This vegan sundried tomato pasta has a rich umami flavor and a luxurious creamy texture. The combination of salty-sweet sundried tomatoes, my unique hemp seed bacon bits, velvety alfredo sauce, and chopped spinach creates a plant-based pasta meal that will appeal to all the vegans and non-vegans at your table.
I set out to make a creamy, dairy-free Alfredo sauce. And, when I started adding a few 'extras', like sundried tomatoes and spinach, I got excited. After all, this wasn't anything like my blended sundried tomato pesto pasta. Then came the vegan bacon bits, and wow, a pasta dish that was way over the top!
After serving it a few times and getting rave reviews with requests to please make it again, well, it had to be shared. And seriously, you'll want to make this one again, and again.
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Why This Recipe is Special
- It's a plant-based delight made with no added oil and with a few of my 'special' umami ingredients, including miso paste (who would 'a thought?).
- The sauce can be made days ahead for a quick weeknight dinner or easy dinner party prep.
- There's nutrition in every luxurious bite from added spinach to protein-plenty hemp seeds.
Key Ingredients and Tips
- Sundried tomatoes. I buy bulk bags of sundried tomatoes and love them because they are not swimming in oil. If you can get them packed in water, super. If not, use water to rinse away as much oil as you can. You can also use homemade oven-dried tomatoes or semi-dried tomatoes packed in water for this recipe.
- Hemp seeds. If you're familiar with my original hemp seed parmesan cheese recipe, well, that's the source of my favorite vegan bacon bits. You can also use diced vegan bacon strips or any brand of vegan bacon or bacon bits you happen to have on hand.
- Cashews. Use raw cashews (the white ones) for this recipe. You'll never get a good flavor using roasted and/or salted cashews for any cashew sauce or vegan sour cream unless you're using raw cashews.
- Miso paste. This is my wild card ingredient for the pasta sauce and bacon bits. If you know my recipes, you already know I add it to everything from vegan pizza cheese to Marry Me chickpeas. It's my secret umami flavor hack.
- Spinach. I used fresh spinach (2 cups chopped). You can also use frozen spinach, thawed or chopped fresh, or frozen kale.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
Recipe Variations
- For a nut-free creamy sauce: Replace the cashews with 6-8 ounces of firm or extra firm tofu (about half a block) or a whole block of silken tofu.
- Gluten-free option. Use Tamari or liquid amino acids in the bacon bits and add your favorite gluten-free pasta.
- Go soy-free. Use coconut aminos as a soy sauce substitute and use soy-free miso paste, such as chickpea miso paste.
- Give your pasta a spicy kick: Add red chili flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper to the sauce.
Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions
Combine miso paste, soy sauce, and liquid smoke with hemp seeds and bake for awesome vegan bacon bits.
Cook the onions and garlic in vegetable broth. This oil-free method builds delicious flavor.
After making the sauce in a blender with cashews, the cooked onions, and seasonings, transfer it back into the pan and add sundried tomatoes, spinach, and bacon bits.
When the sauce is simmering, mix in the pasta and get ready for an amazing plant-based meal!
Pro Tips for the Perfect Dish
- Don't overcook the pasta - it should be al dente, not mushy.
- When making cashew sauces or pesto for pasta, reserve a cup of the water before draining. Use the starchy water to thin the sauce and encourage it to cling to the pasta.
- Even if you have a high-speed blender, soak the cashews. My favorite method is covering them with boiling water and soaking for 15 minutes. That way, I don't need to remember to soak them overnight.
First Sauce, Then Pasta
I always try to follow the rule of dry pasta, 2 ounces/56 grams per person, but now and then I get overzealous. For this reason, I find it easiest to add half the cooked pasta and mix it with the sauce. Then, continue adding pasta. This is your safety check.
If you end up with more cooked pasta than you need, don't throw it out! Use leftover pasta to make a quick curried vegan pasta salad or another favorite.
Serving Ideas
Pair this elegant pasta with a fresh green salad with a flavorful dressing like vegan mustard and honey or pomegranate molasses vinaigrette. Garlic bread is another delicious option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the sauce can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. The sauce can also be frozen for 3 months. Just make fresh pasta and mix!
Although thin, long pasta like spaghetti, fettuccine, or tagliatelle are often used with Alfredo sauces, you can also use smaller shaped pasta like fusilli or penne.
Store sundried tomato pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove. Add a bit of vegetable broth to thin the sauce and loosen the pasta.
The sundried tomato sauce freezes well. However, I don't recommend freezing the sauce with the pasta mixed in because the pasta can become mushy after thawing and reheating.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Vegan Sundried Tomato Pasta with Spinach and Bacon Bits
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Ingredients
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ⅓ cup hulled hemp seeds - (see note 1)
- 1 teaspoon miso paste - (use chickpea miso for gluten-free)
- 1 ½ teaspoons liquid smoke
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce - (use Tamari for gluten-free or liquid aminos for soy-free and gluten-free)
- 1 large onion - diced (about 1 ½ cups)
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- 4 cloves garlic - minced or pressed
- 1 teaspoon miso paste - (use chickpea miso for gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes - diced
- 2 cups spinach - chopped
- 8 ounces spaghetti - (see notes 3 and 4)
Instructions
- Place ½ cup of raw cashews in a small bowl and cover them with boiling water. Soak them for 15 minutes.
- To make the bacon bits, preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C). In a small baking dish, combine 1 teaspoon miso paste, 1 ½ teaspoons liquid smoke, and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Add the hemp seeds and mix well. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring the bacon bits a few times. They should be brown, but not burned. Remove them from the oven and give the bottom of the baking dish a sweep with a spoon to pick up any stuck-on hemp seeds. Set aside.
- Note on the pasta: The sauce takes about 15 minutes to make. Start the pasta right after adding the hemp seeds to the oven.
- Heat a skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the onions and ½ cup of vegetable broth. Simmer the onions until they are soft and all the vegetable broth is absorbed (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Then, remove the pan from the heat.
- Drain the soaked cashews, placing them in a blender or food processor. Add the cooked onions and garlic, 2 cups of vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon miso paste, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Blend until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Return the sauce to the frying pan and add the sundried tomatoes. Heat the sauce to let the tomatoes soften for a minute or two, then stir in the chopped spinach and ⅓ cup bacon bits. Wilt the spinach for 1-2 minutes. Add more vegetable broth if the sauce is too thick.
- When you drain the pasta, reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Mix the cooked pasta into the pan. If the sauce is too thick, add vegetable broth, a little at a time, to thin it.
Notes
- This recipe has been made multiple times using baked hemp seed bacon bits. You can also use diced vegan bacon or another type of vegan bacon bits in this recipe.
- prefer using whole wheat spaghetti or linguini for this recipe, but honestly, it works with any pasta you choose, including gluten-free.
- The recommended amount of pasta is 2 ounces per person (8 ounces total for this recipe), which is 56 grams (224 grams total), but it's best to consult the package for your particular type of pasta. Mix the pasta into the sauce in case you overestimate.
- The sauce can be made 2 days ahead or frozen for 3 months.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. I don't recommend freezing the sauce with pasta because the pasta can become mushy after thawing and reheating.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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Michelle says
Excited to try this! Sounds delish!
Denise Perrault says
I hope you enjoy it - do let me know if you have any questions. 🙂
Becky says
I made this for dinner on Mother’s Day. My son and I enjoyed it very much! Nice combination of flavors, quick and easy. Will definitely make this again!
Denise Perrault says
Yahoo! I am so happy you enjoyed this - happy belated Mother's Day. 🙂