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Are you struggling to find time to cook wholesome, comforting meals after long and busy days? Save yourself some time at dinner by making this saucy spaghetti bake. It’s entirely vegan, no fuss, and makes enough for the whole family (or friends). In just over an hour, you can create a deliciously creamy vegan spaghetti made with both a tomato sauce and topped with a plant-based alfredo sauce.
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This recipe comes from Sam Turnbull’s vegan cookbook Craving Vegan. You might know her from her blog, It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken. This dish focuses on minimizing effort while maximizing deliciousness.
Made by adding uncooked spaghetti into a baking dish with the sauce ingredients, this spaghetti bake removes all the hassle of having to stand by the stove. The spaghetti simply bakes in the oven, meaning prep time is a quick 10 minutes. And all you have to do is top it with the creamy alfredo sauce and enjoy, making the dish delightfully simple.
The benefit of using an oven to make pasta is that you can relax or do other things while the saucy spaghetti cooks. Give this recipe a try if you’re often busy or need a break from more intricate vegan meals.
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Saucy spaghetti bake
Ingredients
For the spaghetti
- 1 lb (454 g) uncooked spaghetti
- 1 jar (22 fl oz/650 ml) prepared tomato sauce
- 3½ cups (875 ml) water
- ¼ cup (60 ml) tomato paste
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1 tsp dried basil leaves
- 1 tsp dried oregano leaves
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
For the creamy alfredo sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) vegan butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- ¼ cup (60 ml) all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups (375 ml) plant-based milk (such as oat or soy)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp dried basil leaves
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
For the spaghetti
- In a large 4½-quart (4.5 liter) 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.
For the creamy 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.
Excerpted from Craving Vegan by Sam Turnbull. Copyright © 2023 Sam Turnbull. Photographs by Tanya Pilgram. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
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