Comforting and family friendly vegan pasta bake! With a rich tomato sauce, vegan sausage and cheesy white sauce that’s baked to crispy perfection!

This vegan pasta bake is everything you want from a saucy cheesy pasta dish!

It’s firm favourite in our house and for good reason! With colder days creeping up we crave comforting meals that are delicious and easy to make.

This is actually one of my boyfriends signature dishes so he’s the inspiration behind it, and I’ve tweaked it with some of my favourite things!

For the sauce, we start with a base of red onion, garlic and red pepper. This adds sweetness to the sauce.

Adding sausage to this dish is optional but we love the extra flavour and protein it adds. You could switch it for vegan mince, ‘chicken’ pieces or vegan meatballs.

If you’re in the UK our favourite vegan sausages are Richmond Meat Free, Naked Glory or Sainsbury’s Shroomdogs.

Here’s what you’ll need for vegan pasta bake:

• Red onion
• Garlic
• Red pepper
• Vegan sausage (or other vegan protein)
• Chopped tomatoes (in a tin)
• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Tomato puree
• Balsamic vinegar
• Italian herbs
• Pasta of choice

For the white sauce:

• Vegan butter
• Flour
• Vegan milk (any, unsweetened)
• Dijon mustard
• Vegan cheese (cheddar and mozzarella)

For the sun dried tomatoes you want to use the kind in a jar in oil. The oil is packed with flavour and we will be adding some to the dish.

You can use any type of milk for the white sauce, I usually use unsweetened almond or oat milk.

For the cheese, I use Violife Epic Mature – this is the closest to dairy cheddar in my opinion. For the vegan mozzarella I use Sheese Mozzarella Style – it melts really nicely, it’s also great for pizza!

How to make vegan pasta bake:

Start with the homemade tomato sauce. Finely chop a red onion and fry on medium heat for a few minutes.

Then add finely chopped red pepper and garlic. Leave this cook until both the onion and pepper is really soft. This is going to bring the sweetness out in the pepper.

Now add the chopped tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, sun dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar and herbs. Bring to a gentle simmer and leave for about 15 minutes until it has thickened and deepened in colour.

In a separate pan, fry the sausages. Cut them into small chunks and fry until crispy. Leave aside until everything else is ready.

To make the cheesy white sauce melt butter in a saucepan on low heat. Once it’s melted add the flour and stir until it forms a roux/paste.

Now add the milk gradually whilst whisking until it forms a smooth sauce. Add the cheese and whisk again until melted. It will thicken the sauce. Set aside.

Cook the pasta until al dente and place in an oven proof dish. You can use any pasta type you want but i love using penne or rigatoni as chunks of sauce get sucked up the tubes.

Once the tomato sauce it cooked, taste and season with salt and pepper and pour over the pasta.

Add the sausage pieces and stir it all together. Pour the white sauce over the top so it is evenly spread. I like to leave some gaps on the edges for the pasta to crisp up.

Sprinkle grated vegan cheese on top and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes until melted and bubbling at the sides!

How much cheese you add is completely up to you – I always go extra cheesy and love the mix of vegan cheddar and mozzarella.

Plus, it wouldn’t be a pasta bake with that crispy melted cheese layer on top!

I like to serve with a side salad and garlic bread! But it is equally delicious just as it is!

It will serve 4-6 depending whether you serve it with sides. And will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge.

For more vegan pasta recipes you may enjoy these:

Creamy butternut squash pasta

Roasted red pepper and sundried tomato pasta

Vegan meatballs in marinara sauce

Roasted courgette pesto pasta

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