No-Boil Pesto Pasta Bake | Vegan & Gluten-Free

This dump-and-bake Pesto Pasta is made from only 7 plant-based ingredients and with only 5 minutes of prep time! A cozy and fuss-free weeknight dinner.

This No-Boil Pesto Pasta Bake is made with only 5 minutes of prep time and from 7 plant-based ingredients, making it the perfect weeknight dinner! Hearty noodles, mushrooms, tomatoes, and olives simmer in a pesto-infused broth in the oven, meaning all you have to do is dump, stir, bake, and enjoy.

INGREDIENTS FOR PESTO PASTA BAKE

Like I said, you’ll only need 7 ingredients for this simple (yet hearty!) recipe:

• Dry Pasta: I used a gluten-free rotini for this recipe, but glutinous pasta will work as well. I recommend sticking with shorter pasta shapes to prevent breakage in the oven, but shells, macaroni, or penne would also work here.
• Pesto: my Vegan Nut-Free Pesto works perfectly here, but you can also use store-bought pesto in a pinch.
• Vegetable Broth: adds extra flavor to our pasta and veggies, while also providing the moisture our pasta needs to cook in the oven
• Veggies: the combination of hearty mushrooms, tangy tomatoes, and briny olives help to complement our pesto sauce.
• Nutritional Yeast: adds an extra touch of cheesy flavor! If you’d like this dish to have some heat you can also add some red pepper flakes like I did.

HOW TO MAKE NO BOIL PESTO PASTA BAKE

One of the greatest things about dump-and-bake recipes is the minimal prep time. You really only need to add everything to a casserole dish and mix well, then bake in the oven! The key to this recipe is to make sure the pasta is fully submerged in the vegetable broth before baking – this will ensure perfectly cooked noodles once the timer goes off.

1. Whisk the pesto, vegetable broth, and nutritional yeast together to create our seasoned cooking liquid
2. Mix in the pasta and vegetables, then cover tightly with aluminum foil.
3. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the pasta is fully cooked
4. Serve and enjoy! 🙂

Not only are no boil pasta recipes convenient, but they’re extra tasty too. The pasta cooks with the sauce and added vegetables so it’s infused with even more flavor! I also love how versatile these recipes are – you’re more than welcome to add or subtract the vegetables as you wish. Just try to keep the overall volume of vegetables the same, so the pasta cooks evenly.

This No-Boil Vegan Pesto Pasta Bake makes for an ideal cozy and hearty weeknight dinner, especially because it’s so fuss-free! I like to serve this alongside a light salad, but you can also get extra fancy and bring out the vegan garlic bread for a full feast. This recipe is best served fresh, but any leftovers can be stores in the fridge for up to 5 days and are best reheated on the stovetop with a splash of water in a nonstick pan.

If you’re looking for more no boil pasta recipes, you’ll also love this Chickpea Noodle Casserole and this No-Boil Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff!

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 Pesto Pasta Bake

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 20 reviews

This dump-and-bake Pesto Pasta is made from only 7 plant-based ingredients and with only 5 minutes of prep time! A cozy and fuss-free weeknight dinner.

• Author: Caitlin Shoemaker
• Prep Time: 5 Minutes
• Cook Time: 40 Minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
• Category: Main
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/2 cup Nut-Free Pesto
• 3 cups vegetable broth (store-bought or homemade)
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 8 ounces gluten-free pasta*, I used rotini
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 dry pint cherry or grape tomatoes, left whole
• 10–12 Kalamata olives, sliced in half (around 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• Fresh Basil, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Prep: preheat the oven to 425F and set a 9×13″ casserole dish aside.
2. Dump: add the pesto, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, and red pepper flakes (if using) to the casserole dish and whisk well. Then, add the pasta, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and Kalamata olives. Mix until evenly distributed, then use a spatula or spoon to press everything down evenly into the sauce, especially the pasta noodles.
3. 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 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and add salt to taste, if desired. If the pasta sauce appears too runny for your taste, let the dish sit for 5 or so minutes; it will thicken as it cools.
4. Serve warm topped with fresh basil, or as desired. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and are best eaten within 5 days.

Notes

• Substitutions: store-bought pesto can be used instead of homemade. Any variety of pasta can be used here, but I recommend using shorter shapes to prevent breakage. The added veggies can also be swapped or omitted, but I would keep the overall volume about the same — otherwise the pasta will not cook evenly.

Keywords: pesto pasta, vegan pesto pasta, no boil pasta vegan, pesto casserole vegan