This Thai-inspired peanut butter noodle casserole with tofu and a sweet and spicy creamy peanut butter sauce makes for the perfect easy one pot weeknight dinner. Gluten-free.
If you thought I was just making curry casseroles, well here is a noodle casserole! After I made this chickpea sweet potato curry I decided I needed another format for a delicious weeknight dinner that literally cooks itself in the oven. Baked Peanut Butter noodle Casserole. It’s almost hands free like most casseroles! No standing around sautéing or boiling noodles needed.
Rice noodles and tofu in a rich and creamy, sweet and spicy peanut butter sauce. Let’s just say I took a takeout-style noodle stir-fry where it’s never been before. This rice noodle dish trades in the wok for the casserole treatment, resulting in one of the easiest yet most flavorful weeknight dinners you’ll ever make. And by easiest, we mean you don’t have to bother pre-cooking the noodles or use more than one dish from start to finish.
Tofu gets baked with ginger and garlic then add the rest of the ingredients, water and noodles. Make sure noodles are submerged then bake.
I use thick rice noodles such as brown rice pad Thai or Thai rice linguini. You can use regular linguini as well. Bake time will be longer 35-40 mins
More noodle Dishes
- 1 pot Peanut Butter Noodles and Veggies GF
- Lo Mein Noodles. GF option
- Sweet And Sour Chickpeas and Broccoli GF
- Kung Pao Lentils GF
- Lentils & Veggies in Thai Peanut Sauce GF Soy-free
- Sticky Sesame Ginger Tofu and Veggies. GF
- Curry Ramen with Miso Maple Lentils. GF
Vegan Baked Peanut Butter Noodles Casserole
Ingredients
For the tofu:
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 7 ounces (198.45 g) firm or extra firm tofu , pressed at least for 15 minutes and then cubed or cut into whatever shapes you like
- 2 tablespoons green onion the white part, keep the green parts for garnish
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the noodles:
- 1/2 cup (64 g) thinly sliced carrots
- 1/2 cup (74.5 g) thinly sliced bell pepper red, green or both combined
- 4 tablespoons smooth peanut butter , 1 tablespoon more for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce , tamari for Glutenfree
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or sugar
- 2 tablespoon sambal oelek or asian chili sauce of choice
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) rice noodles I use pad thai noodles or thai rice linguini which are thicker and take longer to cook - the bake time will depend on the noodle used so choose accordingly
- 2 cups (473.18 ml) of water
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced green cabbage
for garnish
- peanuts, green onion for garnish
- optional peanut butter for garnish
Instructions
- Add the oil to your baking dish (9 by 11 inch or similar size) and add in the tofu, green onions, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper. Toss well to coat so that the tofu is coated well with oil, and spread it around. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 c ) for 10 minutes or until the tofu is crisp to preference(depending on the tofu and pan this can take upto 20 mins)
- Then remove the baking dish from the oven. Mix peanut butter in 1 cup warm-hot water until well combined then pour that in slowly.(it’s essential to use warm hot water here, 1 to mix the nut butter,2, you are adding it to a hot dish and pouring in cold mix might crack it.)
- Add in the carrots, bell pepper, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, sambal oelek, sesame oil, and mix well.
- Distribute the noodles all over and drizzle the rest of the 1 cup of the water over the noodles.
- Then put the dish back in the oven to bake. Cover the dish with parchment paper and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Check after 20 minutes if the noodles are done or al dente and then remove the dish because the noodles will continue to cook in the hot sauce after you take it out and you don't want to overcook the noodles.
- Add in the cabbage and toss well so that the cabbage softens a little bit with the heat of the noodles and the sauce.
- Taste and adjust salt and flavor by adding more salt or soy sauce and mix in. Add in some lime juice. Let sit for 2 minutes for the noodles to absorb more sauce then serve. Garnish with peanuts and green onion. Add a drizzle of softened peanut butter for additional peanut flavor if you like.
Notes
- the exact baking time will depend on the type of noodle to use so check accordingly
- you can add in any type of veggie you like, thing snow peas, edamame, asparagus, baby spinach
- Use 1 cup coconut milk instead of 1 cup water for creamier
- Nutfree: use Sunbutter or wow butter . Use almond butter for peanutfree
- Stovetop: Cook the noodles according to package directions and set aside. In a skillet add the oil, tofu, salt and pepper and cook over medium high until golden. Then add the ginger garlic and carrots and cook for 2-3 mins. Add in the peppers, sauce ingredients and only 1/2 cup water. Mix well and bring to a boil. Add in the cooked noodles and cabbage and toss well to coat. Take off heat. Taste and adjust, garnish and serve
Nutrition
Ingredients:
- firm or extra firm tofu is best here – make sure to press it for 15 minutes. Silken tofu will not work here
- rice noodles – I used pad thai noodles or Thai rice linguini which are thicker and take longer to than other types of rice noodles
- green onions, minced garlic and ginger are fried along with the tofu
- veggies: I add a mix of carrots, cabbage and bell peppers
- peanut butter is used to flavor and thicken the stir-fry sauce. use almond butter or Sunbutter for variation
- soy sauce is added for saltiness, lime juice for tang, maple syrup for sweetness and sambal olek for spice
Tips:
- the exact baking time will depend on the type of noodle to use so check accordingly
- you can add in any type of veggie you like, thing snow peas, edamame, asparagus, baby spinach
- If you like your sauce extra peanut butter-y, stir in little bit more softened peanut butter right in the end.
- Let the casserole rest for 2 minutes. The noodles will soak up some more of the sauce and the flavors will have time to develop a bit more.
- Nutfree: use Sunbutter or wow butter
How to make Peanut Butter Noodle Casserole:
Add the oil to your baking dish (9 by 11 inch or similar size) and add in the tofu, green onions, garlic, ginger, salt, and pepper. Toss well to coat so that the tofu is coated well with oil, and spread it around. Put it to bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 7-10 minutes or until the tofu is crisp to preference.
Then remove the baking dish from the oven.
Mix peanut butter in 1 cup of the water until well combined then add that in. Add in carrots, bell pepper, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, sambal oelek, sesame oil, and mix well,
Distribute the noodles all over and drizzle the rest of the 1 cup of the water over the noodles.
Then put this back in the oven to bake. Cover the dish with parchment and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Check your 20 minutes if the noodles are done or al dente and then remove the dish because the noodles will continue to cook in the hot dish after you take it out so you don’t want to overcook the noodles right then.
Add in the cabbage and toss well so that the cabbage softens a little bit in the heat of the noodles and the sauce. Taste and adjust salt and flavor by adding more salt or soy sauce and mix in.
Taste and adjust salt and flavor by adding more salt or soy sauce and mix in. If you like it more peanut buttery, you can also add in a little bit more softened peanut butter at this point. Let it rest for 2 minutes. Garnish with green onions and then serve.
How to store baked rice noodle casserole:
You can store leftover peanut rice noodles in the fridge. In an airtight container, it should stay good for about 3 -4 days. So great for meal prep.
Sue
We loved this. Flavors were fantastic! And prep and clean up were a synch. Thanks Richa.
Vegan Richa Support
Wonderful!
Chris
OMG! This was so freaking good! Hubby and I ate the whole thing in one night! Followed the recipe as written. I just love these one pot dishes!
Thanks for another easy, delicious and amazing recipe!
Happy Holidays Richa.
Vegan Richa Support
Hooray! Thank you, Chris.
CC
So good! A new fave – thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
hooray!!
Leah B
I have been meaning to try this since I first saw you post it. I finally made it for dinner tonight and it did not disappoint. It was easy and delicious. The only thing I changed was to use some broccoli instead of cabbage and I also used the full 14oz package of tofu because I never manage to use the second half before it goes bad.
Thanks for another tasty recipe!
Vegan Richa Support
sounds great!
Carrie
Looks delicious. I found this in the freezer friendly category and I’m wondering about that. What stage would you freeze it? After complete? And anything special you would do when reheating?
Vegan Richa Support
yes after complete & cooled down. reheat in oven, maybe add a little water and cover with foil, @ 325, until reheated.
Jackie
I doubled recipe to have leftovers. Used brown rice pad Thai noodles (no mushy noodles!), added edamame, and used light coconut for just under half the liquid. Very tasty and fairly easy.
Vegan Richa Support
perfect, glad you loved it
Sandra
Any suggestions on how to keep the rice noodles from getting mushy? 🙂 Thanks in advance.
Richa
transfer them from the casserole to a shallow bowl. The casserole stays hot and might overcook them. Also bake until they are just about done, not fully done
Rebecca
Easy and delicious!
Vegan Richa Support
thanks for popping in
Rebecca
Outstanding! Easy and delicious. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
Richa
❤️❤️
Anne
So good!! I’ll make this often, and two pans of it next time so we have leftovers. My whole family loved it. I like the one pot version of this in your Everyday Kitchen cookbook, but this is even better – great texture of the noodles and veggies. I didn’t have green onions, bell pepper or cabbage so I subbed minced red onion and broccoli. Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
I’m so happy that you love it! Thank you Anne, good idea with the substitutions
Leah
Yum! I omitted the oil (mixed the tofu ingredients with 1tbsp tamari instead), and it turned out really well. The tofu didn’t get crispy, but I knew cooking it in so much liquid wouldn’t keep it crisp anyway. I also used the full package (14oz) of tofu.
Vegan Richa Support
sounds good Leah
Lisa
Fantastic as always! I accidentally put the cabbage in with the peppers and carrots so it kind of melted away but it was still delicious! I had to bake my firm tofu an additional 15 mins and still didn’t get crispy but it made no difference. I also had to add about another cup of water and cook the noodles an additional 10 mins I think because the cabbage bulked up the dish too much and the noodles barely touched the water.
Next time I’ll use more peanut butter and do things in the right order!
Thanks for another excellent dinner!
Richa
Yay! Yes the cabbage would bulk it up quite a bit and thin out the flavors noodles type and brands differ so once you figure out the water amounts , stick to that. Also cover the pan with parchment as water can evaporate faster based on your pan
Courtney
Any thoughts on using chickpeas instead of tofu? I try to minimize soy but this looks too good to pass up!
Vegan Richa Support
great idea actually ; treat them as the tofu. – may have to bake them up to 30 minutes, like crispy chickpeas
Tara
What a pleasant surprise this was!!! I had some of the ingredients on hand and some I improvised. But I will give you ALL the credit!💜 I used zucchini, broccoli and half of a white onion as base instead of tofu. All I had was instant pho noodles which worked! Just had to stir the noodles at the end of cooking and leave them to soak for a few minutes. The flavour was spot-on. I’m so excited to discover this recipe and throw it into our rotation for meal-prep/ leftovers too. Thank you so much for sharing!!!!
Vegan Richa Support
oh – you’re too kind – spot on ❤️❤️
Lesley
Made a double batch of this yummy casserole today! Used the coconut milk in place of half the water & had carrots, thin slice zucchini, & tiny broccoli florets for the veggies. The recipe cooked up perfectly & will make it into our meal rotation. Better than takeout for sure!
Richa
Yay
Toni
Great recipe ~ easy and quick. Love that everything bakes in the same dish. Definitely adding this to my rotation. Thanks Richa!!
Vegan Richa Support
it will be a nice addition
Florence
Really enjoyed this. I made it for 7 of us and felt one packet of noodles (as suggested for 8 people) wouldn’t have been enough so I used two and (almost) doubled the water. The noodles definitely needed to be stirred several times during cooking. It’s very forgiving of different veg — I used zucchini as well as the veg suggested, and red cabbage instead of green as that’s what I had.
Richa
Awesome! If you increase quantity, use a larger pan so the noodles are not weighing down on each other. They don’t stick if they have room to breathe during boiling
Carol Bradstreet
I made this tonight. It was SO good! The only thing I had to change was to add lemon juice over lime juice, because I didn’t have any lime. It was still great. It was fairly simple to make, which makes it a keeper. I chopped the veggies ahead of time and pressed the tofu, then stuck them in the fridge. All I really had to do was to assemble everything at dinner time. This beats any take-out from an Asian restaurant.
Vegan Richa Support
that’s ok, thanks Carol, nice of you
Zoe Phillips
I made this last night and it was absolutely delicious! I did have to bake the tofu longer, it didn’t quite crisp up. However, I made the rest of the recipe as written and it was a truly delightful dish. We finished it with some chili crisp which then took it to another level. Thank you for such a wonderful and innovative recipe!
Vegan Richa Support
thanks for the star rating, ovens can vary
Elizabeth Belden Handler
I made this for dinner tonight, using red and green peppers, carrots, and bok choy (as I didn’t have any cabbage). I used natural peanut butter, and about a tablespoon of tahini instead of toasted sesame oil. It was absolutely delicious! I will definitely be making this again. It would be great to bring to a pot luck, too. Thank you for posting this!
Richa
Yay!! ❤️❤️
Katy
This looks so good! Did you use natural peanut butter, or sweetened?
Richa
Either will work. With natural you might need to add a touch more sweetness. Taste and adjust when you get the baking dish out and add any if needed with the cabbage
Catherine
I’m so bad about leaving comments on blog posts, but I GASPED when I saw this link posted on Facebook. I don’t know how you do it, but it’s like you know exactly what I need before it even comes to the surface of my consciousness. 😂 This looks incredible, and I can’t wait to make it this weekend. So excited for your next cookbook, too!
Vegan Richa Support
we all have a little bit of a sixth sense sometimes =). yay! i hope tha t you enjoy the next cookbook!
Michelle
Vegan Richa, your recipes never disappoint! This is going to become a staple at my house. The flavor is so delicious.
Vegan Richa Support
great to hear!!