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No-Boil Broccoli Pasta Bake

This convenient and incredibly delicious No-Boil Broccoli Pasta Bake is easy, great for bulk-cooking, and will have you coming back for seconds!

Bowl of No-Boil Broccoli Pasta Bake next to a casserole dish, with text overlay

So, uh, hey! It’s been a minute, yeah? Maybe two months? Yikes! I have good reasons though. One: Corey and I got the “VID” late in January, and I did not have a fun time with it at all (plus, lost my sense of smell for a bit). Two: We bought a house! And holy moly it has been absolutely chaos from the loan to prepping the house to finally moving in two weeks ago. Can’t believe we’ve had keys for a month now!

Image collage of ingredients being poured into a blender for sauce

That being said, if you follow me on instagram or Facebook, you’ve seen some updates on house things. BUT, I will be uploading a house tour video (which will serve as a “before”), plus updates in terms of weeks, since there’s a lot going on. Some big things have already been replaced, some bigger things we found out need to be replaced (thanks for nothing Home Warranty). Basically, a warm welcome to home ownership. Lol!

Now, I’ve been cooking in my new-to-me kitchen the last week and finally feeling some semblance of normalcy, so of course it was time to get back to work! (These furnaces aren’t going to pay for themselves) This No-Boil Broccoli Pasta Bake has been at the top of my list to put up on the blog, because I made a slightly different version of it for IG back in December.

Image collage of assembling casserole in a baking dish

Plus, having an easy recipe like this – that makes plenty of leftovers – has been great to have on hand for the many days where I’m way too tired to cook something up. And though I have you sauté the veggies a little before baking, plus blend up a creamy cashew base, you just dump it all into a casserole dish, bake it and out comes a dreamy pasta dinner!

Substitutions and Tips

  • Cooking oil – if you want to make this recipe oil-free, just use water or vegetable broth to sauté the onions!
  • Cashews – nut allergy? Try using 1 cup raw sunflower seeds instead of cashews here. You may need to blend them a time or two more to get them really smooth.
  • Italian seasoning blend – this can be found in most grocery stores, but if you don’t have it on hand when making this recipe, you can make your own blend, easily!
  • Lemon juice – this is for both flavor and acidity, but if you don’t have lemons on hand, try 1 tablespoon white vinegar instead.
  • Chickpeas – this legume is versatile and fits well into this recipe, but you could also use white beans, steamed tempeh, or even vegan chicken in place of them. All will work!
  • Broccoli florets – if you trim these from the stalks, save the stalks for cutting up and using in stir fries or even making a salad out of them.
  • Pasta – now, I talk about this in the YouTube video, but gluten-filled pasta works best for a recipe like this. BUT, I have used gluten-free pasta successfully, it just has to be a blend (ie. brown rice + quinoa + starch), not legume-based. Or else they get mushy, and it’s not fun.
  • Reheating – if you’re saving some of this for later, add a little water to the pasta (a couple tablespoons) then heat it either in a pot or microwave. Because the cashew base is rich, it’ll be nice and creamy once stirred together.
  • Flavortown – to switch up the leftovers, sprinkle some lemon pepper over the pasta before reheating. OR, drizzle with a little truffle oil. Either option is SO good!!
Hand using spoon to scoop pasta casserole into a bowl

If you’re a fan of casseroles, don’t miss out on the ones below, as they have many fans!

Yield: 4-6

No-Boil Broccoli Pasta Bake

Bowl of No-Boil Broccoli Pasta Bake next to a casserole dish

This convenient and incredibly delicious No-Boil Broccoli Pasta Bake is easy, great for bulk-cooking, and will have you coming back for seconds!

Prep Time 7 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 52 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 cup (135 g) diced yellow onion
  • 15-ounce (425 g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups (135 g) bite-sized broccoli florets
  • 1 1/4 cups (160 g) raw cashews
  • 1 cup (235 ml) water
  • 2 tablespoons (10 g) nutritional yeast
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 12 ounces (340 ml) dry pasta
  • 5 cups (1183 ml) vegetable broth
  • Coarse salt, for finishing, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F (190C or gas mark 5), and have ready a 9x13-inch (13x23-cm) casserole dish.
  2. In a saute pan, over medium heat, warm oil. Once hot, saute onion for 3 to 5 minutes or until almost translucent. Add chickpeas, broccoli, and a pinch of salt to the pan and saute for 3 to 5 more minutes, or until the broccoli becomes bright green. Set aside.
  3. In a blender, place cashews, water, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Blend for 45 seconds, then let sit for 3 minutes, before blending until completely smooth (60+ seconds).
  4. Add dried pasta to the casserole dish, along with chickpea mix, cashew sauce, and vegetable broth. Gently stir to combine, then cover tightly with foil. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until most liquid is soaked up.
  5. Take dish out of the oven, uncover, stir, then return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, or until there is no excess liquid and noodles are cooked through. Top with a pinch of coarse salt and serve while warm. See notes for substitutions and tips.

Notes

  • Cooking oil - if you want to make this recipe oil-free, just use water or vegetable broth to sauté the onions!
  • Cashews - nut allergy? Try using 1 cup raw sunflower seeds instead of cashews here.
  • Lemon juice - this is for both flavor and acidity, but if you don't have lemons on hand, try 1 tablespoon white vinegar instead.
  • Chickpeas - this legume is versatile and fits well into this recipe, but you could also use white beans, steamed tempeh, or even vegan chicken in place of them. All will work!
  • Broccoli florets - if you trim these from the stalks, save the stalks for cutting up and using in stir fries or even making a salad out of them.
  • Pasta - now, I talk about this in the YouTube video, but gluten-filled pasta works best for a recipe like this.
  • Reheating - if you're saving some of this for later, add a little water to the pasta (a couple tablespoons) then heat it either in a pot or microwave. Because the cashew base is rich, it'll be nice and creamy once stirred together.

Did you make this recipe?

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Close up of white bowl with No-Boil Broccoli Pasta Bake next to a casserole dish
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Fall Vegan Meal Prep for Two - Vegan Yack Attack

Tuesday 26th of September 2023

[…] No-Boil Broccoli Pasta Bake […]

Kezia

Sunday 12th of February 2023

Making this was an adventure. It was my first experience not boiling pasta first, except for parboiled lasagna. My dish wouldn't fit the full 5 cups of liquid so I used a generous 4 and stirred in another splash at the bake-break. That worked fine for small shells. Variations: chopped carrots and zucchini in place of some of the broccoli, and lots of fresh parsley. About a teaspoon of paprika in the sauce and a dash of red pepper flakes. We still added tons of salt at the table.

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Sunday 9th of October 2022

[…] No-Boil Broccoli Pasta Bake by Vegan Yack […]

Mediterranean-Inspired Rice Bake - Vegan Yack Attack

Tuesday 1st of February 2022

[…] No-Boil Broccoli Pasta Bake […]

Theresa

Saturday 15th of January 2022

Will this work with homemade pasta macaroni's?

Jackie @ Vegan Yack Attack!

Wednesday 19th of January 2022

The pasta needs to be dry for this to work with the liquid measurements and timing.

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