Pasta is such an easy family meal to put together. It’s inexpensive and can be made using whatever ingredients you have on hand. This Creamy Dairy-Free Pasta Bake uses my homemade tofu ricotta for added protein and plant-based goodness.
Why You’re Going to Love this Creamy Dairy-Free Pasta Bake
This creamy vegan pasta recipe has so many things going for it. This pasta is:
- dairy-free
- oil-free
- low fat
- full of fiber
- packed with spinach
- extra creamy and garlicky
How do you make something creamy without dairy?
If you’re vegan, plant-based or just dairy-free, subbing cream in your recipes is really easy. One of my favorite swaps is actually cashew cream. This is what I’ve used, along with coconut milk to create my creamy vegan alfredo pasta sauce.
For this dairy-free creamy pasta bake though, I’ve opted to keep it low fat by using my Tofu Ricotta recipe. Tofu is incredibly versatile and in this recipe it mimics ricotta perfectly.
Can vegans eat pasta?
Most homemade pasta recipes as well as traditional pasta’s contain eggs, so it’s important to double check when you are eating out if the restaurants pasta is vegan.
For the most part though, the pasta that you would buy in store contains water, salt and semolina flour. Most dried pastas are egg-free.
Is there dairy in pasta?
Traditional pasta recipes do not contain dairy. If you are purchasing filled pasta such as tortellini or ravioli then you should definitely double check what the pasta is filled with. I haven’t found a vegan tortellini or ravioli in store yet!
If you know of one, please leave me a comment and share the love!
Ingredients for Creamy Vegan pasta bake
For this pasta you will need the following:
- 1 box of rotini pasta, prepared
- 1 jar of your favorite vegan pasta sauce. I used marinara
- 1 cup of frozen spinach
- 1 can of lentils
- 1/2 of my tofu ricotta recipe
How to make creamy dairy-free pasta bake
This vegan recipe is so simple! And please, feel free to modify the above ingredients using what you have on hand. Here’s how I make my creamy vegan pasta bake:
- Prepare the box of pasta according to the directions and drain
- Add the pasta to a large baking dish and toss with the jar of pasta sauce.
- Drain and rinse the can of lentils and mix them into the pasta.
- Sprinkle the frozen spinach over the pasta.
- Add 1/2 of the tofu ricotta mixture to the pasta in large dollops, spaced about 2 inches apart.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes until heated through.
Try these other vegan pasta recipes next:
- One-Pot Vegan Hamburger Helper
- Grandma’s Hamburger Rotini Made Vegan
- Fresh Spaghettini
- Vegan Alfredo Pasta Sauce
- Decadent Vegan Cheese Sauce
Creamy Dairy-Free Pasta Bake
This creamy dairy-free pasta bake is vegan, oil-free and packed with fiber and nutrition. Tofu ricotta makes this pasta extra creamy, the lentils pack in the protein, while the spinach gives it a nutritional boost.
Ingredients
- 1 box rotini pasta prepared
- 1/2 recipe Tofu Ricotta
- 1 jar vegan pasta sauce
- 1 cup frozen spinach
- 1 can lentils drained and rinsed
Instructions
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Preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit
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Prepare the box of pasta according to the packagfe directions and drain.
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Add the pasta to a large baking dish and toss with the jar of pasta sauce.
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Drain and rinse the can of lentils and mix them into the pasta.
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Sprinkle the frozen spinach over the pasta.
-
Add 1/2 of the tofu ricotta mixture to the pasta in large dollops, spaced about 2 inches apart.
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Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes until heated through.
Recipe Notes
**Calorie information is an estimate and based on the entire recipe being divided by 6 servings.
Read this next:
And learn how to enjoy pizza and pasta on a whole-foods vegan diet.
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Until next time guys,