Summer Veggie Pasta Bake

This recipe brings the flavors of the Mediterranean home along with fresh herbs, rich pasta sauce, and even homemade vegan ricotta cheese.

Vegetables and fresh tomatoes bake into marinara sauce and form a decadent topping for your favorite pasta. Learn how to make your own flavorful and creamy ricotta from tofu – a perfect addition to this recipe and can be used in many other ways! 

Special Ingredients

  • Dried herbs – you can always substitute fresh herbs for dried. You will simply need to use more! For example, for every 1 teaspoon of dried herbs, use 1 tablespoon fresh. 
  • Marinara sauce – choose your favorite! Be sure to pick one that is vegan, as many sauces can have added meat or fish. 
  • Extra-firm tofu – this style of tofu will crumble a bit the way dairy cheese does, so it is a great substitute and can hold up to the process of making vegan ricotta.
  • Nutritional yeast – this will add “cheese” flavor to the homemade ricotta and is commonly used in vegan recipes. Nutritional yeast also has nutrients and vitamins that benefit a vegan diet. 
  • Mellow white miso paste adds a great depth of flavor and “umami” flavors common in cheeses. This fermented soy and rice paste has a milder flavor than other types of miso. It can be found in Asian grocery stores or some supermarkets, usually in the refrigerated sections. 

Substitutions

  • If you aren’t fond of eggplant, you can swap it for yellow squash. The texture will be similar, and yellow squash will also add beautiful color to this dish.
  • Substitute kale with spinach if you would prefer. Spinach will be milder in flavor than kale, and be sure to rip or chop the spinach leaves so that you don’t get large pieces in your finished dish. 
  • Rigatoni or similar pasta is the best option to hold up against the vegetables, but other large and sturdy pasta shapes can work just as well. Penne pasta works well in baked dishes or even sheets of lasagne that have been broken down into large pieces. Be sure to choose vegan pasta! 
  • If you cannot find white miso paste, you can substitute both soy sauce and tahini for the miso. If you are using only soy sauce, use half the amount of soy sauce as miso paste. Tahini (sesame seed butter) is an excellent substitute for miso since the texture is very similar. Still, the flavor is a bit more on the bitter side, so a small splash of soy sauce and the tahini will make the closest substitute. 

How can I make vegan ricotta? 

You can make delicious vegan ricotta that adds a tangy and creamy element to this pasta bake with just a few simple ingredients. Tofu makes up the ricotta base for texture, and additions of nutritional yeast, olive oil, garlic, white miso paste, lemon juice, salt, and pepper will add tangy flavors. 

Making vegan ricotta is easy! Simply place all the ingredients into a food processor (or blender, if you don’t have a food processor) and pulse until it is creamy with a bit of a crumbly texture—season with salt and pepper to taste. Vegan ricotta will keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, although you may need to stir it to recombine it before using it. 

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 eggplants, chopped
  • 2 zucchinis, chopped
  • 1 bunch kale, destemmed and chopped
  • 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons dried basil
  • 2 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 2 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 24oz jar marinara sauce

TOFU RICOTTA

  • 1 14oz package of extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
  • 3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 teaspoons mellow white miso
  • juice from 1/2 lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 400F
  2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions and then set it aside
  3. Prepare the tofu ricotta by adding the tofu, white miso, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic, and lemon juice to a food processor or blender and blend, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
  4. Add salt and pepper to taste and place in the fridge for later.
  5. Add the chopped eggplant and zucchini, olive oil, basil, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, and toss to a large mixing bowl. Then spread in an even layer on a lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
  6. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and toss the kale with the zucchini and eggplant. Return to oven for 2 more minutes.
  7. Remove veggies from the oven and add to a baking dish. Then add in the pasta, marinara sauce, and tomatoes. Toss to combine well and top with the vegan tofu ricotta. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.
  8. Remove from the oven and serve it up hot.
VEGGIE PASTA BAKE

Summer Pasta Bake

Dominique Ebra
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Course Main Course, Pasta
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 eggplants chopped
  • 2 zucchinis chopped
  • 1 bunch kale destemmed and chopped
  • 3 medium tomatoes chopped
  • 2 tbsp dried basil
  • 2 tbsp dried thyme
  • 1 24 oz jar marinara sauce

TOFU RICOTTA

  • 1 14oz package extra-firm tofu drained and pressed
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 tsp mellow white miso
  • juice from 1/2 lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400F
  • Cook the pasta according to the package directions and set it aside
  • Prepare the tofu ricotta by adding the tofu, white miso, olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic, and lemon juice to a food processor or blender and blend, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste and place in the fridge for later.
  • To a large mixing bowl, add the chopped eggplant and zucchini, olive oil, basil, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper, and toss. Then spread in an even layer on a lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
  • Remove the baking sheet from the oven and toss the kale with the zucchini and eggplant. Return to oven for 2 more minutes.
  • Remove veggies from the oven and add to a baking dish. Then add in the pasta, marinara sauce, and tomatoes. Toss to combine well and top with the vegan tofu ricotta. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes,
  • Remove from the oven and serve it up hot.