This creamy vegan pasta is my favorite recipe to make when I’m craving comfort food but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen. From start to finish, it takes just over 20 minutes to make, so it’s the perfect weeknight meal. All you need to do is boil the pasta, blend up the sauce, sauté onion and broccoli, and toss it all together. Then, you can sit down to devour warm bowls of noodles and veggies coated with this super creamy vegan pasta sauce. While this sauce looks like a rich cream or cheese sauce, it’s actually a tangy, luscious blend of white beans, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast. So this recipe is not only quick & comforting, but it’s also healthy!
Vegan Pasta Recipe Ingredients
Of course, this creamy vegan pasta sauce is totally dairy-free, but it’s also different than many vegan pasta sauces I make. Often, I turn to raw cashews or coconut milk in these recipes, but this time, I went in a different direction. Here’s what I used:
White beans are the secret ingredient that make this sauce thick, smooth, and creamy! They also add a good amount of plant-based protein. Use canned beans, or cook your own. Lemon juice brightens it up. Olive oil adds richness. Nutritional yeast fills this vegan pasta with yummy cheese-like flavor. Onion powder & garlic amp up the savory, umami flavors in this recipe. Vegetable broth (and pasta cooking water, if you like) loosens the sauce as needed. Pasta. I used small shell pasta, but use what you have on hand. Orecchiette, bow ties, or rigatoni would all be great. Read the label on your pasta to make sure it’s vegan – most dried pastas are. Broccoli and chopped up broccoli stems. This recipe is a great way to use up the whole vegetable. If your broccoli still has leaves attached, toss those in too! And pine nuts add a delicious crunch!
One note about this recipe – it’s not mac and cheese. I know it looks cheesy, but this sauce isn’t meant to recreate cheese (head over to this vegan mac and cheese recipe if that’s what you’re looking for). Instead, it’s a tangy, comforting garlic pasta that’s delicious in its own way.
Easy Vegan Pasta Recipe Variations
This vegan pasta is a great recipe to play with! The creamy, luscious vegan pasta sauce is a fantastic starting point for different combinations of vegetables, noodles, seasonings, and more. Here are a few ideas for changing it up:
If you love this vegan pasta recipe…
Head over here to find more of my favorite plant-based recipes, or try one of these delicious pasta dishes next!
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