There are two things I love more than, well, most other things. One, a dump and bake meal. Two, vegan “chicken” Cacciatore. So, putting these things together and adding pasta that bakes at the same time, it truly a dream come true. You are literally just adding the ingredients to a baking dish. Baking, stirring once, and then baking again. That’s it! A whole delicious meal with zero effort. This “chicken” cacciatore is delicious, salty, briny, herby and tomatoey. I am in love!
What You Need For This Vegan “Chicken” Cacciatore:
- Sweet Onion, Bell Pepper and Mushrooms: These are the veggies I use.
- Capers and Olives: I think these are essential for a cacciatore.
- Tomato Sauce and Tomato Paste: I just used plain canned tomato sauce.
- Red Wine, Garlic, Basil and Italian Seasoning: To flavor this casserole.
- Vegan Chicken: I used Daring brand “chicken”.
- Olive Oil and Lemon Juice: For topping.
- Pasta: I like to use small or medium shells.
This dump and bake vegan “chicken” cacciatore is hard to stop eating. I always want seconds and it is a good thing this will feed a crowd. It is an easy recipe to impress a crowd at a dinner party. However it it so simple it makes the perfect weeknight meal. At the end of the day, all I want to do is literally dump and bake my dinners. This is hearty, comforting and a great way to eat veggies and protein!
Why Should You Make This Vegan Dump and Bake Meal?
- It couldn’t get any easier than this.
- This “chicken” cacciatore is incredibly delicious!
- I love a meal that has protein, veggies and carbs all cooked together.
- This meal is mostly hands off. Just dump, put in the oven and relax.
- Makes the perfect simple weeknight meal!
Dump and Bake Vegan “Chicken” Cacciatore Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 a Sweet onion, chopped
- 1 Bell pepper, chopped
- 8 Ounces Baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1/4 Cup Capers
- 1/4 Cup Kalamata olives, chopped
- 12 Ounces Pasta shells
- 15 Ounces Canned tomato sauce (tomato puree not ketchup)
- 3 Cup Water
- 1/4 Cup Red wine or Rose wine(optional)*
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato paste
- 1/4 Cup Fresh basil, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 8-10 Ounces Vegan chicken strips(frozen), I used Daring brand
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees(F).
- In a deep 9 x 13 inch casserole dish, I used one that is 3 inches deep, add the onions, peppers and mushrooms.
- Add the garlic, capers and olives.
- Pour in the pasta shells(uncooked), tomato sauce, water, wine, tomato paste, basil and salt.
- Stir everything together well to make sure everything is evenly incorporated. Smooth everything out evenly into the casserole dish, making sure the pasta is as submerged in the liquid as possible.
- Spread the "chicken"(still frozen) out evenly over the top of everything else. Drizzle the "chicken" with the olive oil and then sprinkle with the Italian seasonings. Leave the "chicken" on top at this point. Don't stir it in with everything else yet.
- Bake for 25 minutes and then remove the casserole dish from the oven. At this point, stir everything together, "chicken" and all. It will still be liquidy at this stage.
- Smooth everything back out into the casserole dish and then bake for another 15 to 20 minutes or until the pasta and veggies are tender and all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Squeeze the lemon over the top and toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings adding salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately with fresh basil if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Would soy curls be a good replacement for the Daring?
Totally! I think soy curls would work perfectly.
Do you think soy curls would work in this for the “chicken”? I usually prep the curls by boiling vegan chicken broth and then soaking curls for 10 min in the hot broth and draining, before using in stovetop or roasted in oven type recipe
.
Absolutely! I think that soy curls would work great!
HELLO! Can you say easy and delicious! This recipe was perfect for our Easter – we now have vegans but I struggle to make us all happy without going crazy! This dish made us all happy! I made it just as the recipe lists and there was from praise all around the table. Can’t wait to try some of your recipes. This is certainly a keeper and we’ll have it again! Thank you Thank you Thank you!