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This No-Boil Chickpea Noodle Casserole is cozy, hearty, and as easy as it gets! Noodles, chickpeas, and veggies get cooked in a creamy dairy-free sauce.
Imagine: a fuss-free, dump-and-bake casserole that tastes like the combination of chicken noodle soup and a creamy pot pie. Except, it’s also totally dairy-free & vegan. Sounds like a dream, right?
This post is proof that dreams do become reality – because this No-Boil Chickpea Noodle Casserole is all that, and more. This recipe is cozy, healthy, ridiculously easy, and incredibly satisfying.
INGREDIENTS FOR CHICKPEA NOODLE CASSEROLE
This recipe comes together using only simple, whole-food ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Dry Pasta: I used gluten-free rotini, but regular pasta will work as well. I recommend using shorter shapes for this recipe (spirals, shells, macaroni, etc). Spaghetti or other long shapes won’t work here.
- Chickpeas: pack a plant-based protein punch and give this recipe some extra heartiness!
- Soaked Cashews act as the creamy base for our dairy-free pasta sauce. If you have a high-powered blender, it’s ok if you forget to soak them 😉
- Chicken-Flavored Bouillon: adds a TON of faux-meat flavor! If that’s not your thing, use vegetable broth instead.
- Allll the veggies: a.k.a. onion, celery, carrot, and peas! Each of these budget-friendly veggies helps to add volume, extra flavor, and some fun color as well.
- Spices & Seasonings: nutritional yeast adds some cheesiness, while smoked paprika and poultry seasoning adds some smokiness and depth of flavor. Garlic powder and black pepper add a little extra zing – and let’s face it, garlic just makes everything taste better.
HOW TO MAKE NO BOIL PASTA
The secret to No-Boil pasta bakes is to use just the right amount of liquid. We want enough liquid to cook the noodles properly, plus a little extra to create a creamy sauce. Luckily I’ve already done all the testing for you, and all you have to do is follow the recipe!
- Blend some soaked cashews with water, spices, and vegan chicken-flavored bouillon until thick and creamy.
- Toss the uncooked pasta with the diced vegetables, then pour the creamy sauce on top.
- Cover & Bake in the oven for 50 minutes, then let sit for 5 minutes to set.
- Serve and Enjoy!
This Chickpea Noodle Casserole is everything — it’s cozy, it’s creamy, it’s delicious, and it’s also packed with veggies and great for you! Cooking the pasta noodles in the creamy sauce allows them to become infused with even more flavor, plus the starch from the pasta helps to make the sauce even creamier.
This fuss-free meal is the perfect weeknight dinner, but it’s also fancy enough to serve to guests! It’s surprisingly budget-friendly too, so basically it’s the best recipe ever. Don’t just take it from me though — now it’s your turn to make it and see for yourself! I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.
If you’re looking for more cozy (yet wholesome!) recipes, you’ll also love this One Pot Mushroom Stroganoff, this Spinach & Artichoke Casserole, and this Chickpea and Rice Casserole!
Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂
No-Boil Chickpea Noodle Casserole
This Vegan No-Boil Chickpea Noodle Casserole is cozy, hearty, and as easy as it gets! Noodles, chickpeas, and veggies get cooked in a creamy dairy-free sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 50 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Main
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
For the Creamy Sauce:
- 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight*
- 3 1/2 cups filtered water
- 1 tablespoon vegan chicken-flavored bouillon (or sub 3 1/2 cups veg broth)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning*
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
For the Casserole:
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta* (gluten-free or regular)
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, sliced
- 2/3 cup (100 g) carrot, peeled and diced
- 2/3 cup (100 g) frozen peas; no need to thaw
Instructions
- Prep: preheat the oven to 425F and set a 9×13″ casserole pan aside.
- Blend: add the soaked and drained cashews, water, bouillon, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, and black pepper to a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 45-60 seconds, until the cashews completely dissolve and you are left with a smooth and creamy sauce.
- Mix: add the pasta, chickpeas, onion, celery, carrot, and peas to the casserole dish and mix until evenly distributed. Pour the sauce over the casserole, then use a spatula or spoon to press everything down evenly into the sauce, especially the pasta noodles.
- Bake: Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil (or parchment paper, followed by aluminum foil) and bake in the middle rack of the oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before uncovering. You may notice that the pasta is cooked, but a few noodles on top are not covered in sauce; because of this, I like to stir the casserole before serving, to evenly distribute the sauce.
- Serve warm; leftovers can be stored in the fridge and are best eaten within 5 days
Notes
- If you forget to soak your cashews ahead of time, you can (1) cover them in boiling water and let sit for 20 minutes, or (2) cover them with water and microwave for 3 minutes, then let sit for 3-5 minutes before draining.
- Substitutions: vegan chicken broth can be replaced with vegetable broth. Poultry seasoning is mostly a blend of dried sage and thyme, so you can replace it with either one or both of those spices. To save prep time, use 1 1/3 cups of a frozen carrot and pea blend instead of cutting fresh carrots into small pieces.
- Pasta: I recommend using a short noodle for this recipe, such as rotini, shells, or macaroni.
Keywords: vegan casserole, vegan noodle casserole, no boil casserole vegan, vegan chicken noodle casserole, dairy free casserole, vegan pasta bake, healthy vegan casserole
I made this today and it’s so delicious and super easy. I love that it’s (vegan) chicken pot pie in the form of pasta. I don’t think we have vegan chicken-flavored bouillon where I’m from though so I just used a Kallo vegetable stock cube. Also, to anyone reading this, don’t forget to taste the sauce after blending to see if it needs some salt (I added about a tablespoon) or anything else.
★★★★★
Happy that you enjoyed it!
So easy and delicious! I love this recipe. Definitely has a “pot pie” vibe that is so satisfying. Sometimes I’ll add in extra veggies if I have some on hand that I need to use up. It adapts well to packing in extra veggies or is also perfect on its own. A favorite for us.
★★★★★
For sure a great way to use up some extra veggies!
Absolutely loved this recipe! Mine was a pinch too thick/less creamy but that was my own fault because I accidentally used too many noodles and it absorbed more liquid than it should have…that being said 10/10 flavor and coziness. Absolutely delicious- tastes like chicken pot pie in casserole form! Definitely making again!
★★★★★
It’s crazy how much noodles can drink up liquid! But so happy you made it, it’s the perfect time of year for some coziness.
I’ve made this several times and it always comes out perfectly! Currently whipping it up for Thanksgiving. Thank you for your wonderful recipes! Happy Holidays!
★★★★★
Happy holidays to you as well, hope you had a nice Thanksgiving!
I loved this recipe! It was easy to follow the directions and the ingredients were things I have on hand. I do enjoy making a casserole that is so hearty and nutritious and delicious! It turned out just how you explained. We all loved it and will make again for sure! I will be trying alot more of your recipes! Thank you so much for the recipe!
★★★★★
Yay! Glad you found the recipe accessible and that you enjoyed it. Let us know how you like some of the others!
I love this recipe! So delicious and easy, that I’ve made it twice in the last 3 weeks. I used all frozen veg and just cut some onion, and I like mine with a little hot sauce on top. Thanks for this great recipe!
★★★★★
Sounds perfect! Thanks so much for making, glad you found it easy!
Yum! Really easy to make and finished at the time listed. Usually when I make casseroles, I have to bake it longer or uncover it so that the liquid will absorb but this was perfect! I used Tolerant green lentil rotini pasta and it cooked really well 🙂
★★★★★
Awesome! Glad it cooked as expected!
Love this VERY easy recipe! I made it even easier by using all frozen veggies and then I only had to chop up the onion. I didn’t add the celery since I couldn’t find a small amount to buy so I just bulked up with the frozen veggies. I also managed to forget to add the chickpeas ????♀️ but it still totally worked and I just added them in afterwards. Thanks for your consistently delicious and easy recipes even if I don’t follow the recipe correctly lol
★★★★★
Luckily canned chickpeas mostly just need some warming up! So glad you liked it!
I just made this recipe – I loved it!! So creamy and filling. Would totally make it again!!
One complaint is that I misunderstood the recipe and thought that I needed to add 3 1/2 cups of water + 3 1/2 cups of vegetable broth.
Once I read another review I realized my mistake and just decided to double the recipe (which is great because I love left overs)!
Just wanted to share this in case anyone else falls from this same mistake!!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed it! And yes it is either the 3 1/2 cups water + bullion OR the 3 1/2 premade veggie broth. We’ll try and clear that up better. Thanks!
Really loved this casserole! I added some vegan cheese, broccoli, & coconut milk. The whole family loved it and it’s packed with nutrients 10/10
★★★★★
Glad you and your family enjoyed it!
This was amazing and so easy to make!! I may try and substitute soy curls instead of the chick peas next time I make this.
★★★★★
Let us know how that works out!
Loved how easy this recipe was to put together! I decided to sauté the onions first, doubled the nooch and tripled the poultry seasoning, paprika and garlic powder. Will definitely make again!
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it!
I’m curious why mine turned out more like a soup than casserole. I must have gotten confused and used too much broth! Can you tell me what the total amount of liquid is please? It’s still tasty, but obviously it should be a casserole and thick. I’ll try again! Thank you
Hey there! For the sauce it’s either the 3 1/2 cups water with a tablespoon of bouillon or 3 1/2 cups of liquid veggie broth. Which way did you go? The 3/4 cup cashews are soaked overnight and then drained which should help add creaminess. When the sauce is added into the casserole pan with all the other ingredients and baked it should be perfectly creamy!
Would a bean pasta like Banza work?
We haven’t tried it that way; Banza pasta will take about half the normal time to cook than plain pasta. Totally worth a shot but keep in mind your pasta may be overdone by the time the other ingredients are cooked through.
Can you sub cashew butter for the sauce?
You could sub out the 3/4 cup cashews for some cashew butter for the sauce and mix that in with the 3 1/2 cup broth. So the cashew butter should work in a pinch.
Just made this tonight and it was delicious! So simple, accessible, and tasty! This is the 3rd dump and bake recipe we’ve made of yours and we love them all. Thanks for sharing these recipes!!
★★★★★
So glad you liked it and have been enjoying the dump and bake series of recipes!
This recipe reminds me of the chicken pot pie from my childhood. I love that you throw everything in one pan and let it do it’s thing.
★★★★★
Throwing them all together just makes it so much easier! Glad it brought back some childhood memories. It’s definitely the right season for all the comfort holiday meals!
made this last night and it was a big hit in our household! so delicious. will definitely be making again. (:
★★★★★
Yay! So glad that it was a hit!
Excited to try this. I’ve really been enjoying your dump and bake casserole recipes. What a relief to find vegan one pan, stick in the oven and walk away for awhile recipes that taste delicious! I didn’t even realize how much I missed the ease and comfort of casseroles (or as they call them in MN, “hot dish”) since going dairy free till I made yours. 🙂 Now I want more! I’d love anything with potatoes, casserole-y, stick in the oven type of thing, if you’re looking for ideas. 😉 Thanks for all of your truly great recipes. I come to your site whenever I need “what’s for dinner?” ideas because I know I can count on the exactness of your recipes and that they will taste great (“not weird” as my non-vegan, picky kid would say).
So glad you’ve been enjoying the dump and bake recipes and the content in general, that means a lot! Always open to ideas – thank you so much!
It was a chilly evening, so I made this recipe (so happy the ingredients are all staples!) and it turned out great! I added more garlic, onion and celery, because that’s just me, and used a 12 ounce bag of mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn & beans) because that’s what I had, and it was SO good. Your seasonings and the amount of liquid was perfect – it came out creamy and luscious. This is the BEST no-boil pasta casserole I’ve ever tried. Thank you so much for sharing!
★★★★★
Glad you had everything you need! And thanks so much for the kind words, it’s much appreciated!