Vegetarian Recipes

Vegan Cacio e Pepe with Smoky Balsamic Chickpea tofu

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Vegan Cacio e Pepe with Smoky Balsamic Chickpea tofu. Spaghetti is tossed with pepper and vegan parm and then topped generously with smoky chickpea tofu bacony bits for a wonderful weeknight meal. Vegan Recipe, Soy-free, Can be Gluten-free.

This Cacio e pepe is a fabulous pasta dish with flavors which feel like you spent hours making it but it is super quick to put together! Mix up the vegan parmesan, crisp up some chickpea tofu with smoky flavors, make the spaghetti and mix with loads of freshly ground black pepper and herbs and done. You can use store bought vegan parm to speed it up even more.

This Black pepper parmesan spaghetti pasta is flexible, has no soy, can be made without nuts(see recipe notes). Lets make this!

Ingredients for Vegan Cacio e Pepe with Smoky Chickpea Tofu Bits

The Smoky Chickpea Tofu needs chickpea tofu, garlic powder, smoked paprika, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and salt or liquid aminos or soy sauce. You can add a few drops of liquid for extra smokyness.
The Vegan Parmesan is mix of almond flour, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, lime zest, lime juice, brine from pickles or pickled jalapeno. You can use other vegan parm, to make nut-free, use a mix of pumpkin seeds and breadcrumbs.
The Pasta has Spaghetti, garlic, loads of freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes and fresh herbs.

How to make Vegan Cacio e pepe with Step Photos

Make the smoky chickpea tofu bacony bits by cooking all the ingredients together until the mixtures starts to dry up. Taste and adjust if needed.

Mix the ingredients for the vegan parmesan. Add more lime juice if needed to make a mixture which has fat crumbs.

Saute the garlic, then add in black pepper, pepper flakes and broth, then mix in the spaghetti. Then mix in some parm and some of the smoky chickpea tofu. Cover and rest for a few minutes, then top with more chickpea tofu, black pepper and herbs to serve.

Can I make this Cacio e Pepe gluten-free?

Yes, use gluten-free spagheti or other pasta of choice. Cook according to instructiton on package. Add more pasta water if the pasta dries out too much during sauteing.

Can I make this without Nuts?

To make the parm mixture without almonds, use other nuts such as cashews, macadamia, walnuts or for Nut-free, use mix of 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds blended into a coarse meal and 2 tbsp breadcrumbs.

Vegan Cacio e Pepe

Vegan Cacio e Pepe with Smoky Balsamic Chickpea tofu. Spaghetti is tossed with pepper and vegan parm and the topped generously with smoky chickpea tofu bacony bits for a wonderful weeknight meal. Vegan Recipe, Soy-free, Can be Gluten-free

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time35 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: blackpepper parmesan spaghetti, cacio e pepe

Servings: 3

Calories: 552kcal

Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the Balsamic Roasted Chickpea Tofu:

3/4 cup (186 g) finely chopped chickpea tofu or pressed and chopped firm tofu
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup , or use sugar/sweetener of choice
1/4 tsp salt or 1 tsp soy sauce/liquid aminos for soyfree

Pasta:

8 oz Spaghetti
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves of garlic , finely chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes , divided , use less for less heat
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper (use less for less heat)
1/3 cup (37.33 g) vegan parm (recipe below) or use other store bought parm
1/2 cup (118.29 ml) pasta water
1/2 to 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
chopped parsley or basil or othr herbs for garnish

Vegan Parm:

1/3 cup (37.33 g) almond flour , (or a mix of 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds blended into a coarse meal and 2 tbsp breadcrumbs for nut-free)
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp lime or lemon zest
1/2 tsp brine from pickle jar or pickled jalapeno, or use 1/4 tsp white vinegar

Instructions

Cook the spaghetti according to instructions on the package and set aside
Make the Smoky Chickpea Tofu: Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When hot, Add the chickpea tofu (or pressed and chopped firm tofu). Mix for a few seconds. add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. cook until the sauce thickens. Taste carefully and adjust flavor with more salt, vinegar or maple. and a few drops of liquid smoke for extra smokyness. (This topping is optional, there is tons of flavor in the pasta + vegan parm!)
Make the Parm: Mix everything under parm until it resembles fat crumbs. Press and mix a couple of times. Taste and adjust salt and zest.
Pasta: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add garlic and cook for half a minute. Add the black pepper and half the pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is golden
Add half of the parm and pasta water and bring to a good simmer. Add the spaghetti and toss to coat.
Sprinkle in rest of the parm, half the smoky tofu, black pepper, remaining pepper flakes and parsley and toss lightly and serve. Top each bowl with more smoky chickpea tofu.

Store: Refrigerate for upto 2 days. The pasta absorbs moisture on sitting so Reheat with some water or broth.

Notes

Nut-free: Use a mix of 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds blended into a coarse meal and 2 tbsp breadcrumbs.

Nutrition is for 1 serve with regular flour spaghetti.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Vegan Cacio e Pepe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 552 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Fat 20g31%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Sodium 429mg19%

Potassium 448mg13%

Carbohydrates 75g25%

Fiber 8g33%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 20g40%

Vitamin A 263IU5%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 66mg7%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Easy Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

Just like vegetable lasagne, vegetarian moussaka is one of those dishes that I adore, but I rarely cook for myself, because it always seems like such a huge effort. Cooking lentils, boiling potatoes, grilling slices of eggplant, simmering tomato sauce… the vast majority of the time, I really, truly can not be bothered.

That’s why this vegetable moussaka casserole is such a revelation! It’s a casserole-style version of my favourite veggie moussaka, which tastes just the same, but is so much less effort to make! Just stick everything in a baking dish and let it do its thing, casserole-style.

A spoon taking a scoop from a baking dish of cheesy moussaka casserole.

This moussaka casserole has two sections:

a tasty tomatoey layer underneath, made with all the usual ingredients you’d expect to find in a vegetable moussaka – tender lentils, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant and roasted potatoes, cooked in a rich tomato sauce
a thick layer of creamy bechamel sauce on top

As you scoop into the casserole, the creamy sauce drips down and smothers the tomatoey layer. It. Is. Delicious.

How is this Easier than a Regular Vegetarian Moussaka?

I’m not going to lie, this vegetable moussaka casserole takes quite a long time to bake, and the ingredients list is a fair bit longer than the majority of my easy recipes.

However, I stand by the fact that this is so much easier to make than most moussaka recipes. Although it takes a while to cook, it’s almost all hands-off time, where you can go and relax / do some other useful jobs / play with your kids / whatever else you like to do with your life.

Vegetarian moussaka casserole topped with sliced tomato.

This vegetarian moussaka casserole is easy to make because:

using canned lentils mean there’s no boiling required.
the vegetables are roasted in the oven, rather than the more hands-on method of cooking them on the stovetop.
there’s no fiddly layering of sliced ingredients – it’s all baked up together.
even the tomatoey sauce is cooked right there in the oven with the other ingredients.

It’s definitely not a quick weeknight dinner, but if you’re at home over the weekend, it’s the perfect dish to have baking in the oven while you’re busy with other things.

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Overhead shot of a cheesy topped moussaka casserole with sliced tomatoes.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

potatoes
eggplant (aubergine)
canned lentils (mine were green lentils)
onion – I only used half an onion (a small onion would also work!)
canned tomatoes
tomato paste
garlic – I used pre-minced garlic from a jar (my favourite time-saving ingredient!)
dried herbs – mint and oregano. I very rarely use dried mint but trust me, it tastes amazing in moussaka! Not a hint of toothpaste, I promise.
tomato – to slice up for the topping
milk, flour and butter – for the creamy white sauce. You can add a pinch of nutmeg to it as well, if you like.

Becca’s Top Tip

I used the same baking dish to roast up my vegetables, and then to cook the casserole itself. If you’ve got a little less time on your hands, the veggies will actually roast a little quicker if you spread them out on a baking tray – but I wanted to save on dishes to wash! I love a one pot meal.

Recipe Video

Overhead shot of a portion of vegetable moussaka with salad.

Printable Instructions

Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

This vegetable moussaka casserole is a much easier version of a vegetarian moussaka – but is just as tasty, with a luxurious creamy topping!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek, Middle Eastern, Turkish

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 35

Total Time 2

Servings

Calories 523kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

For the lentil layer:

1 medium eggplant (aubergine) (~ 250g / ~ 9 oz)
~ 500g (~ 1 lb) potatoes
1 medium onion (or 1/2 large onion)
2 Tbsp oil
400 g tinned lentils, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
400 g tin (~ 1 1/3 cups) chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp dried oregano

For the topping:

60 g (~ 2 oz) butter
60 g (~ 2 oz) plain flour
500 ml (~ 2 cups) milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 large tomato, sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
Cut the eggplant, potatoes and onion into 2cm dice (I didn’t bother peeling the potatoes). Toss them in a little oil, and add to a baking dish – mine measured approx. 8 x 8 inches.
Roast the vegetables in the centre of the oven for around 50 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, or until the vegetables are fairly soft (the potatoes might still be a bit al dente). If you decide to spread the vegetables out onto a baking tray instead of using the dish, they will cook more quickly.
Add the tinned lentils, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, and dried herbs, and mix well to combine.
Return to the oven for a further 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have thickened up into a rich sauce. Mix well.
To make the béchamel topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, and add the flour. Mix to create a thick paste (a roux), and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring until smooth each time before adding more milk. Season to taste with salt. If you need more detailed instructions, check out my white sauce recipe.
Pour the béchamel sauce over the lentil mixture, and top with a few slices of tomato.
Return to the oven for a final 25 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.
Allow to stand for a few minutes, then serve.

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare moussaka in advance?

Absolutely! The casserole can either be cooked entirely and then reheated when needed, or you can assemble it, then do the final bake just before serving.

Can I freeze leftover moussaka?

Moussaka is perfect for batch cooking – just transfer any leftovers to a freezer-safe tub, and freeze. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave.