This pasta dish is loaded with a delicious vegan meaty sauce, homemade vegan ricotta, ziti pasta and vegan cheese. It can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta and gluten-free vegan “meat”! You’ll want to soak your cashews and press your tofu ahead of time so keep that in mind before starting.
Ingredients
- ziti pasta (gluten-free if desired)
- olive oil
- Impossible sausage (or vegan sausage/grounds of choice – this is our favorite)
- white onion
- jarred minced garlic (stock up here)
- Italian seasoning
- crushed red pepper (optional – adds a kick)
- marinara sauce (this one is the best)
- canned diced tomatoes
- extra-firm tofu
- raw unsalted cashews (these are on sale right now for a great deal!)
- salt
- lemon juice
- garlic and onion powder
- vegan mozzarella and parmesan shreds
Although this list of ingredients may seem daunting – we promise it’s actually a pretty easy recipe! Making your own ricotta is simpler than you would think and a complete game changer. Find another version of it in our Cashew & Tofu “Ricotta” Stuffed Shells w/ Sweet Potato as well.
How to make this ziti dish
Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (190°C) and setting aside a 9 x 13 inch (22 x 33-cm) baking dish. Next, cook your pasta to just under al dente – it will do a little more cooking in the oven. Drain and rinse then toss in a bit of oil if not using right away.
While the pasta is cooking, make your pasta sauce. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add your vegan sausage and onion and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring and breaking apart often. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. Stir in the Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper then add the Marinara sauce and tomatoes. Simmer for around 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
Make the ricotta by blending the soaked cashews with water, salt, garlic powder, onion powder and lemon juice. Add to a large bowl and add the tofu by breaking it up. Stir or whisk to fully incorporate the tofu – whisking will give you a smoother consistency.
Now that you have your pasta cooked and sauce and ricotta ready – it’s time to compile the dish! First, spread a layer of sauce on bottom of the baking dish. Add small globs of the ricotta evenly, using around half of the ricotta. Spread the cooked pasta on top. Pour the rest of the sauce over the pasta – gently stirring it in with the noodles. Dot and lightly spread the rest of ricotta and sprinkle with vegan mozzarella and parmesan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes in the preheated oven – until the cheese has melted and dish is hot.
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Baked Ziti
Ingredients
Pasta
- 1 (16 oz [453 g]) package ziti pasta (gluten-free if desired)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
"Meat" sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 (14 oz [397 g]) package Impossible sausage defrosted (not frozen)
- 1 medium-sized white onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced or 1 tbsp (9 g) jarred minced garlic
- 1 tbsp (6 g) Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper add more for extra spice or omit for no spice
- 1 (24 oz [680 g]) jar marinara sauce
- 1 (8 oz [227 g]) can diced tomatoes
"Ricotta"
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews soaked and drained (see notes)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 (14 oz [396 g]) block firm or extra firm tofu pressed (see notes)
For assembling
- 1 cup (113 g) vegan mozzarella cheese shreds
- 1 cup (113 g) vegan parmesan cheese shreds can sub for mozzarella if needed
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and set aside a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking dish.
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions, until just under al dente. Once cooked, drain and rinse in cold water, place back in the pot and toss with the olive oil to keep from sticking.
Prepare the "meat" sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and onion and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring and breaking apart often, until the onion is translucent and the sausage is cooked through.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the Marinara sauce and diced tomatoes. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring consistently. Lower the heat to low, bringing the mixture to a simmer. Let cook for 7-10 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken. Stir occasionally.
Prepare the "ricotta"
- In a high-speed blender, add the soaked and drained cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder and salt and blend until creamy, scraping the sides as needed. Add to a large bowl.
- Crumble the pressed tofu into the bowl with the cashew cream. Mix well.
Assemble the baked ziti
- Spread a thin layer of sauce on bottom of prepared baking dish. Using a cookie scoop or spoon, place globs of the ricotta on top of the sauce, using about half of the ricotta. Lightly push it down to flatten the ricotta or spread with back of the spoon.
- Add the cooked pasta on top and spread evenly. Pour the rest of the sauce on the pasta, gently stirring it in with the noodles.
- Dot and lightly spread the rest of the ricotta on top.
- Sprinkle evenly with the mozzarella and parmesan shreds.
- Bake on the middle rack until the cheese has melted and the dish is heated through, about 25-30 minutes.
- Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
