Vegan Baked Rigatoni is an easy weeknight meal ! No pre-cooking the pasta, no precooking the lentils needed for This comforting one-dish pasta made with rigatoni, lentil bolognese and cheesy tofu mozzarella topping. Gluten free option, Nutfree option.
Recipe Snapshot
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 54 minutes
- Total time: 59 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 1 lb Uncooked rigatoni (or penne or ziti)
- 28 oz jar of pasta sauce (or marinara sauce or tomato basil sauce)
- 1/3 cup dried split red lentils (or 1/4 cup of red lentils + 1/4 cup of coarsely chopped walnut for best texture)
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp italian seasoning (Or mix of basil, oregano or thyme)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups water
For the tofu mozzarella topping
- 7 oz firm tofu or silken tofu
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp miso (or 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tsp flour
Method
- In 9 X 13 inch pan, add the pasta and distribute evenly. Add the pasta sauce, lentils, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning and water. And mix well. If the pasta sauce does not have enough salt, add some salt and mix really well and even it out with a spatula. Cover with foil and bake at 350F (180c) for 50 minutes
- For the tofu mozzarella, blend all the ingredients until smooth, taste and adjust salt and flavor and set aside. (For Soyfree, use my liquid cashew mozzarella)
- Remove the pan from the oven and carefully remove the foil. Now pour the tofu mozzarella over the Pasta and put it back into the oven and broil it for 3-4 mins until browning, Add a drizzle of olive oil and pepper flakes and serve.
Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note
Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.