Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta

By Alexandra Caspero on January 29, 2020
Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta! This creamy vegan pasta recipe is so delicious and perfect for busy weeknights. You'd never guess it's dairy-free! 
Prep time: 15 min / Cook Time: 30 min / Total Time: 45 min

Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta! This creamy vegan pasta recipe is so delicious and perfect for busy weeknights. You’d never guess it’s dairy-free! 

Back with another episode of Delish Pasta! I’m kinda shocked that I haven’t shared this recipe with you yet as it’s one of my go-tos for busy weeknight dinners.

We eat a lot of basic meals around here and I sometimes think that they aren’t creative enough to be exciting for you. But, then I remember that you all crave quick and easy the same way I do and are A-OK with recipes that maybe shouldn’t be actual recipes.

This is a food blog after all, not a gourmet magazine.

If you like creamy pasta sauces, then you will love this one. Steps below!

Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta

Roasting Cherry Tomatoes

The first step is roasting the cherry tomatoes, onion and garlic until super soft and slightly caramelized. Tomatoes this time of year aren’t winning any flavor awards, but roasting them like this heightens their natural sweetness and makes for a great depth of flavor.

Could you use other tomatoes? Sure! I prefer cherry tomatoes because I can open a package, give them a quick rinse and them dump them onto the baking sheet- no chopping required.

Pop them into the oven and let them get nice and juicy- if they burst, even better! Just make sure to save all that yummy juice when you go to make the sauce.

Blender With Ingredients For Creamy Vegan Pasta Sauce

Dairy-Free Cream Sauce for Pasta

Place the roast tomatoes, garlic and onions into a blender along with some raw cashews and reserved pasta water.

I know I’ve told you for years that you need to soak your cashews ahead of time, but spoiler alert- I never do it. My current blender is fairly high powered and the warm pasta water helps to blend the cashews into a very creamy sauce that I usually skip soaking the cashews first.

Who has time to remember to do that?

If your blender isn’t very strong, then I still recommend soaking the cashews before hand. Otherwise, forget about it.

The second trick here is using reserved pasta water to make the sauce. Not only does the reserved pasta water have a nice salty kick (you did salt your pasta water, right?) it also contains starches from the pasta that will help the sauce cling to the noodles once tossed together.

It’s one of my secrets in making delicious vegan pasta. Reserved pasta water is like liquid gold so make sure to save some before draining your pasta!

Bowl Of Creamy Vegan Pasta

Close Up Of Tomato Basil Pasta Recipe

The Best Vegan Pasta

That’s it! How simple was that sauce to put together? Now toss with some cooked ziti or rigatoni and ta-da, dinner is served.

We’ve cut back so much on our dairy intake thanks to quick vegan pasta recipes like this and I’m so thankful. I notice such a difference in how I feel when I reduce my cheese intake. Pretty powerful!

I also use a regular pasta in most of my pasta recipes and that’s because I feel like I get plenty of fiber through all of the fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains that I constantly eat. I also really prefer the taste of regular pasta over the newer legume pastas or whole grain options.

That being said, this sauce would still taste great with a wheat or chickpea pasta if you prefer. I also ended up adding some vegan tempeh bacon to go on top! You can make your own or purchase it from the store if you want to go this route– I simply saute it right before serving and crumble it into the cooked pasta along with lots of fresh basil.

Yes, I know that basil isn’t in season right now but it’s so delicious and vibrant that I shell out the extra few bucks for this dish. Spinach would work too!

Vegan Pasta Recipe Close Up Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta

Hope you LOVE this vegan tomato pasta as much as we do. If you try it, come back and rate it and leave a comment. Seeing you make my recipes makes my day and  your feedback helps other readers! 

More Vegan Pasta Recipes

Mushroom Fettuccini Alfredo
Linguine with Shiitake Wine Sauce
Easy Vegan Pasta
Spicy Vegan Pasta with Sausage
Spicy Tomato Penne Pasta

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Cropped Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta

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Cropped Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta

Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta

  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: vegan pasta
  • Method: stove top, oven
  • Cuisine: American, Italian

Description

Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta! This creamy vegan pasta recipe is so delicious and perfect for busy weeknights. You’d never guess it’s dairy-free!


  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: vegan pasta
  • Method: stove top, oven
  • Cuisine: American, Italian
  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: vegan pasta
  • Method: stove top, oven
  • Cuisine: American, Italian
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 quart cherry tomatoes
  • 1 small yellow or white onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 lb. ziti or other pasta
  • 3/4 cup raw cashews
  • 3/4 cup reserved pasta water
  • 1/3 cup freshly torn basil leaves

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Toss together the cherry tomatoes, chopped onion, garlic, red pepper flakes and olive oil. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes until vegetables have softened and tomatoes have slightly burst.
  3. While the vegetables are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water (use the 3/4 teaspoon salt) to a boil. Add the ziti and cook until tender according to package directions; drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
  4. Add the cooked tomato mixture, cashews and 3/4 cup reserved pasta water to a high powered blender and puree until very creamy. Depending on the power of your blender, this may take ~5 minutes. Taste, adding more salt/red pepper flakes/black pepper as needed.
  5. Toss the hot pasta with the creamy tomato sauce and the torn basil leaves. Serve immediately!

Notes

  • I photographed this with leftover crumbled tempeh bacon that I had on hand. You can use this tempeh bacon recipe or purchase it if you want an extra protein boost!

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. Grace
      September 21, 2021 AT 8:30 am

      Hi Alex! Can’t wait to make this recipe! My son has a cashew allergy – is there an equivalent nut I could use? Does almond give it the same consistency or could I add a little soy milk for the creaminess?
      Thanks!

      1. Alex
        September 21, 2021 AT 9:10 am

        Blanched almonds will absolutely work! You can also add soy milk and just use broth to blend the tomatoes, but it won’t be as creamy.

    2. Mohammed
      March 27, 2020 AT 12:50 pm

      I just made this by following this recipe, it was so tasty and delicious, I can’t explain. It is a real winner, really enjoyed Thanks for sharing.

    3. Milton
      February 9, 2020 AT 5:53 pm

      Wife and I made this for supper the sauce is a real winner making the dish delicious we enjoyed ty for recipe 🙂






      1. Alex
        February 11, 2020 AT 8:06 am

        So glad you liked it!

    4. Milton
      February 9, 2020 AT 1:55 pm

      O my this looks so good , fixing it right now got tomatoes , onion , garlic in oven and pasta cooking , will report back

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