This Vegan Baked Ziti is reminiscent of the classic Italian pasta bake you grew up with. It’s layered with a homemade marinara sauce, al dente pasta, stretchy vegan mozzarella, and creamy vegan ricotta. Finish with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan and fresh parsley for the ultimate comfort main. Perfect for holidays, potlucks, hosting a crowd, and hearty weeknight dinners.

Chris used to eat his weight in baked ziti growing up. There was a big tray of the real deal authentic baked ziti at every holiday and family party they had. We always wanted to add to our collection of veganized Italian recipes so once one of our followers from Instagram messaged us asking if we could recreate this classic Italian dish we knew we had to jump on it and accept the challenge.

Developing this vegan baked ziti recipe was so much fun, and we are still amazed by how delicious it turned out. For the filling, we layered sauce, pasta, homemade vegan mozzarella, and homemade vegan ricotta cheese, along with the ziti pasta. We also added a special touch and used vegan sausage which brought the flavor of this Italian dish to the next level.

Ingredients You’ll Need (+ Substitutions)

This vegan baked ziti is made with 3 main components: homemade marinara sauce, vegan mozzarella cheese, and pasta. Here are the key ingredients and their possible substitutions:

• Vegan meat: Both vegan ground beef crumbles and vegan sausage is perfect in this vegan meat sauce. We used Light Life Gimme Lean. If you prefer to avoid vegan meat products and want a completely oil-free, meatless baked ziti, feel free to omit the vegan meat!
• Marinara sauce: Any store-bought or homemade marinara sauce will work well. If using store-bought, double check the ingredients – some brands contain dairy to add “creaminess” to the marinara sauce.
• Raw cashews: Cashews make an excellent vegan cheese substitute (try our Cashew Cream Cheese, Cashew Mustard Cheese Dip, and Vegan Nacho Cheese), but it is important to use raw cashews, not roasted or seasoned nuts. Sunflower seeds may work as a nut-free option, but we have not tested this.
• Vegan milk: Any unsweetened plant-based milk will work well. Our go-to is almond milk, but feel free to use soy milk, coconut milk, oat milk, etc.
• Tapioca starch: The key ingredient in the vegan mozzarella cheese is tapioca starch (flour). Once the cheese is heated, the tapioca starch starts to work it’s magic and creates a stretchy texture. Other flours and starches will not yield the same result and it should not be left out or substituted as it is the ingredient that allows for the cheese to become nice and stretchy.
• Pasta: Ziti is of course the classic choice for baked ziti, but substitute penne noodles or any tubular pasta of choice, as needed.
• Vegan ricotta: Feel free to use store-bought creamy vegan ricotta from brands such as Kite Hill or Tofutti or use our quick and easy homemade tofu ricotta recipe!

Equipment Needed

• 8×10″ casserole dish
• Large pot
• Medium pot
• Spatula
• High-speed blender

How to Make Vegan Baked Ziti

1. Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boiling. Add the ziti or penne noodles and cook until al dente (typically about 2 minutes less than package instructions). This will prevent the pasta from overcooking in the oven.
2. Sauté the onion and garlic. In a medium pot over medium heat, heat water or olive oil until warm. Add the diced onions and minced garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
3. Brown the vegan ground beef. Add in the vegan beef crumbles, breaking them up with the back of your spoon as needed. Brown it for about 2 minutes, or until slightly crispy.
4. Add the marinara and seasoning. Add in the marinara sauce, fresh basil, and Italian seasoning and stir to combine. Simmer for about 3 minutes then remove from heat and set aside.
5. Drain the cooked pasta. Once the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta and add the ziti back to the pot. Mix about 1/4 of the marinara sauce into the noodles so the pasta does not dry out or stick together.
6. Make the vegan mozzarella. Add the soaked cashews, unsweetened milk, tapioca starch, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, and optional liquid smoke and smoked paprika to a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth.
7. Assemble the vegan baked ziti. Grab your baking dish of choice and spread a few tablespoons of marinara sauce onto the bottom of the dish. Add a thin layer of ziti noodles, followed by a layer of marinara sauce, a drizzle of vegan cheese sauce, and a sprinkle of vegan ricotta. Repeat until you fill the pan or run out of ingredients, finishing with a layer of vegan ricotta on top of the pasta. We were able to fit 4 layers of each.
8. Bake. Place the casserole dish uncovered on the middle oven rack and bake for 25-30 minutes.
9. Serve. Allow the vegan pasta bake to cool slightly, then garnish with fresh parsley and vegan parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions 

This ziti pasta bake is the perfect dinner main for weeknights, holidays, or large family gatherings. Serve with classic sides such as Vegan Garlic Bread, Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad, or Simple Roasted Vegetables.

Make it a complete Italian feast and serve a Vegan Calamari appetizer and Vegan Cannoli or Vegan Pizzelles for dessert.

Storage Instructions

This vegan baked ziti will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Store directly in the casserole dish tightly covered with aluminum foil or transfer to an airtight container.

More Vegan Italian Recipes You May Enjoy:

• The Best Vegan Lasagna
• Vegan White Lasagna with Mushrooms & Spinach
• Easy Vegan Stuffed Shells
• Italian-Inspired Pasta Salad
• Homemade Vegan Egg Pasta
• Herbed Ricotta Ravioli

Make sure you tag us on Instagram @sweetsimplevegan and @consciouschris and hashtag #sweetsimplevegan if you recreate any of our recipes, we love to see your photos!

Vegan Baked Ziti Recipe

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★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

• Author: Jasmine @ Sweet Simple Vegan
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 8 servings

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Description

This Vegan Baked Ziti is reminiscent of the classic Italian pasta bake you grew up with. It’s layered with a homemade marinara sauce, al dente pasta, stretchy vegan mozzarella, and creamy vegan ricotta. Finish with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan and fresh parsley for the ultimate comfort main. Perfect for holidays, potlucks, hosting a crowd and hearty weeknight dinners.

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Ingredients

Marinara Sauce with Vegan Sausage

• 1/2 medium white onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 7 oz. vegan beef crumbles or crumbled sausage (optional; we used Light Life Gimme Lean)
• 32 oz. marinara sauce* (see notes)
• 1 large handful fresh basil, thinly sliced (chiffonade)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or dried oregano)

Vegan Mozzarella Cheese Sauce (adapted from this recipe)

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight* (see notes)
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or non-dairy milk of choice)
• 3 1/2 tablespoons tapioca starch (also known as tapioca flour)
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

Remaining Ingredients

• 1 lb. ziti or penne noodles
• ~1/2 cup vegan ricotta cheese (homemade or store-bought like Kite Hill)
• Vegan parmesan, for garnish (optional; homemade or store-bought like Good Planet)
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped for garnish (optional)

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and have a medium-sized baked dish ready. The dish we used was 10×8″.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta 2 minutes less than directed on the package. This will ensure that the pasta will not overcook in the oven. In the meantime, prepare the sauce.
3. In a medium pot over medium heat, add in a few tablespoons of water (or 2 tablespoons of olive oil). Sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes. Once cooked, add in the vegan beef crumbles*(see notes), break them up with the back of your spoon if needed and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the marinara, basil, and Italian seasoning, and stir through. Allow the sauce to simmer for 3 minutes more and then remove from heat. Set aside until assembly.
4. Once the noodles are cooked, drain and add them back to the pot. Mix about 1/4 of the sauce into the noodles so that don’t dry out.
5. Prepare the vegan mozzarella cheese by simply blending together all of the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.
6. To assemble, grab your baking dish of choice and add a few tablespoons of sauce onto the bottom. Spread the sauce as best you can, it does not have to be completely covered. Add in a thin layer of pasta, followed by a layer of sauce, a drizzle of mozzarella cheese, and then a sprinkle of the vegan ricotta. Continue until you fill the pan or run out of ingredients, we used 4 layers of each.
7. Place the dish into the middle rack of the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove and allow the ziti to cool. The longer you let it cool, the easier it is to cut into slices and serve.
8. Garnish the ziti with fresh parsley and vegan parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Notes

• Be sure to double check the ingredients on the marinara sauce–some have dairy!
• If you would like to speed up the cashew soaking process, simply add the cashews to a large bowl, cover them with boiling water and allow that to sit for 20-3o minutes. Drain the cashews and you should be good to go!
• If you are having a hard time breaking up the beef crumbles, you can use a potato masher after you add in the sauce to make things easier.
• This recipe can be made completely oil-free if an oil-free marinara sauce is used and the sausage is left out.
• This recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Keep in mind that as it sits, the noodles may start to absorb some of the liquid. It is best served the day of making it but is still delicious either way.
• The nutrition facts do not take into consideration the addition of the parmesan.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Entree
• Method: Oven, Stovetop
• Cuisine: Vegan, Italian

Keywords: Baked Ziti, Italian, Entree, Vegan, Easy, Oil-Free

Nutrition facts label provided by Nutri Fox.

Disclaimer: The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional’s advice. This page may contain affiliate links, which simply means that we earn a commission if you purchase through those links, but your price remains the same. Thank you for supporting Sweet Simple Vegan!