Easy Vegan Sausage Pasta Bake Recipe

This Vegan Sausage Pasta Bake is the ultimate comfort food! It’s cheesy, saucy, and super comforting. It’s also surprisingly easy to make, even on a busy weeknight! It’s a great recipe for feeding a crowd or for prepping lunches for the week. If you’re looking for more delicious vegan main courses, be sure to check out my collection here!

😋 Why You’ll love this recipe!

• Indulgent and Healthy: This pasta dish is pure comfort food! It’s cheesy, saucy, and packed with flavour, but it’s also made with wholesome ingredients that are pretty good for you. 
• Easy Weeknight Meal: It’s surprisingly easy to throw together. Most of the cooking time is hands-off while it’s in the oven, making it a great option for busy weeknights.
• Family Meal or Meal Prep: It’s one of those family-friendly recipes. It makes six portions, so it’s perfect for the whole family or for prepping lunches for the week.
• One-Pan Wonder: It’s a super simple recipe, so as long as you have a casserole dish that goes in the oven, then this is a one-pan meal, so there’s not much to clean up afterwards. 

📝 Ingredient notes

Olive Oil (2 tbsp): I’m going for an Italian esque recipe here, so olive oil is my standard choice. But if you prefer a different oil, feel free to use that instead.

Tinned Tomatoes (2 x 400g): These are the base of our sauce. Chopped or plum tomatoes will work—whatever you’ve got in the cupboard.

Tomato Paste (2 tbsp): This adds a nice punch of tomato flavour and helps thicken the sauce.

Wholewheat Pasta (500g): I like wholewheat pasta because it’s got a nice nutty flavour and a bit more fibre. But any pasta you like will do the job.

Garlic Cloves (3) & Red Onion (1 large): These two are the backbone of so many Italian-inspired dishes. They’ll form the flavour base we’ll build off later.

Smoked Paprika (1 tbsp) & Dried Basil (1 tbsp): Basil is a classic Italian herb, and I love the smoky warmth that the paprika brings. If you’re not a fan of smoked paprika, just leave it out.

Nutritional Yeast (4 tbsp): Nutritional yeast is a vegan essential! It gives the dish a cheesy taste!

Vegan Sausages (450g): I used the Linda McCartney sausages for this recipe, but any vegan sausages will work. Just choose the ones you like best and have around!

Peppers (2): I like to use one red bell pepper and one yellow one for a bit of colour and sweetness.

Vegan Liquid Mozzarella: This will create a gooey, cheesy topping for our pasta bake. You can use my recipe [here]. If you don’t want to make your own and you can get your hands on some Miyoko’s Kitchen liquid mozzarella, then use that. Otherwise, just use your favourite vegan cheese.

🥣 How to make this vegan sausage pasta bake

1. Prep the Cheese: If you’re using my Liquid Mozzarella, get that made up first. Otherwise, grab your Miyoko’s Kitchen liquid mozzarella (if you can find it!), or just use your favourite vegan cheese.
2. Prep the Veg: Slice the onion into half-moons, the peppers into thin slices, and mince the garlic.

3. Cook the Pasta: In a separate pan get some water boiling for the pasta. When it’s bubbling away, add the pasta and cook it for 2-3 minutes less than the package instructions. It should be less than al dente, as it will finish cooking in the sauce later. Set it aside for now, but make sure to keep at least half a litre (2 cups) of that pasta cooking water—we’ll need it later.
4. Fry the Veg: Fry the onion and peppers in the casserole dish over a medium heat in 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil with a little salt and pepper. We’ll save the other half tablespoon for later. If you don’t have a casserole dish that goes in the oven, just use a large pan for the sauce, then transfer everything to a baking dish when it’s time to go in the oven.

5. Cook the Sausages: While the veg is frying, cook your vegan sausages according to the package instructions. I just did mine in the air fryer. When they’re done, chop them into bite-sized chunks of tasty pieces of meat-free sausage and set them aside.

6. Add the Garlic: When the veg is almost done and starting to colour, add the garlic and cook for a few minutes. Don’t let it burn! If it starts to stick, add a splash of water to loosen it up.
7. Bloom the Spices: Do the same with the smoked paprika and basil, adding a little water to help them bloom and release their lovely aromas.

8. Simmer the Pasta Sauce: Now, add the chopped tomatoes, and some water (about a tins worth) give it a little mix, and stir in the nutritional yeast. Once it’s up to a simmer, turn the heat down and let it cook for at least 10-15 minutes. The longer you let it simmer into a rich tomato sauce, the better it will taste, but this recipe is meant to be a quick-ish weeknight dinner. This is also a good time to preheat your oven to 180˚C (350˚F).

9. Bring It All Together: Once the sauce is done, it’s time to assemble the pasta bake. Add the sausage and cooked pasta to the sauce, give it all a good mix, and taste for seasoning. It will probably need a little more salt and black pepper. Depending on the quality of the tomatoes you used, the sauce might be a little thin. If that’s the case, add a tablespoon or two of tomato paste and some of that reserved pasta water until you have the right consistency. It should be a little on the thinner side, as the pasta will continue to cook in the oven.

10. Top with Cheese: Top it with as much of the liquid mozzarella as you like. I use quite a lot because I’ve always been a big fan of cheesy pasta bakes!
11. Bake: Bake it in your preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until the ‘cheese’ looks golden and melted.

11. Finishing Touches: Take it out of the oven and brush the reserved 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over the top for that classic cheesy sheen. Then, add a little sprinkle of smoked paprika, and you’re done you have one of my favourite vegan pasta recipes!

🎨 Potential variations

• Spicy Sausage Pasta Bake: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, or some chilli powder to the sauce for a bit of a kick!
• Lemon Veg Pasta Bake: Bulk up the dish with your favourite vegetables, such as broccoli, courgette (zucchini), baby spinach or kale. Then add a little lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice to bring it all together. 

🤔 Frequently asked questions

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think!

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