Vegan Cauliflower Pasta Bake
Looking for a plant-based comfort meal that is packed with flavour and can be cooked and served in one pot? This Vegan Cauliflower Pasta Bake is exactly what you need. The creamy sauce is a blend of cauliflower, tender potatoes, mushroom broth, and cashew milk. That beautifully coats the pasta, sautéed mushrooms, and cauliflower florets to create this delicious, hearty meal.Make ahead for an easy weeknight dinner or meal-prep for a busy week. It is a vegan meal that is sure to please everyone.
Ingredients
- 1 small white or yellow cauliflower cut into medium florets
- 1 small purple cauliflower cut into small florets
- 3 small yellow potatoes peeled & cut into ½-inch cubes
- 18 oz penne pasta 500g
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 12 oz cashew milk, warmed 354 ml
- 12 oz mushroom stock, warmed 354 ml
- 1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast completely optional
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 3 tablespoons Becel or vegan butter
- 14 oz button mushrooms, halved 400g
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme leaves picked
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon hot chilli flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 5 oz baby spinach, 142g
Toppings
- 6 tablespoons Panko breadcrumbs
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves picked
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For Finishing
- Lemon zest optional
- Thyme leaves optional
Instructions
Boil the Cauliflower and Potatoes
- Bring a 6-quart Rondeau or an ovenproof sauté pan with salted water to a boil. Add the yellow (or white - not the purple!) cauliflower florets and the potato cubes. Return to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 8 minutes until the cauliflower and potatoes are soft. Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to remove the cauliflower & potatoes from the water and place into a full-size blender.
Boil Pasta
- Using the same pan/pot and water, add the pasta and bring back up to a boil (adding more water if required). Lower the heat to simmer and cook the pasta for ⅔ of the package recommended time (do not cook fully). Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water. Strain and set aside. Return the pot to the stove.
Finish off Cauliflower Sauce
- While the pasta cooks, carefully place the lid on the blender and blend until cauliflower & potatoes are mostly smooth.
- In the drained pasta pot, add the olive oil, along with the flour. Stir over a medium heat until smooth and cook for 1 minute. Gradually pour the warmed liquids (mushroom stock & cashew milk), ½ cup at a time, into the flour paste in the pot, stir until smooth before adding the next portion of liquid. Once all the liquid has been added, simmer over medium-low heat for 2 minutes (mixture will remain relatively thin, not saucy).
- Pour the hot contents of the pot into the blender with the cauliflower mixture and add the Dijon mustard. Ensure the lid stays on (place a tea towel over the lid to be safe) and blend until silky, smooth, and thick. (You may need to do this in batches if your blender is not large enough.) Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Preheat Oven
- Preheat the oven to 335°F convect bake (350°F regular bake).
Sauté the Mushrooms & Wilt the Spinach
- In the same pan, heat the vegan “butter” over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until beginning to shrink and release liquid (about 5 minutes). Next add the garlic, thyme, chilli flakes and a pinch of salt to the frying pan, turn the heat down to low and cook for 1 minute. Add the uncooked (purple) cauliflower and spinach to the pan, cover with a lid and steam for 3-5 minutes until the greens have wilted. Remove from the heat.
Combine Sauce, Pasta, Mushroom Mixture
- Add the pasta to the pan and toss to coat. Add the sauce and stir to fully combine sauce, pasta, mushrooms & greens.
Add the Toppings & Bake
- Mix the topping ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle over the pasta. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the sauce is gently bubbling and the topping is slightly browned.
- If desired, turn on the broiler for the last 3 or 4 minutes for a crispier top. Watch carefully, so that it does not burn.
Serve and Enjoy
- Divide between bowls, sprinkle with lemon zest and serve hot. Enjoy!
Rate this Recipe
- If you make this, please leave a review letting us know how it was! Each review helps so much! Thank you!Video
Notes
Pro-Tips:
- Prep the cauliflower sauce, mushrooms, and pasta the day before, then just toss it all together. Refrigerate, once cooled. The next day top it with breadcrumb mixture and bake. Add and extra 15-30 minutes cook time, depending on how cold it is.
- Watch out for that garlic! If you have a particularly potent batch, use a less to avoid overpowering the dish.
- Also, keep the purple cauliflower separate from the potatoes when boiling—trust me, unless you are going for purple sauce! Alternatively, you can skip the purple cauliflower altogether and stick to all white.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!