This vegan vegetable casserole with baked veggies is packed with flavor from juicy marinara sauce to hearty vegetables and the sharpness of vegan cheese. It's like a garden in a casserole dish and is also perfect after a trip to the Farmers' Market!
And if you double-check the ingredients you use, you can also very easily make this dish gluten-free.
My husband does not eat vegan, so we are always looking for dishes he can pair with the meat of his choice (he likes grilled chicken or grilled fish with this). He loves this vegan vegetable casserole with baked veggies for this exact purpose!
Vegan pairings: I like to add a handful of pasta to mine to make it a full meal. Or, I eat it like a curry over rice and a handful of chickpeas for protein. If you want a completely grain-free meal, however, you can add it over a bed of cauliflower rice and/or sauteed kale.
We also love to meal prep, and this one gives us 6-8 very filling servings in an hour. It's also a great dinner party dish!
Cooking Note: I do recommend cooking the vegetables prior to baking them, even though some recipes just toss them in and bake. While just baking saves time, cooking the vegetables prior really helps their unique flavors stand out. It's worth it!
Before we get to the recipe, I am picky about quality ingredients, and I do recommend certain ingredients for this dish.
Best Ingredient Recommendations
For the most authentic style dish, use these specific ingredients. You can buy easily buy them on Amazon below:
- Bianci DiNapoli tomato sauce: This sauce hails from James Beard Award-Winning Restaurateur Chris Bianco and 3rd Generation Tomato Processor Rob DiNapoli. We buy it at our local Italian Market, and I can't imagine eating any other tomato-based sauce. It's as juicy, flavorful, and fresh as if the tomatoes were picked in your own garden.
- Violife mozzarella shreds: I'm very picky about vegan cheese, and this is one of the very few cheeses I do recommend. It's highly rated on Amazon, used by my local award-winning vegan pizza place and satisfies even my non-vegan husband. It's pretty darn close to "the real thing." It's also gluten-free.
Vegan Vegetable Casserole with Baked Veggies Recipe
Vegan Vegetable Casserole with Baked Veggies Recipe
This vegan vegetable casserole with baked veggies is packed with flavor from juicy marinara sauce to hearty vegetables and the zing of vegan cheese. It's like a garden in a casserole dish and is also perfect after a trip to the Farmers' Market!
Ingredients
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 medium sized eggplant, chopped
- 2 medium sized zucchini, sliced
- 1 yellow squash, sliced
- ½ pound sliced mushrooms (i.e., cremini, white)
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped (or ½ a large onion)
- 1 jar your favorite marinara sauce
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 cups vegan mozzarella cheese (or ¼ cup nutritional yeast)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- basil, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add the eggplant and cook, stirring until softened, about 6-8 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggplant to a casserole dish.
- Add 2 more tablespoons olive oil to the pan.
- Add the zucchini and squash and cook until the center is softened, about 4-6 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the zucchini and squash to the casserole dish.
- Add 2 more tablespoons olive oil to the pan.
- Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the mushrooms and onions to the casserole dish.
- Add the nutritional yeast, salt and pepper.
- Add the marinara sauce and toss to distribute it evenly.
- Sprinkle with vegan cheese, then garnish with basil.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until cheese is melted.
- Let it cool for 5 minutes.
Notes
- Cooking the vegetables separately before baking them helps each vegetable maintain its own unique flavor. It's worth the extra time!
- If you don't have, don't like or don't want to use vegan cheese, you can sprinkle ¼ cup nutritional yeast on top instead.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 271Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 290mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 10g
Best Vegan Italian Cookbook
Also, since this is a blog “where books meet lifestyle,” I am pairing this recipe with the following related cookbook for more like this recipe:
Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen is my go-to cookbook for vegan Italian food. Chef Chloe Coscarelli won Cupcake Wars with her vegan cupcakes and is a ray of light with the most interesting and delectable recipes. This cookbook is filled with "150 Pizzas, Pastas, Pestos, Risottos, & Lots of Creamy Italian Classics" and it's probably my most-used cookbook.
Related Vegan Italian Recipe Posts
If you enjoy vegan food, check out more of my simple vegan (and mostly gluten-free) Italian recipes:
- Spicy penne alla vodka sauce
- Spring pasta with lemon, asparagus, peas & mushrooms
- Pasta fagioli soup
- Creamy tortellini soup
- Pasta primavera with red sauce
Pin this vegan vegetable casserole with baked veggies recipe to Pinterest so you can refer back to it.