This creamy, one-dish pasta bake skips the boiling entirely. It's a ridiculously easy meal packed with protein and fiber: everything goes into the baking dish, then into the oven. That's dinner.
Why This Recipe Works
The pasta goes into the dish completely dry and cooks right in the sauce. The liquid from the canned peas (or white beans) makes the sauce creamy without cream—or extra work. Nutritional yeast adds a deeply cheesy flavor along with protein.
Soy yogurt helps hold the sauce together and keeps it from drying out in the oven. The result? One baking dish with about 62 grams of protein and 30 grams of fiber.
Tips for Success
- Don't drain the can. All that liquid goes into the blender. It's part of the sauce.
- Cover tightly. A layer of parchment paper topped with aluminum foil traps the steam that cooks the pasta.
- If the liquid doesn't almost cover the pasta, add 1/2 cup boiling water and stir again.
- Using white beans gives you a thicker sauce and about 6 more grams of protein per dish.
Creamy One-Dish Vegan Pasta Bake
Dry pasta, canned peas or white beans, nutritional yeast, and soy yogurt—all in one baking dish, with no need to boil the pasta first.
Ingredients
- 250 g (8.8 oz) dry pasta (fusilli, penne, or shells)
- 1 can green peas or white beans, with all the liquid (do not drain)
- 2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 150 g (5.3 oz) plain unsweetened soy yogurt
- 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 handful cherry tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2-3/4 cup boiling water, if needed
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
In a tall container, use an immersion blender to blend the peas (or beans) and all their liquid with the nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy.
Put the dry pasta in a baking dish. Pour in the blended sauce and add the soy yogurt, then stir well. If the liquid doesn't almost cover the pasta, add 1/2 cup boiling water and stir again.
Scatter the cherry tomatoes over the top and drizzle with olive oil.
Cover tightly with parchment paper, then aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the parchment and foil, then bake for another 5-7 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the sauce is thick and bubbling.
Nutrition
For the entire dish (3-4 servings):
- Pea version: Approximately 1,370 calories, 62 grams protein, 225 grams carbohydrates, 30 grams fiber, and 24 grams fat.
- White bean version: Approximately 1,470 calories, 68 grams protein, 245 grams carbohydrates, 35 grams fiber, and 24 grams fat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this without soy yogurt?
Yes. Swap in plain coconut yogurt or another half can of pureed white beans. With either swap, add a little extra boiling water.
What pasta works best?
Short shapes with ridges or curves, like fusilli, penne, or shells. Very thin pasta will soften too quickly in the oven.
Can I boost the protein?
Yes! Using lentil or chickpea pasta instead of wheat pasta adds about 20 grams of protein to the whole dish.
Looking for more high-protein meals? Check out my vegan meal plans by calorie level.
