Name: Southwest Spaghetti Casserole
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Ingredients: 12 oz. whole grain spaghetti; 1 15-oz. can sweet potato puree (1½ cups); ½ cup nutritional yeast; 2 tablespoons cashew butter; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder; 1 tablespoon onion powder; 8 cloves garlic, minced; 1½ teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, crushed; ¼ teaspoon chile de árbol powder or cayenne powder; Sea salt, to taste; 1 cup chopped onion; 1 small zucchini, cut into ½-inch dice (1 cup); 1 red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice (1 cup); 1 cup fresh or frozen corn; 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained (1½ cups); 1 15-oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Prep-time: 45 minutes / Ready In: 1 hour 30 minutes
Makes one 13×9-inch casserole
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Whole wheat pasta, black beans, and Tex-Mex seasonings make this spaghetti casserole a true crowd-pleaser. Sweet potato puree lends its silky texture to the creamy, chile-infused sauce so every bite is packed full of savory flavors. A hearty jumble of zucchini, bell pepper, corn, and tomatoes bring bursts of fresh produce to balance out the smoky profile and load your plate up with nutrient-dense veggies. Top each serving with fresh scallions and cilantro, and you’ve got a comforting meal that will be gobbled up by kids and adults alike.

Tip: If you can’t find canned sweet potato puree, bake, peel, and mash enough sweet potatoes to make 1½ cups.

For more vegan casserole recipes, check out these tasty ideas:

Broccoli and Brown Rice Casserole with Chickpeas
Indian-Spiced Cauliflower and Potato Casserole
Harvest Vegetable Casserole with Lentils and Gravy
Or check out our full roundup of vegan casseroles.

By Darshana Thacker Wendel, Nov 21, 2022

Ingredients

12 oz. whole grain spaghetti
1 15-oz. can sweet potato puree (1½ cups)
½ cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons cashew butter
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
8 cloves garlic, minced
1½ teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, crushed
¼ teaspoon chile de árbol powder or cayenne powder
Sea salt, to taste
1 cup chopped onion
1 small zucchini, cut into ½-inch dice (1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, cut into ½-inch dice (1 cup)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained (1½ cups)
1 15-oz. can fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook spaghetti according to package directions until al dente (2 minutes less than directions); drain. Return to pot.
For sauce, in a blender combine the next six ingredients (through onion powder), 2 of the minced garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon of the oregano, the chile de árbol powder, and 2 cups water. Cover and blend until smooth. Season with salt.
In a bowl combine the next seven ingredients (through cumin) and the remaining 6 minced garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon oregano.
Add half of the sauce to the spaghetti and mix well. Spread spaghetti evenly in a 13×9-inch baking dish. Spread vegetable mixture evenly over spaghetti. Drizzle 1 cup of the remaining sauce over top.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until top and edges start to brown. Let stand a few minutes before serving. Garnish with scallions and cilantro.

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9 Comments

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Vetrel S5 months ago

How many servings?

Terry7 months ago

We are lo your recipes. This was delicious. I used a can of pumpkin purée instead of sweet potatoes, came out great

Jesmarie8 months ago

I did not have ancho chili seasoning so used chili seasoning.. not sure if it makes a great difference but I needed more flavor. The hubby really liked it.. I did precook veggies as another suggested. Overall good base

Patty8 months ago

The mixed vegetables did not cook completely while baking, especially the onions. I think this would taste better if they had been sautéed before adding them to the pasta

Linda9 months ago

I agree. Why can’t we add the recipe to our Meal Plan subscription?

Mj9 months ago

This sounds delicious. What can you use in place of the cashew butter? No nuts or tofu please.

Lee H7 months ago

You could try tahini. It’s made from sesame seeds. Or a white bean or chickpea hummus would work. Coconut is not part of the tree nut or peanut family, so coconut butter is a substitute for nut butter.

Dawn Gagliano Bartlett9 months ago

Wish this was available to add to the Meal Plan!

Elizabeth9 months ago

Sometimes, as with this recipe, there is no Add to Meal Plan button.

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about the author

Darshana Thacker Wendel

Darshana Thacker Wendel is a whole-food, plant-based chef and former culinary projects manager for Forks Over Knives. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, she is the author of Forks Over Knives: Flavor! She created the recipes for Forks Over Knives Family and was a lead recipe contributor to the New York Times bestseller The Forks Over Knives Plan. Her recipes have been published in The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook, Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, and LA Yoga magazine online. Visit DarshanasKitchen.com and follow her on Instagram for more.

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