I love Italian food, especially lasagna, but don’t always feel like taking the time and energy to make it.
So when I am craving noodle filled, cheesy, saucy Italian goodness in a hurry, this quick Italian noodle bake fits the bill!
It’s delicious comfort food at it’s best! Like lasagna but easier!! And sometimes I am just in the mood for easier!!
I especially love the wide eggless ribbon noddles that we use, but if you can’t find any near you, feel free to use any noodle you like. This quick recipe also freezes and reheats well, so Its perfect for meal prep!
You can use any easy ground meat substitute you like. Vegan round sausage or beef. Store-bought or homemade ground seitan would work.
This recipe also has lots of cheese. Which I am always a fan of. You can buy vegan cheese already shred, or try your hand at making your own easy vegan cheese! We have lots of sliceable, shreddable vegan cheese recipes on the the site that would be delicious in this recipe, and even a super easy vegan cream cheese recipe that is my all time favorite !
Thanks goodness for easy comfort food vegan dinners!
INGREDIENTS:
16 oz package of wide ribbon eggless noodles
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 lb Lightlife ground “beef” or sausage, or any other ground vegan meat you like
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 small red or yellow bell pepper, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup non dairy plain yogurt
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
3 tablespoons non dairy cream cheese
1 cup vegan cheddar shreds, homemade or store bought
1 cup vegan mozzarella shreds, homemade or store bought
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Boil Noodles according to package instructions. Drain noodles and mix in the yogurt, cream cheese, and dijon mustard. Set aside.
In a large skillet, add a few teaspoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and pepper to the pan. Cook until the veggies are soft. Add the Lightlife and break apart into a crumble using a spatula. Allow the meatless crumble to cook through.
Once the the meatless crumbles have cooked through, add the can of crushed tomatoes to the same pan. Add the thyme, oregano, salt and pepper and allow the sauce to simmer for about 10 minutes.
In a large casserole dish or 9x13, add half of the noodles to the bottom. Top the noodles with half of the sauce mixture. Next, add the remaining noodles and top with the remaining sauce.
Sprinkle the top with the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses ,and place on the top rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes. Long enough to melt the cheese and heat the casserole through.
This recipe works well for meal prep. You can easily freeze any leftovers and thaw to reheat for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
