Vegan Cheesy Baked Ziti
Baked ziti is one of those crowd-pleasing comfort dishes that can feel impossible to recreate without dairy — but this version proves that's simply not the case. The secret weapon is a silky cashew cream blended with nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and garlic powder, which delivers that rich, creamy layer you'd expect from a classic ricotta filling. A from-scratch tomato sauce built with sautéed onion, garlic, crushed tomatoes, and dried herbs gives the whole dish a deeply savory backbone that tastes like it simmered all day. Shredded vegan cheese gets layered in twice — once in the middle and once blanketed across the top — so every forkful has that satisfying, melty pull. The pasta goes into the oven slightly underdone on purpose, finishing in the sauce so it absorbs all that flavor and stays perfectly tender rather than mushy. At 6 servings, it's an ideal make-ahead dinner for a weeknight or a dish worth bringing to a gathering where you want to quietly impress everyone at the table. Let it rest for a few minutes before digging in, and don't skip the torn fresh basil — it brightens the whole thing beautifully.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
For the pasta
- 1 lb dry ziti pasta
- 1 tbsp salt
For the cashew cream
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in cold water for at least 4 hours or in boiling water for 30 minutes, then drained
- 1 cup water
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp salt
For the tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
For assembly
- 1 ½ cups vegan cheese, shredded, divided
For serving
- ¼ cup fresh basil, torn (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Drain the soaked cashews and add them to a blender with 1 cup water, the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Blend on high until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
- 2
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tbsp salt. Cook the ziti for 2 minutes less than the package directions indicate — it should be quite firm, as it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.
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