What's for Dinner? Vegetarian Pasta Bake no cheese

Sue Maree P -

What's for Dinner? Vegetarian pasta bake no cheese was created using up what vegetables were in my fridge and baked with a gluten-free oat milk béchamel sauce I made for another video. In this vegetarian pasta bake recipe, the vegetables include; roasted onion, fennel, and courgette, combined with my homemade tomato sauce, topped with the gluten-free béchamel. A little tip is to roast the vegetables, make the pasta sauce and béchamel ahead of time, and then be ready and waiting to whip up in a hurry.
This vegetarian pasta bake without cheese is perfect to make ahead of time and have ready and waiting to eat when needed. We even ate the veg pasta bake reheated for lunch a few days later and it was still moist and flavourful. We even ate the veg pasta bake reheated for lunch a few days later and it was still moist and flavourful.

What milk did I use in the béchamel sauce to make it gluten-free and vegan?
My favourite oat milk; Oatly brand. Oatly is one of the original manufacturers of Oat milk based in Sweden.  To clarify, Oatly brand oat milk is made with gluten free oats.

What flour did I use to make the béchamel sauce gluten-free and not gluey?
A equals amounts of tapioca and white rice flour.

What fat did I use to make the starting roux?
Olive oil, it worked perfectly fine, and the flavour was not noticeable. Be sure to cook a little to remove the starch.

Can you make a gluten free béchamel taste good without cheese?
I always add a little mustard to my bechamel both vegan and non vegan and nutritional yeast replaces the parmesan cheese.

Bakes = vegetable 30mins + pasta bake 15 mins
Serves = 4


Ingredients

  • *Pasta your favourite shape (we love Trofie) – 250g (about two heaped cups depending on shape)
  • Tin of chopped tomatoes – 400g
  • Sliced Fennel – 1
  • Large Onion – 1
  • Garlic  – 1-2
  • Courgette (zucchini) – 1 roughly chopped
  • Finely chopped Carrot and celery (optional) – 1/2 cup of each
  • Spices and herbs of choice
  • *Sugar or maple syrup (optional) – 1 tsp
  • Add other vegetables if you have them, tomatoes, peppers,
  • Homemade Oat Milk Béchamel Sauce – 500 ml (2 cups)
  • Water for pasta – 1500ml, 1.5 litres

Method

Step 1
Prepare the béchamel ahead of time and let rest to thicken. This can be made the day before. See my recipe here

Step 2
Preheat the oven to 200˚C, Gas Mark 6

Step 3
Chop the vegetables to roast, add to a large baking tray lined with baking paper and drizzle with a little oil. Roast for 30 mins.

Step 4
BOIL the water about 1.5 litres and add your pasta and cook slightly under the time required, this is called al dente, as the pasta will finish cooking in the oven.

Step 5
Finely chop 1/2 onion, thinly slice garlic or use a garlic crush and finely chopped celery. Sauté well until soft. Add salt and pepper, dried basil and oregano. Add the tin of chopped tomatoes and a little sugar or liquid sweetener to balance the acid in the tomatoes.

Step 6
Add the cooked roasted vegetables and cooked pasta to the tomato sauce stir in the finely chopped leafy greens or spinach. Then add the béchamel sauce to the top and bake for 15 minutes at 180˚C.

Step 7
Remove and rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve with a leafy green salad or pan fried tossed greens.

Sue Maree P Cooking Tips

  • BÉCHAMEL prepare the ahead of time
  • STORE covered in the fridge for a few days, this works very well reheated and is not dry. I didn't even have to add any extra water.
  • SUGAR – why add sweetener to your tomato sauce, this is an Italian inspired tip to balance the acid in the tomatoes. Optional but this does make the sauce more balanced.
  • PASTA use gluten-free pasta if preferred