This vegan version of the southern and midwestern classic, million dollar spaghetti, has layers of spaghetti noodles, vegan cheeses and a veggie-loaded and meaty marinara sauce.
Love pasta casseroles? You might also like this classic vegan lasagna, vegan stuffed shells and vegan manicotti.
What is million dollar spaghetti?
Million dollar spaghetti is a pasta-based baked casserole dish eaten throughout the American south and midwest. The original, non-vegan version is heavy and indulgent, with oodles of butter, cheese and marinara, hence the name "million dollar spaghetti."
My vegan version keeps the flavors in this dish intact but makes it way healthier by packing in the veggies and giving the dairy a miss. Instead, the spaghetti noodles are layered with a creamy cashew ricotta and a homemade, protein-packed marinara sauce.
The recipe is soy-free and you can make it nut-free or gluten-free (see FAQs below for more on this). It is also a relatively easy dish to make because in a layered casserole, with so many flavors going, there is some room for error. Also remember this: you are not going for million-dollar looks here; all you are going for is mind-blowing flavor.
Vegan million dollar spaghetti ingredients
- Spaghetti noodles. I used regular spaghetti for this million dollar spaghetti recipe but you can use whole-wheat spaghetti for an even healthier dish.
- Vegan parmesan. You can make your own or use store-bought.
- Vegan mozzarella cheese shreds. Use any brand of your choice. I like Daiya shreds, which melt nicely unlike many vegan cheeses.
- Vegetables: yellow onions, bell pepper (any color), carrot, zucchini and eggplant. The veggies make this recipe really healthy, but you don't have to use all of them. If you prefer fewer vegetables in the marinara sauce, pick any one in addition to the onions, which are necessary. You can also make this recipe with jarred marinara sauce or with my simple, four-ingredient homemade marinara sauce.
- Herbs: garlic, oregano and fresh parsley. I like a garlicky marinara so I use eight cloves of garlic. You can tweak it to your preference. Oregano (dried or fresh) also adds wonderful, smoky flavor. You can use fresh basil or dried basil instead.
- Meat substitutes: vegan Italian sausage and vegan beef substitute. You can also use just the sausage or the beef, for a total of 18 ounces.
- Canned plum tomatoes and tomato paste. The tomato paste adds lots of umami and makes the marinara richer tasting. Use good quality plum tomatoes, like San Marzano tomatoes.
- Raw cashews. These form the creamy base of the dairy-free ricotta sauce. See tips for substitutions in FAQs.
- Seasonings: garlic powder, red pepper flakes (optional) and nutritional yeast (optional).
- White wine: this is also optional, but it adds a nice depth to the marinara.
How to make vegan million dollar spaghetti
Make vegan ricotta
Place 1 ½ cups raw cashews, parsley, oregano, nutritional yeast, if using, garlic powder, salt and ground black pepper in a blender bowl.
Add 1 cup water and blend into a very smooth sauce. Set aside.
Make the veggie-loaded and meaty marinara
Place olive oil and garlic in a saucepan or large skillet. Turn heat to medium and saute the garlic until it becomes very aromatic and begins to turn a light golden, which should take just a few seconds.
Add the onions, bell peppers and carrots to the pan. Add salt and ground black pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft.
Add the zucchini and eggplant. Mix and add the wine to the pot, if using.
Let the veggies cook until they are almost tender and most of the moisture has left the pot.
Stir in the tomato paste and mix.
Add the vegan sausage and the vegan meatless beef and mix well.
Add the canned plum tomatoes and oregano to the pot with a cup of water. Mix and let the sauce come to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. You can put the pasta water to boil at this point so the spaghetti is ready around the same time as the marinara sauce. Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain out all water.
Stir the optional red pepper flakes into the sauce for a bit more spice.
Place the cooked, drained spaghetti in a bowl and add a cup of the marinara sauce to it.
Toss to coat the noodles with the sauce.
Assemble and bake spaghetti
Place half the spaghetti noodles in a large baking pan (around 9 X 14 inches), lightly coated with oil or cooking spray.
Layer half the vegan ricotta, half the vegan parmesan and half the vegan mozzarella over the spaghetti.
Layer the remaining spaghetti in the pan. Ladle all of the meatless marinara, remaining ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella shreds over the spaghetti.
Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil (coat it lightly with oil), and bake in a preheated 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190 degrees Celsius oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more until the cheese has melted and is bubbling. I like to turn on the broiler in the last couple of minutes to lightly brown the cheese. Let the spaghetti stand 10 minutes before serving.
Top tips
- Cut all the vegetables in a small dice of the same size: about ⅕th of an inch. You want some texture in the sauce, but you don't want big chunks of veggies.
- Save a handful of vegan mozzarella shreds and scatter them on the spaghetti after you remove the aluminum foil. Some of the mozzarella can come off with the foil, and adding that little bit of mozzarella to the pan before you finish baking ensures a better look.
Serve
This vegan million dollar spaghetti is a complete meal by itself, with all the veggies and protein you might want in a meal. You can serve a fresh salad on the side, like vegan Caesar salad.
Recipe FAQs
Gluten-free: Replace the spaghetti with gluten-free spaghetti noodles. Rest of the recipe remains the same.
Nut-free: Use pumpkin seeds to make the vegan ricotta, or use 12 oz silken tofu instead of cashews.
Low-carb: To keep the recipe low-carb, use low-carb-friendly spaghetti noodles like hearts of palm noodles. You can also use zoodles - zucchini noodles. Don't cook the zoodles before adding them to the baking pan.
You can use mushrooms, any squash and sweet potatoes. Be sure to dice the vegetables finely.
You can assemble the million dollar spaghetti in the baking pan, cover with cling wrap, and refrigerate for up to three days. Increase the oven time (after removing foil) to 30 minutes instead of 15.
You can also prep the individual elements ahead of time: the vegan parm, ricotta and the tomato sauce. Refrigerate for up to three days before assembling the spaghetti.
If using store-bought marinara, you can simply brown the vegan meat substitutes in a tablespoon of olive oil, then add the marinara and bring it to a boil, then turn off heat. If you want to add veggies, proceed through steps 1-4 and add the jarred marinara when you'd add tomato sauce.
Yes, the marinara is delicious without the meat. If you want protein in the recipe, stir in 2 ½ cups of cooked or canned lentils.
The spaghetti can be stored in the fridge for up to four days after baking. Wrap tightly with cling wrap or store in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze individual slices or the baking pan, tightly wrapped in freezer safe wrap, for up to three months. Thaw and reheat in oven.
More vegan pasta recipes
Love this recipe? Please leave a comment and star rating below. For more delicious plant-based recipes subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook!
Recipe card
Vegan Million Dollar Spaghetti
Ingredients
For vegan ricotta cheese
- 1½ cups raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup water
For veggie-loaded and meaty marinara sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion (finely chopped)
- 1 medium carrot (cut in a ⅕th inch dice)
- 1 medium bell pepper (any color, cut in a ⅕th inch dice)
- 1 medium zucchini (cut in a ⅕th inch dice)
- 1 Italian eggplant (cut in a ⅕th inch dice)
- ½ cup dry white wine (optional)
- 6 oz canned tomato paste
- 12 oz vegan beef substitute
- 7 oz vegan Italian sausage (approximately two links, crumbled)
- 28 oz plum tomatoes (place tomatoes in a bowl and break up the whole tomatoes roughly with your fingers)
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried oregano)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Other ingredients
- 16 oz spaghetti
- 1 cup vegan parmesan cheese
- 8 oz vegan mozzarella shreds
- 2 tablespoons parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
Make vegan ricotta cheese
- Place cashews, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, if using, and salt and ground black pepper in a blender bowl. Add 1 cup water and blend into a smooth sauce.
Make veggie-loaded marinara
- Place olive oil and garlic in a saucepan. Turn heat to medium and saute the garlic until it becomes very aromatic and begins to turn a light golden, which should take just a few seconds.
- Add the onions, bell peppers and carrots to the pan. Add salt and ground black pepper and saute for 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft,
- Add the zucchini and eggplant. Mix and add the wine to the pot, if using. Let the veggies cook until they are almost tender and most of the moisture has left the pot.
- Stir in the tomato paste followed by the vegan sausage and the vegan meatless beef. Mix well. Add the canned plum tomatoes and oregano to the pot with a cup of water. Mix and let the sauce come to a boil. Stir the optional red pepper flakes into the sauce for a bit more spice.
- Turn heat to low and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.
Assemble and bake spaghetti
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190 degrees Celsius.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain out all water from the pasta.
- Place the cooked, drained spaghetti in a bowl and add a cup of the marinara sauce to it. Toss the spaghetti with the marinara.
- Spread half the spaghetti noodles evenly in the baking pan or lasagna pan. Then layer half the vegan ricotta, half the vegan parmesan and half the vegan mozzarella over the spaghetti.
- Layer the remaining spaghetti in the pan. Ladle all of the meatless marinara, remaining ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella shreds over the spaghetti.
- Cover the pan tightly with a piece of aluminum foil lightly coated with oil, and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes more. I like to turn on the broiler in the last couple of minutes to lightly brown the cheese.
- Let the spaghetti casserole stand 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
Beth says
This sounds super healthy, unlike the one my mom made lol as tasty as it was. Bookmarked to try soon!
Vaishali says
Awesome! Hope you try. ❤️