This creamy and cheesy vegetarian pasta bake is easy to make from scratch. Pasta is baked in a silky cheese sauce with spinach and caramelized onions, and topped with goat cheese and fresh cherry tomatoes. Wonderfully rich and indulgent, this meat-free veggie pasta bake is a true favorite.
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This recipe was first posted in October 2017 and has been updated with an improved recipe and new photos.
There's nothing more comforting than a big bowl of pasta, and when it's this delicious it's hard to stop at one helping!
This vegetarian pasta bake is creamy, cheesy, sweet and salty, and it's complex flavors make it so addictive. Wonderfully cosy and filling, you won't miss the meat.
Cooked pasta is baked in a simple to make cheddar cheese sauce and the flavors are enhanced with caramelized red onions, baby spinach and goat cheese.
Made from scratch, this isn't a complicated recipe, but does take a little time. It's a great option for a weekend dinner, especially if you are feeding a crowd, and the leftovers are perfect to grab quickly in the week.
Be sure to check out my Creamy Lemon Salmon Pasta and Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Shells if you are a carb lover too!
Why you will love this recipe!
- Make ahead: This is a great option if you want to get ahead on your weeknight dinners! Make it up at the weekend and quickly reheat it when you don't have time to cook.
- Great for a crowd: This recipe makes enough to serve around 8 people, so it's a great option if you are hosting friends and family.
- Dietary info: This pasta bake is vegetarian.
Ingredients
For the caramelized onions
- Butter and oil: For cooking the onions. You can just use oil, but I like the richness that the butter adds.
- Onions: I like to use a mix of red and white onions, but you can use one or the other. I like the sweetness that the red onions add.
- Garlic: Use freshly minced garlic for the best flavor.
- Brown sugar: To balance out the tartness of the onions.
- Balsamic vinegar: This adds a great sweet tang, that cuts through the cheese sauce.
For the easy cheese sauce
This cheese sauce is a real game changer! No need to make a complicated roux, this comes together so easily and always turns out silky smooth!
- Butter: Use salted butter. If you use unsalted, add a little bit of additional salt to help season.
- Flour: This recipe uses all purpose plain flour.
- Milk: Use 2% milk.
- Cheese: This recipe uses a mix of mozzarella and strong cheddar cheeses. Use freshly grated cheese for the best texture.
- Dijon mustard: To add a slight tang to the cheese sauce.
For the pasta bake
- Pasta: I used tortiglioni pasta for this vegetarian pasta bake. It has ridges that the cheese sauce sicks to when baked. Rigatoni, penne or ziti all work great too.
- Spinach: Use baby spinach. Stir it into the pasta after draining so that it wilts. You may need to do this a handful at a time.
- Goat cheese: This creamy soft cheese adds an amazing tang and texture.
- Cherry tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes add a nice sweet freshness.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is spritzed over the top of the pasta bake to add zing and freshness to cut through the cheese sauce.
How to Make Creamy Vegetarian Pasta Bake
- Caramelize the onions (photo 1).
- Mix the cooked pasta with the baby spinach (photo 2).
- Add butter, flour and milk to a pot (photo 3).
- Heat and whisk til thick (photo 4).
- Stir in grated cheeses and seasonings (photo 5).
- Stir together the pasta, onions and cheese sauce (photo 6).
- Place into a baking dish and top with goat cheese and sliced cherry tomatoes (photo 7).
- Bake until golden brown (photo 8).
Recipe Variations
This cheesy vegetarian pasta bake is pretty delicious as it is, but you can easily adapt it to suit your tastes.
- Add more veggies: Saute up some bell pepper, zucchini or mushrooms and stir into the pasta before baking.
- Make it gluten-free: Use a gluten-free pasta and use a 1:1 GF flour to make the cheese sauce.
- Make it meaty: Add in some cooked shredded chicken or turkey, cooked sausage or browned ground beef.
Frequently Asked Questions
I often use dried pasta as it's so much more convenient, I always have some on hand in my pantry! If you have fresh pasta, you can certainly use that. There's no need to cook it first, just mix it right in with the cheese sauce and bake.
This pasta bake uses cheddar, mozzarella and goat cheese for a great mix of flavors and textures. You can certainly mix these up, try swapping the goats cheeses for a creamy blue gorgonzola, or try adding some grated smoked cheese to the cheese sauce.
I used a 13.5 x 9.5 inch glass casserole dish for this recipe, and one like this will work well. Make sure that it is oven proof so that it doesn't crack. You can also bake the pasta in smaller baking dishes if you want to make the recipe for meal prep and freezer meals.
Serving Suggestions
This cheesy vegetarian pasta bake is super filling and delicious by itself, but you can enjoy it with a side salad or bread too. Try it with:
Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating
Make ahead: You can caramelise the onions a day or two ahead of time, and you can build the whole dish and then keep it covered in the fridge for a day or two before baking.
Refrigerate: Once baked, let the pasta bake cool, then cover it and keep it refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Once baked and cooled, wrap the pasta bake well in foil and place in a freezer bag. It will keep well for up to 4 months.
Reheating: For best results, frozen bakes should be defrosted in the fridge overnight before reheating. They can be warmed from frozen, but will take longer. To reheat, cover the bake with foil and place in a preheated oven at 350F / 180c for 230 to 30 minutes til warmed through. Leftovers can also be enjoyed cold.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- You can use dried or fresh pasta - if you use dried, cook it first.
- Cook in a pre-heated oven for the best results.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Serve with a side salad or garlic bread if you are feeling indulgent!
- Don't overcook your pasta before adding it to the sauce. It will continue to cook in the oven so cook it al dente.
- If reheating, cover with foil so that the top doesn't burn.
This cheesy vegetarian pasta bake is perfect for those meat-free Mondays. With rich and sweet caramelized red onions, fresh spinach and creamy goats cheese, every bite is hands down delicious!
More Pasta Recipes
- Air Fryer Pasta Bake
- Pumpkin Pasta Sauce with Blue Cheese
- Garlic Parmesan Pasta
- Blue Cheese Pasta Sauce
- Goats Cheese Pasta with Beef
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Vegetarian Pasta Bake
Ingredients
For the onions
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 red onions finely chopped
- 1 white onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
For the cheese sauce
- 3.5 ounces salted butter (100g / ⅘ stick)
- ½ cup plain flour (8 tablespoons / 70g)
- 4¼ cups 2% milk (1 litre)
- 3.5 ounces mozzarella grated (100g)
- 3.5 ounces cheddar grated (100g)
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- salt and black pepper
For the pasta bake
- 9 ounces baby spinach fresh (260g)
- 3.5 ounces goats cheese (100g)
- 8 cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1.6 pounds dried pasta 750g
- juice of ½ lemon
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water til al dente. Drain.
- Place the hot pasta in a large bowl and stir in the baby spinach to wilt it. Set to one side.
For the onions
- To caramelize the onions, put a large frying pan on a low-medium heat and add the butter and oil.
- Once hot, add in the sliced onions and garlic cloves and cook for around 15 minutes, stirring occasional, until the onions soften.
- After 15 minutes, add the sugar and balsamic, and cook for another 15 minutes. Once caramelized, take off of the heat and put to one side.
To make the easy cheese sauce
- Place the butter, flour and milk in a saucepan on a medium heat.
- Once warm, start whisking until the ingredients get thick, this will take between 5 and 10 minutes. Be patient! When ready, the sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
- Take off of the heat and add in the grated cheeses, dijon mustard and a couple of generous pinches of salt and black pepper.
- Stir to incorporate and keep warm.
To make the pasta bake
- Pre heat the oven to 180ºc / 350ºf
- Add the onions and cheese sauce to the spinach and pasta and stir until well mixed.
- Spoon the pasta mix into a large, ovenproof dish and place the goats cheese and tomatoes on top. Drizzle with a little lemon juice
- Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes until piping hot. Brown the top of the pasta bake under the broiler for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can use dried or fresh pasta - if you use dried, cook it first.
- Cook in a pre-heated oven for the best results.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Serve with a side salad or garlic bread if you are feeling indulgent!
Stephanie Velte says
If you’re not a fan of goat cheese, can you recommend another cheese to use?
Slow The Cook Down says
Hi Stephanie, A strong cheddar or mozzarella would work well.
Happy Christmas - let me know what you think of the recipe 🙂
Betty x
Jane@ Littlesugarsnaps says
When you have goats cheese in a recipe meat becomes irrelevant anyway (I <3 goats cheese). I think both of my daughters would be so happy if I packed up some of this in their lunchboxes as you suggest.
Slow The Cook Down says
I agree Jane, goats cheese is the best! I always make a big batch of this, it's great for lunches!
Julie says
I sure wouldn't miss meat in this beauty! It looks absolutely delicious with all of that creamy goodness!
Slow The Cook Down says
Thank you Julie!
Christine | Mid-Life Croissant says
I'm 95% comforted just from drooling over the pictures. But I want to get all the way to 100% so I will have to make this asap.
Slow The Cook Down says
let me know if you give it a go 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
This is one delicious cozy dinner!
Slow The Cook Down says
...and it lasts for a couple of meals!
Linda Daunter says
Giving this a try tonight!
Slow The Cook Down says
Enjoy! 🙂