Creamy Vegan Noodle Casserole

Bowl of Vegan Noodle Casserole with a fork.

5 from 4 votes

This vegan noodle casserole is made with veggies, noodles and a creamy sauce, baked to bubbly perfection and topped with a crispy panko breadcrumb coating. A delicious dairy-free comfort food meal that's infinitely customizable!

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Soak Time4

Total Time5 10

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 558kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

10 ounces dried rotini pasta (about 3 ½ cups of pasta)
½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4 to 8 hours, drained and rinsed
1 cup water
3 tablespoons vegan butter, divided
8 ounces button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2 medium celery stalks, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
3 vegetable bouillon cubes, crushed (Note 1)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup frozen peas, thawed
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup panko breadcrumbs

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions. Drain the pasta into a colander when done.
Place the cashews and water into a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Coat the bottom of a large skillet with two tablespoons of the vegan butter and place it over medium heat.
When the butter has melted, add the mushroom slices in a relatively even layer. (Note 2)
Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove them from the skillet and transfer them to a plate when done.
Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Once the butter melts, add the onion, celery, and carrots.
Cook the veggies for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften.
Add the garlic and flour. Stir the mixture well to coat the vegetables with flour and continue cooking the mixture for about 1 minute.
Slowly begin adding the non-dairy milk, stirring in just a bit at a time to prevent the flour from clumping. Once all of the milk has been added, stir in the cashew mixture, bouillon, thyme, and cooked mushrooms.
Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a low boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened slightly. Preheat the oven to 350°F while the sauce simmers.
Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Combine the cooked pasta, sauce mixture and peas in a 2-quart casserole dish. (Note 3)
Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
Cover the casserole dish and place it into the oven. Bake the casserole for about 20 minutes, until heated throughout.
Remove the foil from the dish and sprinkle the casserole with panko breadcrumbs. Bake 5 minutes more.
Let the casserole sit out for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

Bouillon paste can also be used. Make sure to only use as much bouillon as you'd need for 3 cups of broth (some brands of bouillon cubes are made for 2 cups - check the label).
Cook the mushrooms in batches if the skillet becomes too crowded.
A 9 x 9 inch baking dish is perfect.
This recipe makes 4 pretty generous servings. You could also get 5 or 6 smaller servings out of it.

Nutrition