Pasta Bake With Veggie Meatballs

A hearty midweek family dinner, full of creamy, cheesy pasta, topped with the best veggie meatballs and fresh basil. When we’re in need of filling comfort food, our pasta bake always gets our vote. You can make it in 30 minutes, and what’s even better is that it freezes well – what’s not to love?

Why you’ll love this recipe

• It’s so easy to make, with just 10 minutes prep and 20 minutes in the oven, you can easily make this any night of the week.

• Our veggie pasta bake is a real crowd pleaser, we’ve had vegetarians and meat-eaters around the same table, and everyone has asked for seconds!

• This is comfort food that’s good all year round, no matter what the season, if you need a filling family pasta dinner, then this is the recipe for you!

• It’s very easy to adapt this veggie pasta bake into a vegan pasta bake by substituting just two ingredients.

• Created for speed, there’s no need to make a marinara sauce for this pasta bake recipe (although a marinara sauce would work great).

What are the best veggie meatballs to use?

We’ve used our own recipe veggie meatballs that are sensational, they are made with lentils and mushrooms, and are like a real flavor powerhouse – you’ve got to try them! They freeze very well, so you can make a batch and use them whenever you need them.

We know that you don’t always have time to make your own, you have a busy life – right?

So, you can definitely use your favorite store-bought brand, there’s no right or wrong here!

Our cheesy baked pasta with the most delicious vegetarian meatballs is quite addictive, make more than you think you’ll need because your family will ask for seconds.

What’s the best pasta to use?

We’ve used rigatoni pasta in our veggie pasta bake, but you could easily use penne pasta, cavatappi, fusilli, rotini, farfalle (bowtie), gemelli, ziti, or any pasta shape you have in your store-cupboard.

How do I cook pasta?

The first thing you need to do is to bring a pan of water to a boil and then add salt to it.

Why salted water? By salting your pasta water, you ensure that your pasta is perfectly seasoned and doesn’t have a bland taste to it.

How long should you cook pasta?

Each pasta and pasta manufacturer will differ, cook it over medium heat according to package directions.

For our vegetarian pasta bake we recommend cooking your pasta for 2 minutes less than according to package directions, you need your pasta to be al dente.

How to make vegetarian pasta bake with meatballs – step by step instructions

Preheat your oven.

Bring a pan of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta according to package directions, then drain it and set it aside.

Now pour your chopped tomatoes into an oven-proof dish.

Then, add cooked pasta into the tomatoes and stir so the cooked pasta is covered with a tomato sauce.

Season with salt and pepper.

Make sure that the pasta is evenly spread over the oven-proof baking dish and then spread the créme fraiche over the top of the pasta, so it’s all covered with a light layer, a soft dairy move that also shows up in this Boursin cheesy pasta, where herbed cheese plays the same creamy role.

Now, place your veggie meatballs on top, make sure they are evenly spaced out.

Next, take your mozzarella cheese and tear it into pieces and scatter it evenly over the dish.

Season once more with black pepper.

Place your oven-proof baking dish on a baking sheet, to catch any cheese that oozes over the edge and bake for 20 minutes.

Once cooked it should be golden brown on the top and piping hot inside.

Serve on a plate or in a pasta bowl with fresh basil leaves garnish.

Bellissimo – enjoy your perfect family weeknight vegetarian meal!

Want to add some veggies?

You could easily add some vegetables to pasta bake, baby spinach, roasted vegetables, green beans, bell peppers, and any veggies in your pantry will make healthy additions to this delicious dish.

Can I make this ahead?

Yes, you can.

Assemble your vegetable pasta bake by following our instructions in the recipe card and get to the point of cooking, instead of placing it in the oven, cover your baking dish with parchment paper and place your pasta bake in the fridge.

You can make it in the morning and cook it in the evening, just take it out of the fridge and keep it at room temperature for an hour before cooking.

This pasta bake also freezes very well.

Freeze baked pasta, rather than uncooked, let it completely cool down, and then make sure you wrap it, so it is airtight and it’ll freeze for 2 months.

Let the veggie pasta bake thaw in the fridge overnight before you reheat it.

Should I use Italian seasoning?

You’ll see in our recipe that we haven’t suggested using Italian seasoning and this is because our veggie meatballs are packed with Italian seasoning.

If you’re not following our veggie meatball recipe, then check to see if your store-bought veggie meatballs have good seasoning.

If you think they could do with an Italian seasoning boost, then add it to the tomato sauce and stir it in so it’s well combined.

Recipe notes and tips

• Need to make this a vegan pasta bake?
  Make this a vegan pasta bake by using vegan cheese and vegan créme fraiche; ensure you use vegan pasta. Stir in a little nutritional yeast for extra flavor.
• Can I use marinara sauce in this baked pasta?
  Yes, you certainly can, marinara sauce would work very well, for speed we’ve used a tomato sauce.
• Want to make it extra cheesy?
  Sprinkle vegetarian parmesan cheese over the pasta bake when it comes out of the oven.
• Love a little spice?
  Sprinkle red pepper flakes over the créme fraiche, the more you like your food spicy, the more red pepper flakes you should sprinkle!
• Want a secret ingredient tip?
  Add in some black olives for an additional flavor boost!
• Got leftovers?
  We think it tastes great cold the next day for lunch!

More vegetarian pasta recipes that you will love

• Four cheese and mushroom lasagne – loaded with four different kinds of cheese, this is a family favorite that you must try!

• Quick mushroom pasta – creamy, nutty and on your table in just 25 minutes, this is a great veggie pasta dish is a mid-week winner!

• Pasta alla Sorrentina – full of sweet tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and garlic, we love the simplicity of this recipe!

• Tahini pasta – full of sesame flavor with vegan bacon bits, this vegan pasta dish is loved by everyone, nobody can belive it’s vegan!

• Vegetable pasta bake – easy, cheesy, and full of flavor, another one of our ‘go to’ baked pasta dishes.