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Love is in my Tummy

Plant-based flavor

June 15, 2016 By Tina Dawson 12 Comments

Veggie Pasta Bake w/ Tofu

Veggie Pasta Bake 2

I’ve had this Veggie pasta bake in my sights for a very long time now. It is packed with vegetables – zucchini, spinach, carrots, peas, corn, onions and bell peppers  PLUS I threw in a little Tofu for good measure! Despite how complex it looks, it was basically a breeze to make. And the vegetables make a very good excuse for the carbs and the cheese! Once in a while, it’s OK to loosen up people!

If you had read my post on the best (spicy) 5 minute pizza sauce + marinara – you’ll know how delicious this pasta bake is going to be. This sauce is magic, really! Turned me around on marinara.

The best 5 minute Pizza sauce

I used Rotini, but feel free to use any of your favourite pasta shapes. Just remember to chop the vegetables to about the same size. Keeps cooking even.

Rotini

Cook the pasta according to package instructions, but remove from heat about a minute earlier. The rotini needs 7 minutes to cook al dente but I took it out at 6 minutes. Throw in the peas, corn and carrots and let it cook in the warm pasta water. Drain them all together.

Cooked pasta and veggies

In addition to the peas, carrot and corn, I also used spinach, tofu, zucchini, onions and bell peppers (capsicum). Have these ready as the pasta cooks.

Veggie Pasta Bake saute

Sauté these vegetables (except spinach) in a little butter until slightly cooked. Season with salt, garlic powder and maybe a little fried red chilli flakes. Turn off heat and add in the spinach. Then comes the fun part. Toss in the cooked pasta and vegetables and douse everything in my special marinara sauce. Seriously guys, this sauce is the magical component of this dish.

Veggie Pasta Bake

Stir in half of the cheese into the pasta and transfer to a casserole. Then top with a lot of cheese. Seriously. A lot!

Veggie Pasta Bake

Bake for about 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the marinara is bubbling underneath. Your Veggie Pasta Bake is done! Serve hot!

Veggie Pasta Bake

Veggie Pasta Bake

Created by Tina Dawson on June 14, 2016

Veggie Pasta Bake

  • Prep Time:10m
  • Cook Time:40m
  • Total Time:50m
  • Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 3 c rotini pasta
  • Water, to cook the pasta
  • 1/2 c frozen peas
  • 1/2 c frozen corn kernels
  • 1/2 c carrots, chopped
  • 2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter
  • 1 c onion, chopped
  • 1 c capsicum/bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 c tofu, pressed and cubed
  • 1 c spinach leaves
  • 1 1/2 c zucchini, chopped
  • 1 tbsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. fried red chilli flakes
  • Salt, to taste
  • 2 c special marinara sauce (see recipe link above)
  • 2 c grated cheese of choice
  • 1/4 c grated parmesan

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Once the timer runs out, turn off the heat, and add carrots, peas and corn to cook in the hot water for a minute. Drain and set aside.
  2. Melt butter in a large pan and sauté the onions, bell peppers, zucchini and tofu for a few seconds. Season with salt, garlic powder and fried red chilli flakes.
  3. Stir in the cooked pasta+vegetables, marinara and half the cheese.
  4. Transfer to a large caserole and top with the remaining cheese.
  5. Bake at a preheated oven at 350°F/180°C for 30 minutes until the cheese has melted.
  6. Serve hot!
  • Print
Veggie Pasta Bake Pin

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Filed Under: All Recipes, Cuisines, Italian, Lunch/Dinner, Vegetarian Tagged With: Cheese, dinner, lunch, Pasta, Recipes, Vegetarian

Previous Post: « Oven Roasted Chana Dal
Next Post: Spicy Sweet Potato Rosti »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Melissa @ My Wife Can Cook says

    June 15, 2016 at 8:14 pm

    Sounds amazing! I love pasta with veggies and cheese. I definitely will check out your marinara recipe, it sounds pretty good too.

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      June 16, 2016 at 12:13 pm

      Thanks Melissa! It is pretty darn good! Not to mention easy-peasy!

      Reply
  2. Derek | Dad With A Pan says

    June 15, 2016 at 7:02 pm

    This looks very simlilar to a dish my dad used to make us as a kid called spaghetti junk! I don’t know why he used that name, but this looks and sounds way better! lol

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      June 15, 2016 at 7:39 pm

      Your dad is a GENIUS! If I was serving this to kids, that’s exactly what I’d call this! Brilliant! Thanks Derek, you just gave my dish an excellent alias to use around kids.

      Reply
  3. susan | the wimpy vegetarian.com says

    June 15, 2016 at 6:44 pm

    This is totally up my alley. I’m not a huge tofu fan, but always add it to pasta sauces! LOVE the flavors you’ve got going on here!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      June 15, 2016 at 7:38 pm

      Thanks a lot Susan! I’m glad you like this!

      Reply
  4. Sarah @ Champagne Tastes says

    June 15, 2016 at 6:23 pm

    I love the idea of adding some tofu to a veggie casserole! I order tofu when I eat out, but I never think to make it myself!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      June 15, 2016 at 7:37 pm

      Sarah, it’s really easy to work with. Just remember to press out the extra liquid and you’ll have no trouble getting tofu to absorb flavours from the dish.

      Reply
  5. Christine | Vermilion Roots says

    June 15, 2016 at 6:13 pm

    This is such a great meatless recipe. I am always finding ways to cook tofu and welcome new ideas!

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      June 15, 2016 at 7:37 pm

      Yaay! Then you’ll love this Christine!

      Reply
  6. Jennifer @ Delicious Everyday says

    June 15, 2016 at 6:09 pm

    I love a good pasta bake. It is so comforting on a cold winters night, like the ones we’re having here at the moment. 🙂

    Reply
    • Tina Dawson says

      June 15, 2016 at 7:36 pm

      Oh yeah! Piping hot and cheesy pasta bake on a cold day!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Tina - the human behind all the content you see on this blog. Welcome to my little corner of the internet where I create flavorful and unique plant-based recipes.

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