Cultured Guru Logo
Cultured Guru Logo
  • Start Here
  • RecipesWe love to create delicious recipes with gut health in mind. By using our recipes, you can easily create any dish knowing that it’s good for gut health! Our recipe blog also includes Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, and Paleo Recipes.
  • About
  • Learn
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • Start Here
  • RecipesWe love to create delicious recipes with gut health in mind. By using our recipes, you can easily create any dish knowing that it’s good for gut health! Our recipe blog also includes Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, and Paleo Recipes.
  • About
  • Learn
  • Shop
  • Contact
Pasta & Noodles

Cajun Veggie Pasta (Vegan Pastalaya)

Pastalaya is my favorite south Louisiana food. I love the smoky flavor and spicy noodles. This Cajun veggie pasta is my vegan take on classic pastalaya.

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe

RECIPE INDEX

|

Cook | Pasta & Noodles

Cajun Veggie Pasta (Vegan Pastalaya)

Pastalaya is my favorite south Louisiana food. I love the smoky flavor and spicy noodles. This Cajun veggie pasta is my vegan take on classic pastalaya.

Ingredients for Vegan Cajun Veggie Pasta

  • Noodles: Here, we use Bucatini noodles. These thick noodles hold up well through the cooking process.
  • Seasoned Mushrooms, Jackfruit and Tempeh: Jackfruit is ESSENTIAL to this recipe, giving the pastalaya an authentic shredded chicken texture. Cutting the jack fruit and removing the hard seed pods is essential. You can use fresh jackfruit or jackfruit canned in brine. Remove all the mushroom stems and slice to be about 1/2 inch thick. Any tempeh will work in this recipe, and it’s best to soak the tempeh in boiling water and then rinse it a few times before use. I seasoned everything with steak sauce, double-fermented soy sauce, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and hot sauce.
  • Bell Pepper, Celery, Garlic, and Onion: aka the essentials of cajun cooking.
  • Cajun Seasoning: Cajun or creole seasoning with salt or without is fine. Tony Chachere’s works great. If you use a cajun seasoning without salt, you’ll need to add two teaspoons of salt to the recipe.
  • Vegan Butter: This is what you want to sautée the bell pepper, onion, garlic, and celery with. For Louisiana cooking, the flavor comes out better when you sautee with butter instead of oil.
  • Vegetable Broth: I used two boxes of basic vegetable broth from the store.
  • Thyme and Parsley: Fresh is best, but dried herbs will work too.

One-Pot Cajun Veggie Pasta, aka Vegan Pastalaya

My favorite part of this recipe is that it can be cooked in one pot. Technically you’ll use a sheet pan to roast the tempeh, jackfruit, and mushrooms. However, after that, it’s a one-pot meal. Dirtying two dishes total to make this isn’t bad!

Tips For this Recipe

  1. Use a large stockpot: I used an 8-quart stockpot.
  2. Don’t skimp on the garlic and onion: This is a Louisiana recipe, so use the whole onion, and trust me, you want at least two tablespoons of garlic.
  3. Big Noodle Energy: Seriously, the fatter the noodle, the better. My favorite pasta in pastalaya is Bucatini,  also known as perciatelli.
  4. For Gluten-Free Folks: I’ve made this dish with rice noodles and highly suggest getting a sturdy-shaped noodle. Try bow-tie brown rice pasta. DO NOT use bean-based pasta for this recipe; it will be a disaster.
a black fork set on a white plate with cajun veggie pasta twirled in the fork.

What to Pair with this Recipe

Pastalaya is generally eaten solo or with traditional cajun sides like bread, potato salad, mac and cheese, or white beans. If you’d like to enjoy this cajun pasta with a side, I suggest the following:

  • Sourdough Garlic Bread Dinner Rolls
  • The Best Vegan Kimchi Mac and Cheese
  • Buttery Flaky Sourdough Biscuits From Scratch
two plates of cajun veggie pasta on a white marble surface. A side of crusty sourdough bread sits next to the plates.
c
Print
Pasta & Noodles

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

Cajun Veggie Pasta (Vegan Pastalaya)

Pastalaya is my absolute favorite south Louisiana food. I love the smoky flavor, the hearty texture, and the soft, spicy noodles. This Cajun veggie pasta is my vegan take on classic pastalaya.

  • Prep: 15 minutes
  • Cook: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients

Vegan Smoky Meat Mixture

  • 2 Twenty-Ounce Cans Jackfruit in Brine
  • 16 Ounces Tempeh, Cubed
  • 2 Cups Mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons Steak Sauce
  • 4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
  • 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 2 Teaspoons Smoked Paprika
  • 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Pastalaya

  • 3 Tablespoons Vegan Butter
  • 1 Large White Onion, Minced
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper, Minced
  • 1 Celery Stalk, Minced
  • 2 Tablespoons Garlic, Minced
  • 3 Teaspoons Cajun Seasoning (with salt)
  • 8 Cups Vegetable Broth
  • 16 Ounces Bucatini Pasta

Instructions

  1. Drain and rinse the jackfruit and wash the mushrooms. 
  2. Cut the tough ends/cores off the jackfruit and remove the seed pods. Pull apart the jackfuruit with your fingers. 
  3. Wash the mushrooms and slice. 
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 450 F
  5. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, jackfruit, steak sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and olive oil.
  6. Spread the mixture out on the baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes until everything starts to brown.
  7. In a large stockpot add the vegan butter, onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. 
  8. Sautee until all the aromatics are soft. 
  9. Remove the smoky “meat” mix from the oven and immediately add to the stockpot. 
  10. Sautée until the bottom of the pan starts to get a brown sticky glaze on the bottom. 
  11. Add 2 cups of vegetable broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot (just scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon until there’s no more stickiness on the bottom).
  12. Add in the remaining 6 cups of vegetable broth and the cajun seasoning, then bring to a boil.
  13. Add in the noodles, reduce heat to a simmer and cook with frequent stirring until the noodles have absorbed all the liquid. 
  14. Serve and garnish with thyme and parsley.

Notes

  • to avoid bitter tempeh, soak it in boiling water for a few minutes, then drain and rinse it a few times before using in the recipe. 

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a 5-star review below if you loved it! Tag @cultured.guru on Instagram

 

Nutrition information is auto-calculated and estimated as close as possible. We are not responsible for any errors. We have tested the recipe for accuracy, but your results may vary.

author avatar
Kaitlynn Fenley Author, Educator, Food Microbiologist
Kaitlynn is a food microbiologist and fermentation expert teaching people how to ferment foods and drinks at home.
See Full Bio
fermentation food microbiology sourdough sauerkraut fermenting at home fermented foods fermented drinks
social network icon social network icon social network icon social network icon

welcome!

hey i’m kaitlynn, i’m a microbiologist and together with my husband jon we are cultured guru.

more about us

let’s connect!

newest recipe

Sourdough Cottage Cheese Banana Bread (High Protein)
Sourdough Discard

Sourdough Cottage Cheese Banana Bread (High Protein)

never miss a thing

learn more about microbes from a microbiologist
Loading

on pinterest

Instant Pot Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
Sourdough Smores Cookies
High Protein Cottage Cheese Mac and Cheese
Sourdough & Miso Chicolate Chip Cookies
Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Homemade Cottage Cheese

top rated recipes

How to Make Moroccan Preserved Lemons with Sea Salt
Fruits & Roots

How to Make Moroccan Preserved Lemons with Sea Salt

Slow Cooked Pork Roast with Sauerkraut Potatoes and Carrots
Protein

Slow Cooked Pork Roast with Sauerkraut Potatoes and Carrots

Sparkling Golden Beet Kvass Made the Traditional Way
Fizzy Drinks

Sparkling Golden Beet Kvass Made the Traditional Way

learn more

Understand microbes and master fermentation with our online courses!

learn

rate and review
We would love to hear what you think!
Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

  1. Lou Daigle
    07|13|2021

    Love it, love it, love it!!!
    This recipe is soooo good! I’ve made it twice now and the house smells so good while it’s cooking.
    I was drawn to this recipe primarily because it’s Cajun. But also because it features Tempeh & Jackfruit both of which I have been curious about.
    The first time I made this recipe I made a couple of mistakes. I failed to follow the instructions about boiling the Tempeh. That resulted in slightly bitter tasting Tempeh. I also made the mistake of using “Jackfruit in Syrup” instead of “Jackfruit in Brine”. That resulted in a sweet tasting Pastalaya…. that’s not the way it’s supposed to be, but it was an interesting taste. I had a lot of trouble finding the Jackfruit in Brine, but after much searching, I finally found it at Trader Joe’s.
    So, I made this a second time, correcting my mistakes and let me tell you this recipe does not disappoint! It smells and tastes great and our guests loved it!
    And now my wife and I are lovers of Tempeh and I’m anxious to try some more recipes that incorporate Tempeh. It sure would be nice if Cultured Guru (Kaitlynn) could put some more Cajun recipes on her blog!

    Reply

you may also like

Quick & Easy Creamy Miso Pasta with Cheesy Miso Butter Pasta Sauce
Pasta & Noodles View Recipe

Creamy Miso Pasta with Cheesy Miso Butter Pasta Sauce

Quick & Easy One Skillet Cajun Sausage Pasta with Chicken and Peppers
One Pot Meals View Recipe

One Skillet Cajun Sausage Pasta with Chicken and Peppers

Vegan Cheesy Broccoli Pasta Salad with Buffalo Chickpeas
Salads & Sides View Recipe

Vegan Cheesy Broccoli Pasta Salad with Buffalo Chickpeas

join us on insta

@cultured.guru

sourdough discard 🤝 cottage cheese combined tw sourdough discard 🤝 cottage cheese

combined two of the best fermented foods to make the best pancakes. And yes, you can ferment the batter overnight in the fridge for easier digestion. 

My recipe makes 15 pancakes and each serving of 3 pancakes had 17 grams of protein! 

Get the recipe from my recipe index, linked in my profile✨

#sourdough #cottagecheese #pancakes #fermentation
It can suppress overgrowth of Candida albicans, wh It can suppress overgrowth of Candida albicans, while boosting good bacteria in your gut! 

Roasting garlic increases beneficial garlic compounds like diallyl sulfide and diallyl disulfide — or DADS, for short. Both of these compounds have been studied for their anti-inflammatory (anti-cancer), antioxidant, and antifungal properties.

It’s definitely a sauerkraut you should keep in your rotation.

To get the recipe google “garlic sauerkraut.” and you’ll see mine it’s the first one.

Sources:
PMC8777027 (Diallyl Disulfide (DADS) Ameliorates Intestinal Candida albicansInfection by Modulating the Gut microbiota and Metabolites and Providing Intestinal Protection)

https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9100401 (diallyl disulfide (DADS) shows a substantial increase, with concentrations rising from 1.6 mg/g in non-fermented garlic to 4.8 mg/g in its fermented counterpart, suggesting enhanced bioactivity through fermentation)
✨Cottage Cheese Ice Cream✨with Brown Butter an ✨Cottage Cheese Ice Cream✨with Brown Butter and Vanilla

I know, I know, I’m making everything with cottage cheese right now. But how can I not? Cottage cheese is one of the most protein-rich fermented foods.

If you love ice cream and cheesecake-like flavor, you’ll love this recipe. it’s high in protein, requires only four simple ingredients, and does not require churning. So, you do not need an ice cream maker!

A half-cup serving of this ice cream has 12 grams of protein, making it a healthy and balanced sweet snack. Get the recipe from the recipe index linked in my profile. 

#cottagecheese #icecream
Baked ✨Cottage Cheese✨ Queso Dip It’s crea Baked ✨Cottage Cheese✨ Queso Dip 

It’s creamy, cheesy, and packed with protein, but with fewer calories thanks to the cottage cheese base. And it’s only 6 ingredients +toppings! 

I love it topped with cilantro, diced tomatoes, onions and fresh jalapeños! 

Get the full recipe from my recipe index, linked in my bio. 

#queso #cheese #cottagecheese
Why do you add water to sauerkraut? To that I as Why do you add water to sauerkraut? 

To that I ask: who told y’all you can’t add water to sauerkraut? 

Adding water standardizes my recipes, making sure everyone gets enough brine, regardless of cabbage variability. 

Google “cultured guru sauerkraut” and you’ll see my recipes! 

#sauerkraut #fermentation
Bok choy is similar in texture to Napa cabbage and Bok choy is similar in texture to Napa cabbage and lovely for fermentation. 

Since bok choy and all cabbages grow low and very close to the soil, their microbiome composition is wonderful! This makes all cabbages easy vegetables to ferment, and fermented bok choy is one of my absolute favorites.

Google fermented bok choy and you’ll see my recipe, it’s the first one. ☝🏼 #cabbage #fermentation #homestead 

Ps. I used some tiny weck jar lids for weights in my bigger weck jar and it worked great!
LEARN ABOUT MICROBES FROM A MICROBIOLoGIST
Loading

recipes

  • Sourdough
  • Sauerkraut
  • Yogurt & Kefir
  • Pickles
  • Sweets & Snacks

more

  • Start Here
  • About
  • Learn
  • Shop
  • Contact

social

  • TikTokVisit Cultured Guru TikTok Account
  • InstagramCultured Guru Instagram Account
  • PinterestVisit Cultured Guru’s Pinterest Account
  • FacebookVisit Cultured Guru’s Facebook page
  • Privacy & Terms
copyright

©2025

Cultured Guru

.

website by saevil row + MTT. all rights reserved.