High Protein Creamed Spinach Pasta Bake

This delicious high-protein pasta bake is made with Chickpea pasta and delicious vegan creamed spinach. A protein-rich gluten-free pasta bake dinner that as tasty as it is easy to make.

If you want to prep for this recipe ahead of time you’ll only need 10 minutes the night before and you’ll be ready to go! It’s the perfect weeknight dinner.

Gluten-free eaters rejoice!  Today, maintaining a gluten-free diet is stress-free thanks to the abundance of alternative pasta on the market.  Whether they are made from brown rice, quinoa, edamame, corn, or lentils, these innovative noodles are healthy and delicious, making them a great choice for pasta bakes. We love chickpea pasta as a personal favorite.

Ingredients for our Creamed Spinach Pasta Bake

• Chickpea Pasta. High in protein and full of flavor, this is our hands-down favorite gluten-free pasta.
• Raw Cashews. The cashews add even more protein to this dish and make a wonderful cream sauce.
• Frozen Spinach. You can use fresh spinach, rinsed and drained. Frozen works better.
• Nutritional Yeast. This adds vegan cheese flavor
• Plant-Based Milk. Your plain, unsweetened milk of choice.
• Cheese. Vegan or regular cheese will both work.
• Seasoning. Salt, Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, and Garlic Powder.

How to Make Our Vegan Spinach Pasta Bake

Our favorite new dish is a pasta bake that combines high-protein chickpea pasta, spinach, cashew cream, and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast. This is not your everyday casseroles, it’s better, more nutritious and tastier.

Meal Prep for the Pasta Bake

This creamed spinach pasta bake is easy and quick to prepare.  We break down the recipe steps so that they may be completed earlier in the day, including simple steps like defrosting the frozen spinach and soaking cashews in water.  We also harness the strength of a smoothie blender or a high-power blender, to create our delicious cashew cream.

Take five minutes in the morning to measure your cashews, soak them in a large bowl of water, and take the spinach out of the freezer to defrost in the fridge.  (We suggest leaving the spinach in another large bowl;  as it defrosts, its dark green juice somehow finds its way all over the kitchen!)  If you have an additional 10 minutes, you can cook the chickpea pasta, drain it, and then mix it with a scant amount of olive oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together.

Bake The Dish

Later in the day, once soaking is complete, combine the cashews with water and nutritional yeast in the blender until you reach a creamy consistency. Cook the spinach in a pan, fold in the cashew cream, continue cooking and then add the cooked chickpea pasta. Fill a large baking pan with the creamed spinach and pasta mixture then then add cheese on top and bake it until nice and bubbly hot.

We’re not sure what you’ll enjoy more – the spinach pasta bake, or all the time you saved in its preparation!

How to Make Spinach Pasta Bake Without Meal Prep

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water. Soak the cashews in boiling water for twenty minutes, then make the cashew cream in your blender or food processor. Thaw the spinach and remove the excess water. Heat the spinach at medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the cashew cream, plant-based milk, and seasoning to the skillet and toss to heat through. Fold in the pasta and place it in a baking dish. Cover with the cheeses of your choice and bake.

Tips and Tricks

• No time to meal prep? Soak the cashews for 20 minutes while thepasta is cooking.
• If you forgot to thaw the spinach, you can do it in the microwave.
• Coconut milk will work in place of the cashew cream. If you are not vegan, you can use heavy cream instead.

Variations To Try

You can change things up with so many different options. Stir in some cooked vegan sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, onion, zucchini, or other vegetables. Use a different pasta such as a large penne, bowtie, or shells. When choosing vegan cheese, you could go with mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, colby-jack, or any blend of cheeses you love. Change up the seasoning with an Italian seasoning blend. You might even enjoy adding a light drizzle of warmed marinara sauce on each plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze this pasta bake?

Yes. It can be frozen whole before it is baked or frozen in individual slices after it is cooked. You can even freeze it whole and reheat it later!

How do I store leftover spinach pasta bake?

It should be kept in the refrigerator and will keep for four or five days in an airtight container. Reheat it quickly in the microwave or more slowly in the oven.

More Spinach Recipes

• Spinach Semolina Gnocchi in Bechamel Sauce With Roasted Tomatoes
• Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Quinoa
• Spinach Salad with Quinoa and Black Beans
• Spinach Vegan Meatballs In Spicy Tomato Sauce

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