Vegan Creamy Tomato Pasta
May 23, 2026
This creamy pasta is incredibly rich and indulgent, made with cashew cream instead of dairy, plus three kinds of tomatoes. It comes together quickly in the kitchen for an easy weeknight meal that the whole family will love!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Want to know how to make this recipe gluten-free, nut-free, or with another substitution? This is your section.
penne pasta: You can use any kind of pasta you want, but I recommend a shape that’s made for thick sauce, like fettuccine, rotini, fusilli, or shells. To make the recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.
olive oil: High-quality extra-virgin olive oil is my choice for this recipe, but you could also substitute with vegan butter or another oil.
onion: I used a yellow onion, but a white or red onion would also work, depending on your taste.
garlic: Adds flavor to the sauce. In a pinch, you could use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
sun-dried tomatoes: These pack lots of flavor and might just be my favorite part of this dish. I wouldn’t skip them, but you’ll still have a delicious, creamy tomato sauce if you do.
baby spinach: This is optional, but baby spinach is a great way to add extra nutrients to your pasta, and it’s barely detectable once you’ve cooked it.
fresh basil, red pepper flakes, vegan parmesan cheese: Optional garnishes to add even more flavor to your dish.
raw cashews: These are responsible for the sauce’s rich texture, and I recommend sticking with cashews for the best taste. If you need to make this pasta nut-free, however, skip the cashews, add one 13.5-oz can of full-fat coconut milk, and reduce the vegetable broth to 1/2 cup. This will result in a thinner sauce, so you may want to reduce the mixture in a saucepan on the stove before using it in your pasta.
tomato paste: Concentrated tomatoes that amp up the flavor of the sauce.
vegetable broth: I like to use low-sodium vegetable broth here so I have more control over how salty the final dish is.
cooking wine: This enhances the flavor of the sauce, but you can also make the sauce alcohol-free by using more vegetable broth instead. Any inexpensive dry wine works here, but check barnivore.com before you buy to make sure your wine is vegan.
nutritional yeast: This adds some cheesy flavor to the sauce. A little bit of white miso would also be good here if you don’t have any nooch on hand.
fresh lemon juice: I prefer freshly squeezed for the best flavor, but you can also use bottled if that's easier for you to get your hands on.
Italian seasoning: Use the seasoning blend or seasonings you like. Dried basil, parsley, oregano, and thyme pair well with this sauce.
maple syrup: This cuts the acidity of the tomatoes with a bit of sweetness. You could also use vegan brown sugar or agave.
salt: A bit of salt enhances the flavors of the sauce. I used sea salt, but table salt or pink salt are also fine.
Serving Suggestions
This pasta dish is a full meal on its own, but you can definitely go all-out and serve it with a fresh salad and bread. I recommend my apple walnut salad and vegan garlic bread. Finish your meal with some cool and crunchy vegan cannoli.
It’s easy to customize this recipe by adding in any veggies that you have in the fridge (broccoli is a great choice). You can also add in your favorite vegan protein or chickpeas.
I particularly like lion’s mane mushrooms with this dish. You can sauté them (without stirring) in a pan with a bit of olive oil. Turn them once they’re brown on one side.
Tips for the Best Creamy Vegan Pasta
This tomato pasta is incredibly easy, and following a few simple tips will ensure you get the best results every time.
- For the best flavor, add plenty of salt to your boiling water when you cook the pasta.
- Don’t overcook your pasta. Use a timer and cook the pasta according to the al dente time on the package. If your package instructions don’t specify an al dente time, then reduce the standard cooking time by 2 minutes.
- Keep 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water for your cream sauce. The starches in the water will help your sauce stick to the pasta.
- Before you start, make sure your skillet is large enough to hold the sauce, veggies, and pasta. Use a skillet that’s 7 quarts (7 liters) or larger.
Storage and Reheating
While this recipe reheats well, freshly cooked pasta is always better than reheated pasta. For that reason, I'd recommend that you make the full amount of sauce and veggies, but only cook the amount of pasta you'll eat in one sitting.
Store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, then reheat it in a pan on the stove over medium-low to medium heat (add in a splash of extra liquid, like water, vegetable broth, or almond milk), and toss it with freshly cooked pasta.
If you make the full amount of pasta and have leftovers, you can store and reheat it just as you would with the sauce alone. Your pasta may be a bit soft, however.
I don't recommend freezing this recipe because the texture will suffer.
More Incredible Vegan Pasta Recipes
Pasta is one of my favorite foods; if you feel the same way, you'll probably love these other vegan pasta recipes:
Vegan Creamy Tomato Pasta
Yield16 cups / 3 3/4 liters (8-10 servings)
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Pin itIngredients
- 1 lb. penne pasta (or pasta of your choice)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 10.5 oz. grape tomatoes, halved (or cherry tomatoes)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 sun-dried tomatoes (about 3.2 oz or 90 g), chopped into thin strips
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach (optional)
- vegan parmesan, fresh basil, red pepper flakes (for serving, optional)
Creamy Cashew-Tomato Sauce
- 1 cup raw, unsalted cashews, soaked
- 1 3/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup pasta cooking water
- 6 oz. tomato paste
- 1/4 cup dry cooking wine (or additional vegetable broth)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- salt, to taste
Instructions
Cook your pasta according to the al dente package instructions. When you’re draining your pasta water, reserve 1/2 cup of water for the sauce. Set the pasta and water aside.
Combine all sauce ingredient except salt in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Heat your olive oil in a large skillet (at least 7 qt./7 L) over medium heat, then add your onion and cook, stirring regularly until it’s just beginning to brown (about 6 to 8 minutes). If your pan gets dry at any point, you can add water or vegetable broth and deglaze the pan with a wooden spoon. Add in your grape tomatoes and cook until they’re soft and the skins start to turn wrinkly (about 4 to 6 minutes more). Then, add your garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
Stir in your sun-dried tomatoes and baby spinach (if using), and cook until the baby spinach is wilted.
Add your sauce to the skillet and stir it until it’s warmed through and reduced slightly. If the sauce becomes too thick, you can add water. Add salt to taste.*
Stir your pasta into the sauce and let it warm for a minute, if needed.
Serve your pasta and sauce in bowls, then garnish with vegan parmesan, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes & Hints
When you're adding salt to the sauce, keep in mind that the sun-dried tomatoes may also be quite salty.
To make this recipe nut-free, use a 13.5-oz can of coconut milk instead of cashews and reduce your vegetable broth to 1/2 cup. You may need additional time to thicken the sauce if you use coconut milk.
Soak your cashews in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain them.
Nutrition Data
Serving Size 1/9 of recipe
| Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories 354 | Calories from Fat 72 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 8g | 10% | |
| Saturated Fat 1g | 5% | |
| Trans Fat 0g | ||
| Cholesterol 0mg | 0% | |
| Sodium 257mg | 11% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 55g | 18% | |
| Dietary Fiber 6g | 24% | |
| Sugars 9g | ||
| Protein 12g | 24% | |
| Vitamin A 991mcg RAE | 110% | |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B12 2mcg | 83% | |
| Vitamin C 31mg | 34% | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium 21mg | 2% | |
| Iron 4mg | 22% | |
| Potassium 854mg | 18% | |
| Zinc 1mg | 9% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note: This data should be used only as an estimate. Please see the nutrition section of my terms and conditions for more information on how this data is calculated.
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