Italian Spaghetti Casserole

This vegan casserole takes the baked ziti concept and makes it entirely plant-based. Broken spaghetti mixed with a nutritional yeast “cheesy” sauce forms the base, a tofu ricotta filling goes on top, and a homemade tomato sauce with oregano, basil, and garlic finishes it off. Three distinct layers, all dairy-free.

Nutritional yeast pulls double duty here. It goes into the spaghetti layer and the ricotta filling, adding that savory, cheesy flavor that’s hard to replicate in vegan cooking. The yeasty, almost parmesan-like taste fools most people at the table.

The tomato sauce is built from scratch using the liquid from the canned tomatoes as the cooking base. Simmering onions and green pepper in that tomato liquid concentrates the flavor before tomato paste and herbs go in. No added oil in the sauce keeps it clean and light.

Cooling the spaghetti under cold water before assembling stops the cooking process so the noodles don’t turn mushy during baking.

Pro Tips

• Break the spaghetti into short pieces before cooking. Long strands tangle into clumps and don’t layer evenly in the casserole.
• Spread the tofu ricotta carefully with the back of a spoon. It’s thick and can pull up the spaghetti layer underneath if you’re rough.
• Let the casserole stand 5 minutes after baking. This sets the layers so slices hold together on the plate.
• Egg replacer binds the spaghetti layer. Don’t skip it or the noodles won’t hold together as a cohesive base.

Variations

• Add spinach: Fold wilted spinach into the tofu ricotta filling for extra nutrition and color.
• Mushroom layer: Saute sliced mushrooms and layer them between the spaghetti and the tofu ricotta for more umami depth.
• Gluten-free pasta: Use gluten-free spaghetti and check that all other ingredients are certified GF.