This vegan pasta dish consists of penne cooked in a flavorful and creamy tomato curry sauce and topped with a rich layer of vegan cheese! It's made in one skillet in less than 1 hour! Plant-based, easy, flavorful, and with a gluten-free option!
The weather is getting colder meaning the comforting dishes have to come back!
Comforting is exactly what this dish is about: pasta cooked in a flavorful tomato sauce infused with Indian spices, and topped with a rich and cheesy sauce.
You guys seem to love Indian-inspired recipes like this Instant Pot Cauliflower Tikka Masala, Dal Palak, or these Potato & Green Bean Stuffed Naans, so I have no doubt you're going to love this one! Let's do it!
🥣 How to Make this Pasta Bake
It starts with the penne that is cooked until perfectly tender. I went with penne, but you could use macaroni, fusilli, or tortellini! Just adjust the boiling time according to the package instructions.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the curry sauce. It consists of garlic and ginger that are sautéed for a few minutes with spices like garam masala, turmeric, chili, and cumin. Then, add crushed tomatoes and coconut milk for creaminess.
Drain your pasta and add it to the skillet. Stir to coat the pasta with the curry sauce and bake uncovered for about 10 minutes. This step will allow the pasta to soak up some of the sauce.
Next, you want to top the pasta skillet with the cheese sauce. For the sauce, I went with soaked cashews that are blended with nutritional yeast for cheesiness, miso for umami, and onion and garlic powder. I also added some maple syrup and a tablespoon of white wine to give it a deeper flavor.
Another 10-15 minutes in the oven, a few minutes under the grill, and you end up with a beautiful golden brown pasta bake. The pasta on top is almost crispy while the inside remains saucy, SO good! Top with chopped cilantro and serve warm!
💬 FAQ
- Can I make this ahead of time? This pasta bake is best served immediately after baking for the best texture and flavor. You can, however, prepare the curry and the cheese sauce up to 3 days ahead. Then, simply cook the pasta, coat it with the sauce, and bake as noted in the recipe.
- How can I make this recipe gluten-free? Simply omit the miso and use your favorite gluten-free pasta!
If you are looking for a cozy and filling pasta bake, you are going to love this one! It is cheesy, saucy, and flavorful thanks to the addition of Indian spices. Plus, it's made in one skillet!
🍛 More Indian-Inspired Recipes
Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!
📖 Recipe
Cheesy Tikka Masala Pasta Bake
Ingredients
Cheesy Sauce
- 1 cup raw cashews soaked overnight
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 1 tablespoon white wine
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
Pasta Bake
- 12 ounces penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon each: turmeric, chili
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 and ½ cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup water
- for topping: fresh cilantro
Instructions
Cheesy Sauce
- Drain the cashews and transfer to a high-speed blender. Add all the other ingredients: water, nutritional yeast, miso, white wine, maple syrup, cornstarch, onion and garlic powder, and turmeric.
- Blend on high speed for about 10 seconds, or until smooth. Taste and add salt if needed (depending on how salty your miso is). Transfer the cheese sauce to a small bowl and set aside.
Pasta Bake
- Cook the penne according to the package instructions.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large iron skillet. Once hot, add the garlic and grated ginger, and sautée for about 3 minutes.
- Add the garam masala, turmeric, chili, cumin, and salt, and cook for one more minute. Pour in the crushed tomatoes with their juice, maple syrup, coconut milk, and water.
- Let simmer for 5-7 minutes. Next, drain the penne pasta and add it to the skillet. Stir to coat the pasta with the sauce. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and pour the cheesy sauce over the pasta. Use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly.
- Bake for another 15 minutes or until the cheesy sauce is golden brown. You can put it under the grill the last few minutes for a better caramelization.
- Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes before serving. This pasta bake is best served the same day but will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, cover with foil and warm in a 400°F preheated oven for about 30 minutes.
Notes
- If you don't have an iron skillet, you can transfer the pasta to a baking dish.
looks yum!
because I'm weird, will try this as a lasagna.
Not weird, sounds like a good idea 🙂
This looks brilliant! I'm definitely going to try this soon, because I've been wanting something cozy, cheesy, and baked to usher in autumn. I appreciate that you don't just use packaged non-dairy cheese, but provide a less processed option. Thanks!
Great! Let me know if you try it! 🙂
Hi! I would love to try this recipe but I cannot buy white miso - is there anything similar that I could use instead?
Thanks xx
Miso red or white are so useful in a lot of recipes you can buy it on line you may want to check it out~
Hi Jo, just omit! 🙂
Delicious!!! Have tried it yesterday. will make again - for sure!
Thank you, Thomas 🙂
Awesome! Thanks for your feedback Sara! 🙂
I made this recipe and it is delicious! Thank you Thomas for creating this awesome dish. I'm saving this one in my favorites!
You're welcome Steve!
Ooohhh momma trying this asap yum!
This is the ultimate comfort food, I just love it. I’m too lazy to make the cheesy sauce and it’s still amazing.
Thanks for your feedback Kristie!
I have two sons that are begins that we eat vegan a lot at our house. I've made this three times and it's consistent and wonderful every time.
This time I didn't have wine so I just took some soy-based Parmesan sprinkles and added it to the cheese mixture. It's a keeper!
I have used your sight more than any other vegan site to make really good vegan food and a lot of times it's very beautiful and elegant dish. My other favorite is the green Thai curry Bowl absolutely love that one!
Thanks so much for your kind words Debra! I'm glad you are your sons liked this recipe 🙂
Bonjour Thomas,
J'ai essayé cette recette hier soir. Vraiment facile et délicieux. La sauce était parfaite et bien épicée. C'était la première fois que je mélangeais pâtes alimentaires et sauce à l'indienne. Le tout se marie à merveille. Merci encore pour cette inspiration.
Bonjour Pierre,
Merci pour ton retour !
This is seriously amazing! I never thought of Tikka Masala on pasta !! Gonna to try soon !
Thanks Abi 😉
I’m going to make this tomorrow. Recipe is on clear on the chili. Is it a chili pepper or chili powder? Thank you!
It is chili powder.
This is such a delicious twist on the pasta bake i normally make. My teenagers loved it and are taking the leftovers to school for lunch today with a salad. I think this will be another regular feature in our house. Thanks Thomas for yet another winning recipe. Im making my way through your whole recipe collection and cant fault a single thing x
Thanks for your kind words Gen, I really appreciate it 🙂
I'm glad you and your teenagers loved this pasta bake!