velvety. Thanks Sam!
sara says
Hi Sam,
Can you explain tomato sauce, please. Do you mean it to be flavored, like a marinara or just pureed tomatoes? I ask because the recipe also calls for garlic, onion, basil etc. I don't want to overkill.
Thanks!
Sara
Court says
Hey this recipe looks amazing as always! But I was wondering if I can add some cooked lentils into this and if so how many cups do you recommend? And shall I do it at the 40 minute point where you re-stir and add in the sauce ? No problem if not. Cheers, hope you’re having a good day
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Court, yes I am sure you can! I haven't tried it so I would start with a cup or less. Hope that helps!
Shannon says
I am definitely making this by the end of the week! It looks absolutely amazing!
Denise says
This looks really good. Can you omit the butter or use something else (non oil) as a substitute?
Sam Turnbull says
The butter and flour mixture is used to make a roux to thicken the sauce. So you could probably do a cornstarch slurry instead. 🙂
Mindy says
This looks really good. I try to only eat whole wheat pasta. Would that need to be cooked longer?
Sam Turnbull says
I haven't tried it but I imagine it should be about the same. Enjoy!