Creamy Vegan Pink Sauce Pasta

Pink sauce paste in a blue pot with basil and vegan parmesan cheese.

5 from 1 vote

Creamy Vegan Pink Sauce Pasta

Creamy vegan pink sauce pasta combines tomato sauce with a quick, white cashew sauce for a delicious, easy pasta dish with 10 simple ingredients, ready in 30 minutes.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 173kcal

Author: Denise Perrault

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

US Customary - Metric

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