This creamy lemon pasta is baked completely in the oven and has a protein-packed sauce made with silken tofu! This is a versatile dairy-free recipe that is ready in under 30 minutes.
I've been testing out silken tofu pasta sauce for years, and after successfully using it in this Mushroom Stroganoff, I decided it was time to try it out in a dump and bake recipe!
The result is this dairy-free but ultra-creamy Baked Lemon Broccoli Pasta. Elbow pasta and fresh broccoli cook together in just 15 minutes while you whip up a simple silken tofu sauce in a food processor or blender.
I initially intended this recipe to be a sort of vegan mac and cheese, but it ended up more like a pasta in lemon cream sauce.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Silken tofu: Think of this as the perfect blank slate to make a creamy vegan pasta sauce. It takes on the flavor of whatever it's paired with. Firm and extra firm tofu do not work in this recipe!
- Nutritional yeast: This adds a cheesy flavor to the sauce so that it leans slightly mac and cheese-esque. Don't skip this ingredient.
- Lemon juice and zest: Start with the lemon juice and add the zest for a stronger lemon flavor.
- Broccoli: Fresh or frozen works. For extra-tender broccoli, I recommend using frozen broccoli. It doesn't need to be thawed first, but it will likely take closer to 20-25 minutes to bake the pasta when using frozen broccoli.
Step-by-step instructions
- Layer the macaroni in an 8x11-inch baking dish. Top with the salt and boiling water or broth and stir. Top that with the broccoli. Season with salt, pepper, and optional olive oil. Don't stir. Cover tightly and bake at 400F for 15 minutes.
- Check the pasta. It should be done at 15 minutes. If it isn't, cover it and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes. Add extra water if it looks completely dried out.
- While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. Simply blend together the sauce ingredients, taste, and adjust as needed by adding extra salt or lemon juice.
- Combine the cooked pasta and broccoli with the sauce. I find that at this point the pasta is hot enough to warm up the sauce, but you can continue baking it for another few minutes to make the sauce extra hot.
Cassidy's tips
- Slice the broccoli into small florets. Even better, slice the florets in half. This ensures that it is tender at the same time as the pasta.
- I make the sauce in a food processor but a blender will also work.
- Pasta not hot enough after adding the sauce? Cover it with foil and return it to the oven for another 5 minutes. The sauce will be bubbling and very hot when you take it out of the oven.
- Add protein: Chickpeas, veggie sausage (like this Italian Sausage), and white beans are all great options.
- Switch up the veggies: A recipe tester said that frozen broccoli works as a great swap in place of fresh broccoli (Thanks, Ingrid!). Other great options are fresh or frozen green beans, cauliflower, peas, carrots, etc.
- Different pasta shapes: I recommend sticking to elbow pasta for this one unless you're okay with adjust the cook time slightly. I cant promise that other pasta shapes will cook at the same speed/water ratio as macaroni.
Storage tips
- Storage: Best within 3-4 days, keep refrigerated. The sauce and pasta thicken up in the fridge. Add a splash of water or broth to loosen up the sauce when reheating.
- Reheating: Reheats quickly in the microwave. If reheating in the oven, I recommend 325F and covering the pasta tightly so that it doesn't dry out.
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Lemon Baked Pasta with Broccoli
This is a dump & bake dairy-free pasta that features a lemon silken tofu sauce.
Equipment
- 8x11-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water; see note #1
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni see note #2
- ½ teaspoon table salt or 1 teaspoon kosher salt; adjust to taste
- 1 large broccoli crown see note #3
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 large lemon
- 16 ounces silken tofu
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F. On the stove or in an electric kettle, bring 2 cups of vegetable broth to a boil. Slice the broccoli crown into small florets.
- Layer the macaroni in an 8x11-inch baking dish. Carefully top with the boiling broth and salt and stir. Top that with the broccoli florets. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Don't stir. Cover tightly with foil or an upside down sheet pan and bake at 400F for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, check the pasta. If it isn't al dente, cover it and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes. Add extra water if it looks completely dried out.
- While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. Juice and zest the lemon. In a food processor with a standard blade attachment or a blender, blend together the silken tofu, nutritional yeast, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Taste for salt and add the lemon zest for a stronger lemon flavor, if desired.
- Stir the sauce into the cooked pasta and broccoli. The pasta should be hot enough to warm up the sauce, but if not you can cover the dish and bake it an additional 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Broth: Any type of broth works, but I like using Not Chicken Bouillon (by Edward & Sons here. I just mix it with the water after it boils.
- Macaroni: I haven't tested this recipe with any other pasta variety, so I recommend sticking to elbow macaroni.
- Broccoli: This recipe works with frozen broccoli, which is a great option if you prefer very tender broccoli. The broccoli doesn't need to be thawed first, but the pasta will take a few more minutes to bake.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 359kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 18gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 336mgPotassium: 664mgFiber: 6gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 541IUVitamin C: 73mgCalcium: 88mgIron: 3mg
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Mr. Wilson of the Moment
Nothing to see here, just another post featuring Mr. Wilson participating in my sewing project. I'm used to his shenanigans, but this was a new one for me!
Kathryn says
I am allergic to tofu (and mushrooms, even though they are not in this recipe) so can I just leave it out?
Cassidy Reeser, MS, RD says
You can leave it out but it will change the recipe significantly because silken tofu is the main sauce component. If you are just looking for an easy way to make baked pasta, leaving the tofu out is fine. I have a lot of other dump & bake casseroles that have more seasonings and no tofu or mushrooms that might work better! 🙂