Creamy vegan pink sauce pasta combines tomato sauce with a quick, white cashew sauce for a delicious, easy pasta dish with 11 simple ingredients, ready in 30 minutes.
Pink sauce, also known as rose or parma rose sauce, is a simple Italian creamy sauce that combines red, like marinara sauce, and white sauces or heavy cream. This vegan version takes a few liberties, using classic tomato sauce with quick cashew cream.
I employed a secret ingredient I learned in making red pesto rosa pasta and basil pesto spaghetti. I used pasta water to thicken the sauce and help it cling to the pasta. The result is a creamy pasta sauce perfect for an easy dinner.
Table of Contents
📋 Recipe Ingredients and Notes
Cashews. Soaked, raw cashews make the best cashew cream. I recommend soaking for everything from cashew ranch dressing to simple vegan sour cream.
Plant milk. This recipe calls for a cup of non-dairy plant milk, such as oat, almond milk, or coconut milk. Milk yields a richer, smoother texture than water or vegetable broth.
Tomato sauce. Use tomato sauce or tomato puree without added flavorings. Use a can of tomatoes pureed with extra tomato paste as a substitute.
Pasta. The type of pasta used is entirely up to you. I like smaller shaped pasta like penne or fusilli so the sauce can fill all the groves.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
📖 Recipe Variations
- If you want nut-free, consider ground sunflower seeds instead of cashews. Or use a can of coconut milk with a tablespoon of cornstarch or coconut cream. You may need to adjust the amount of pasta water if you use this option.
- Like spicy sauce? Add red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Add chopped spinach or kale for a pink sauce with greens before adding the pasta.
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cover the cashews in boiling water for 15 minutes. Then, blend them with milk to make cashew cream.
Step 2: Heat a heavy-bottom pot or large skillet and cook the onions for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, nutritional yeast, and spices.
Step 3: Stir in the tomato sauce, paste, and cashew cream.
Step 4: Add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Stir in small amounts of pasta water until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
🔪 Pro Tips
- Mix cooked pasta with the sauce (not sauce to pasta). Just in case you misjudged the amount of pasta. Don't toss unused pasta. Make a quick vegan mustard maple dressing with veggies for pasta salad.
- Cook pasta al dente, meaning it isn't mushy when you bite through it. If the pasta is done a little early, no worries; drain it, reserve a cup of pasta water, and let it reheat when you mix it with the sauce.
- Add pasta water a little at a time, stirring constantly. Keep the liquid reserved until you serve the pasta. Cashew-based sauces and dressing can cease as they cool.
Denise's Tip: When sauteing vegetables without oil, always heat the pot or skillet to medium heat before adding onions or other veggies. This keeps them from sticking.
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🍴 Serving Suggestions
Garnish pink sauce pasta with fresh herbs, such as chopped parsley or a few torn fresh basil leaves. It's delicious with baked hemp seed vegan parmesan cheese or a little sprinkle of chili flakes.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Pink pasta sauce refers to its pink color. It is a blend of tomato and white sauce. Vodka sauce is a more specific recipe blending marinara and alfredo sauces.
Absolutely. If you omit the onion and garlic, you can make the sauce entirely in the blender by adding tomato paste, tomato sauce, cashews, plant milks, and seasonings. You may want to add a little garlic powder or onion powder.
Mushrooms make a tasty addition to pink sauce pasta. The easiest way to add them is to sauté them along with the onions. Allow the moisture in the mushrooms to cook down, then add the garlic and continue with the recipe.
Reheat pink sauce pasta in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a bit of water so that the pasta doesn't dry out and the sauce remains creamy.
Store leftover pink sauce pasta in an airtight container for 4 days. The sauce freezes well for 3 months, but the pasta can get mushy after thawing and reheating.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Creamy Vegan Pink Sauce Pasta
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Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 cup plant milk
- 1 small onion - 1 cup
- 4 cloves garlic - minced or pressed
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste - tomato puree
- 2 cups tomato sauce - tomato passata
- 10 ounces dried pasta - reserve 1 cup pasta water
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a small bowl and cover them with boiling water. Soak them for 15 minutes while you prep the ingredients and start the water for the pasta.
- Drain the cashews and add them to a blender with 1 cup of plant milk. Blend until smooth.
- Add the pasta and cook according to package directions when the water is boiling.
- Heat a medium pot or large skillet. Cook the onions for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the garlic, nutritional yeast, Italian herbs, pepper, and chili flakes for 30 seconds. Then, stir in the tomato paste.
- Add the tomato sauce and cashew cream and mix well. Let the sauce simmer.
- Before draining the pasta, scoop out a cup of water. Drain the pasta and mix it with the sauce. Then add pasta water, a little at a time, until you have a creamy pink pasta dinner.
- Taste and add salt and more pepper or chili flakes Garnish with fresh chopped parsley or basil if desired.
Video
Notes
- You can make the cashew cream and the entire sauce up to 2 days ahead. Heat the sauce for a few minutes before adding the pasta.
- Add chopped spinach or kale for more greens. Stir it in after making the sauce and before mixing the pasta.
- Ground sunflower seeds are the best nut-free option. You can also use a can of coconut milk with a tablespoon of cornstarch or coconut cream. If you use this option, you may need to adjust the amount of pasta water.
- Store leftover pink sauce pasta in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 4 days. The sauce freezes well for 3 months. I don't recommend freezing pasta because it can get mushy after thawing and reheating.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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