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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
Would the cooking time be increased with whole wheat pasta shells or should they be par-boiled? Thanks!
Whole wheat pasta generally takes longer to cook so you may have to cook longer or parboil it.
Amazing! Recipe instructions are perfect. A great make-ahead lunch that’s easy to re-heat in the microwave.
Totally agree with you there!
Really liked this recipe. Have a busy week coming up and I wanted to make something that we could eat for a couple days. It was delicious and easy to prepare. Initially I forgot the chickpeas some how, but just pulled it out of the oven and added them in. Worked out just fine. Is definitely a contender for a thanksgiving main dish. Reminded me of a pot pie, but with pasta.
★★★★★
I’m glad it all worked out! I totally see what you mean with the pot pie flavors – I have a pot pie on the blog as well and its pretty similar!
This looks delish but was wondering if I could replace cashew with something else as I am allergic to them. I can use almonds or even pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
Thank you
I think soaked blanched almonds would be the best option of those 3! You could also try using tofu instead, but it will be less creamy
Just made this for dinner tonight and it was so yummy! My mom and my very picky eater of a kid liked it too. The liquid amount really is perfect and the pasta came out just right. My sauce didn’t come out smooth and creamy though. Maybe I didn’t soak the cashews long enough? 8 hrs? Otherwise it was perfect and I will definitely make it again.
★★★★★
Thanks Cat! My guess is it would be your blender – you need to use a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, or a strong bullet blender will also work well.
I made this for dinner last night and it was so easy and SO delicious! This will definitely be a staple in my home from now on!
★★★★★
Do you think it’s ok to leave out the cashews?
Would I reduce the amount of water? I do not mind if it is not as creamy! ^_^
It won’t be very creamy at all, I don’t think I would recommend it! If you choose to do it anyways I would keep the water the same
this recipe is SO GOOD! since discovering it, we make it almost weekly in our household. comes together so easy and tastes great! leftovers don’t last long around here, haha. thank you for another amazing recipe Caitlin!! ♡
★★★★★
Would there be a good substitute for the creamy cashew base for someone who doesn’t have a blender?
You could use the same amount of water, but whisk it with either 1/2 the amount of cashew butter, or equal parts vegan cream cheese. Full-fat coconut milk would also work well!
I just took my first bite and it is delicious. I’m always looking for easy, delicious vegan meals and this one fits the bill! I’m living the dump and bake recipes for the times I don’t feel like cooking and it’s such a bonus these ingredients are pantry staples!
★★★★★
Simple and amazing. I have cravings for this!
★★★★★
Love all your dump and bake pasta recipes! Do you think they would work in an Instant Pot? If so, do you have any setting recommendations?
★★★★★
Yes yes and yes! More of these please and thank you. We loved it. I doubled the nooch and spices plus I used a creamy lentil veggie broth. We used bow tie noodles because those are my husbands favorite. Also used a frozen peas and carrots blend for simplicity. Top notch! This will be a new family favorite, thank you so much!!!
★★★★★
Can you use dry garbanzo beans instead of canned?
If you were to use dry garbanzo beans you would need to cook them separately and then incorporate them into the recipe as written. You wouldn’t be able to add the dry garbanzo into the recipe to cook them that way.
I tried this today and used veggie bullion because that’s what I had on hand, and also added mushrooms that needed to be used up, and it is delicious! It smelled so good while baking I could hardly wait to try it! So easy to put together and I realize I could add pretty much any veggie I like in the future. I think adding bits of broccoli would be good. Thank you so much for your recipes and videos. I really appreciate the effort you put into doing this. Your recipes are some of the best!
★★★★★
Loved it! Love how easy it was to make
★★★★★
So easy and delicious! I seriously can’t stop daydreaming about the leftovers in my fridge. Definitely getting added to my regular rotation!
★★★★★
Cool! So happy to hear it!
This recipe is DELICIOUS! I have tried it with just regular rotini pasta noodles and also with the Banza chickpea noodles, both worked great. I have added some hemp hearts, chopped up spinach or kale and diced mushrooms, just delicious. My 16 month old toddler loves this recipe as well, just need to cut out any salt added and its perfect for toddlers.
Thanks!
★★★★★
How adorable! Thank you for making it and the notes on the types of pasta you used!
This recipe reminds me of pot pies that I love to make. It is hearty and a healthier but satisfying option. I had never made a sauce with cashews and used the method of boiling them for 20 minutes and it turned out great.
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it and got to try out the cashew cream!
Any dinner that can be prepped in less time than it takes the oven to preheat is a good dinner! The fact that this is delicious, hearty, and satisfying makes it even better!
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed it!