Spicy Vegan Pasta with Sausage

By Alexandra Caspero on September 23, 2019
One of my favorite vegan pasta recipes. A must make for plant-based skeptics!
Serves 4-6

Spicy Vegan Pasta with Sausage! This easy date-night pasta is so incredible, you’d never guess it was meat and dairy-free! If you love healthy Italian food, then you’ve gotta try this easy vegan pasta.

I’m calling this my Fall rigatoni. You want comfort? You want a heaping bowl full of delicious pasta in the most decadent, creamy sauce? Then this spicy vegan pasta is for you.

I actually tested this one back in June, but held onto it for a few months until the weather cooled down a bit; it felt more like a late September recipe than a summer one. I can’t even tell you how rich and wonderful this pasta is- and, it’s vegan!

The secret to this recipe is using Beyond Meat’s new sausage offerings. No, this isn’t sponsored and I suppose technically you could sub in another sausage. However, there are a few things that I really love about the Beyond brand that I think it’s worth it for this meal.

For one, their vegan sausages come with an edible casing! Perfect for grilling and they easily slip off to reveal sausage that can easily be broken down into crumbles. I’ve essentially taken a spicy sausage pasta recipe sans pork sans dairy but NOT sans flavor. For my non-vegan friends, I swear that you won’t be able to tell the difference. I made this for my family when I was home a few months ago and even my die-hard carnivore sister had seconds. 

I grab mine at Whole Foods, though they are in several retailers (store located here). I’ve written about this a few times over on Instagram, but I don’t stress that these sausages are much higher in fat than other plant-based protein options. For one, I’m not eating them often. They are much more expensive than my beloved tofu and lentils and therefore, they are a treat. Secondly, I may be a long-time vegetarian, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t love the fatty taste of ‘meat’. These new offerings from Beyond (and other brands) make me feel like I still get to enjoy these delicious foods on occasion, without having to actually eat meat! 

The Best Easy Vegan Pasta Recipe Vegan Pasta Recipe

This spicy vegan pasta is also perfect as date night pasta. I don’t know about you, but decadent meals like this always feel like they’re worthy of date-night in. Now that we’ve got a toddler and another one on the way, it’s become harder and harder for BL to find quality time for one another.

However, we can almost always make time for dinner after we put Van to bed. As this pasta is fairly easy to put together, I can get started on it while BL tackles bedtime. I think a good glass of red wine would also be the perfect accompaniment! Ya know, if one if you isn’t currently pregnant.

Rigatoni Pasta

Last thing! This recipe calls for cashew cream, which is my plant-based version of heavy cream. Depending on the power of your blender, it may require some advance soaking.

If I’m in a rush (99% of the time), then I will throw boiling hot water over my cashews to quick soak for 10 minutes, then drain and puree. I’m using a BlendTec blender, which is fairly high-powered and has no problem creaming the cashews after a quick soak. If you’re using a lower-powered blender, then I’d recommend soaking the cashews for at least an hour ahead of time.

That’s it! Hope you enjoy this spicy vegan pasta as much as we did. It’s INCREDIBLE!

Easy Vegan Pasta Sauce With Sausage And Tomato Cream

If you try this recipe, make sure to come back to rate it and leave a review. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day. 

More Vegan Pasta Recipes

Tomato Basil Pasta
Spicy Tomato Pasta Penne
20 Minute Vegan Pasta
The Best Vegan Lasagna
Vegan Pumpkin Bolognese 

 

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Vegan Pasta With Vegan

Spicy Vegan Pasta with Sausage

  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
  • Category: dinner, italian, vegan
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Vegan, American, Italian

Description

Spicy Vegan Pasta with Sausage! This easy date-night pasta is so incredible, you’d never guess it was meat and dairy-free! If you love healthy Italian food, then you’ve gotta try this easy vegan pasta.


  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
  • Category: dinner, italian, vegan
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Vegan, American, Italian
  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
  • Category: dinner, italian, vegan
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: Vegan, American, Italian
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. rigatoni pasta with 2 cups reserved pasta water (after the pasta is cooked)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 package vegan sausage, casings removed and roughly chopped** (see notes for recommendations)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 1 cup white wine or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup cashew cream* (see notes)
  • 2 cups chopped spinach
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • red pepper flakes, for topping

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook according to package directions. Drain, reserving 2 cups of starchy pasta water.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large deep pot over medium high heat. Add the celery and onion and cook until very soft, about 10-15 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, breaking into small pieces until browned and crispy.
  3. Reduce heat to medium-low and add in the garlic, fennel seeds and tomato paste. Saute until paste is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add in the wine or broth and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot to get the browned pieces of sausage that have stuck to the pain. Cook until reduced, about 4-5 minutes.
  4. Add in the cashew cream, spinach and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water. Let simmer for 5 minutes and add in the salt to taste.
  5. Add in the cooked pasta to the sauce and add a little reserved pasta water at a time, stirring to incorporate, adding as much pasta water as needed to let the sauce cling to the noodles. Stir in red pepper flakes, if desired, and serve.

Notes

*To make cashew cream, pour boiling water over 3/4 cup raw cashews and let soak for 30 minutes. Puree with 1 cup water or broth until very creamy and smooth. You may need more water. Depending on the power of your blender, this may take 5 minutes.

** I used the Beyond Meat Hot Italian Sausage and OH MY GOSH. Highly, highly recommend using those if you can find them. I know they are expensive, but I think they are worth it. Other recommended brands are the Field Roast Italian Sausage, sliced

did you make this?

Tag @delishknowledge on Instagram and hashtag it #delishknowledge

Meet Alex Caspero

Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling Chef, and mom of two. She aims to cut through the nutrition noise by providing real-life, nourishing tips for body and mind. Learn more about Alex.

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    1. Sarah
      October 20, 2021 AT 6:51 pm

      I didn’t know what to do with my Beyond Beef sausage and this recipe popped up—This was awesome! Super surprised, tbh—but so flavorful and complex. Will absolutely make again. Thank you!!






      1. Alex
        October 20, 2021 AT 7:05 pm

        So glad to hear!

    2. Devesh Patel
      June 30, 2021 AT 3:28 pm

      My daughter Divya(Best daughter) just made it and I tasted it as soon as she walked out of kitchen. It is EXCELLENT, I LOVE ❤️ it.






      1. Alex
        July 1, 2021 AT 7:13 am

        So glad to hear!

    3. Christy
      March 31, 2021 AT 1:11 pm

      This is delicious! I do not usually like the beyond the meat Sausages (I do like their burgers and sausage patties), but this is my new favorite dish to make at home. Kids loves it! I did not add the red pepper flakes for them. Made exactly as written. Will make it again next week!!






    4. Shakti Shukla
      July 21, 2020 AT 7:32 pm

      Best thing I’ve made in ages, all ages loved it. Used broth, to finish up a carton, but will use wine next time. Used splash of Rao’s marinara instead of paste, their sauce has a slow-cooked depth so I got away with it without resorting to ketchup. Used kale instead of spinach, I think the texture stood up well to the decadent sauce in which I confess I used half and half instead of cashew cream, but next time will try unsweetened plain Califia coconut almond creamer which I always have on hand. Finally, I used my favorite gluten-free spaghetti, from Barilla. Didn’t need chili flakes as the Beyond Hot Italian sausage is plenty zesty and there’s so much flavor from fennel seeds, garlic etc. I know it sounds like I changed a lot but I restrained myself from my usual tinkering and am so glad. This recipe could be on our favorite local Italian menu.






    5. JUNIPER MAY
      April 25, 2020 AT 5:09 pm

      I received some Beyond Italian sausage this week from a friend and was looking for a recipe to use it in. I made this tonight using what I had in my pantry to avoid leaving my apartment during quarantine. I picked cashews out of my trail mix and substituted a mix of celery flakes and celery salt for fresh celery, white onion for yellow, oregano for fennel seeds, tomato sauce for tomato paste, and left out the spinach as I didn’t have any. Despite all those changes, it was still delicious! So filling and such a nice change to my meal rotation since I’m having to cook a lot more now than normal. One tip – 1 C of water seemed to be too much for the cashew cream. It was my first time making it, and it turned out pretty runny. Next time I would start with less and add it as needed to get the right consistency. I’ve already recommended this recipe to several friends!






    6. Annie
      April 24, 2020 AT 1:48 pm

      How much is “one package” of vegan sausage? 4 links of the Beyond Meat sausages?

      Thanks!

      1. Alex
        April 24, 2020 AT 2:50 pm

        Hi Annie– I typically use one package (4 links) but you are welcome to use less!

    7. Trish
      April 16, 2020 AT 6:04 pm

      Wow! So good. Family really really enjoyed it as did I. Fab recipe. Is there a way to pin this?
      Thanks so much for dinner tonight!






    8. Shannon
      March 11, 2020 AT 3:36 pm

      I can’t wait to make this…have the Beyond Meat sausage in my fridge right now. I’m going to convert my husband yet!

    9. Natasha
      March 4, 2020 AT 9:04 pm

      Very delicious sauce! Thanks for the recipe. If I may post a warning: don’t use Lightlife Bratwurst like I did, terrible taste.

      But this sauce, amazing!!!

    10. Eric
      December 10, 2019 AT 6:40 pm

      This might be a silly question but do you use fresh spinach or frozen? Thanks so much, can’t wait to try!

      1. Alex
        December 11, 2019 AT 7:20 am

        No such thing as a silly question! I use fresh spinach, but I suppose that frozen could work as well!

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