Pasta meals are always a cure to everyone’s heart, and a creamy sauce puts the icing on the cake. But if you are vegan or you are the type of person who decided to or trying to cut down on dairy products then you might consider that creamy pasta is a thing of the past. The good news? Creamy vegan pasta is very much doable, easy to prepare, flavorful, and very much an absolute delight. If you’re new to vegan or if you have been a vegan follower for a while you’ll find this guide helpful in making that perfect dairy-free paste.
The Secret to Creamy Vegan Pasta: Plant-Based Ingredients
People tend to believe that thickness in sauces must be achieved with cream or cheese where a number of vegetables and fruits can be employed to bring equally or even better propensity. These options are not only less cruel to animals but are also usually better for you since they bring fiber, protein, and healthy fats into your diet.
1. Cashew Cream: The All-Star of Vegan Sauces
The first type of base that a cream is made from is the most popular of all – cashews. Unlike other nuts, cashews when soaked and blended create a delicious cream ideal for pasta sauces. Cashews are also flavourless, which means it can easily absorb the taste of other ingredients that is cooked together with it.
To make a basic cashew cream sauce:
- Preferably place 1 cup of raw cashews in water for a minimum of 4 hours (better to leave it overnight).
- Rinse the cashews and then place them in a blender with ¾ cup of filtered water and blend the cashews until they’re smooth.
- For more flavors, use garlic, nutritional yeast (for the cheesy taste), lemon juice and salt.
This plain sauce is versatile, and you can add on top of it to create different flavours from Alfredo sauce to a simple tomato sauce.
2. Coconut Milk: Creamy and Flavorful
Another great substitute that will provide the thickness of the milk is the coconut milk. This does impart a very slight hint of coconut flavor into it, which, when combined with other flavours like garlic, herbs and even nutty yeast, can be really quite splendid. For a rich thick sauce full fat coconut milk should be used; however, light coconut milk can also be used for a less thick sauce.
One way to use coconut milk is in a vegan carbonara:
- Heat olive oil and cooking the garlic and onions until they become soft.
- Pour one can of full fat coconut milk, sprinkle nutritional yeast and smoked paprika for a smoky kind of flavor.
- Served with pasta, fresh peas, and fried tempeh or tofu to make it more protein.
3. Tofu: Silky Smooth and High in Protein
Silken tofu is another beautiful aquatic discovered that rules creamy vegan meals. It does not have a grainy texture or slimy like the soy chunks and has a smooth texture that gives a creamy feel when turned to a sauce… It has a nutritional punch that includes vitamin C, twelve grams of protein extracted from vegan meals. An example of such tofu is the silken tofu that is ideal for methods that include vegan Alfredo or mac and cheese preparation since it tuckets away allowing the real flavors to hit the palate.
For a tofu-based sauce:
- Mix a piece of silken tofu with a spoon of vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice.
- Then you can add extra salt and pepper if necessary, and may other herbs.
This sauce is strong on protein and healthy for use, you can add spices of your desiring or other vegetables such as spinach or roasted red peppers.
4. Nutritional Yeast: A Cheesy Vegan Essential
When it comes to creamy vegan pasta, nutritional yeast must be on the list of ingredients. This deactivated yeast has a taste of nuts and cheese that is why it is most popular in vegan cuisine. Nutritional yeast is quite useful for the creation of cheesy flavors while cashew cheese or coconut milk is quite often used.
Nutritious yeast is a good replacement for dairy, and a few tablespoons added to your sauce will make it taste creamy and cheesy. If you want to enhance depth of the taste then adding a dash of miso paste or Dijon mustard to it would do the job perfectly.
Recipes to Try: Simple and Delicious Creamy Vegan Pasta Dishes
Now that you know some ingredients, let’s turn your attention to several easy recipes that are going to become your favorites.
Recipe 1: Classic Vegan Alfredo
An authentic Alfredo sauce is the most conventional and rich pasta sauce. Here’s how to make a vegan version that’s just as rich and delicious:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 2 spoons of Nutritional yeast
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 12 oz pasta (fettuccine or your choice)
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions:
- Process the cashews which have been soaked, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice and ¾ cup water until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- In another pot, cook pasta with boiling water according to package’s instruction. Drain and set aside.
- In a saucepan under medium heat, help the cashew cream sauce to heat up. Stir until it thickens for a little bit.
- Place the pasta into the sauce and mix gingerly then ladle and serve at a high temperature, garnished with the parsley.
Recipe 2: Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta
This incredibly bright, rather spicy pasta will appeal to those who enjoy pesto, but would like to have cream-based dish. The basis for this dish is fresh basil leaves and cashew cream.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 12 oz pasta, penne or any other kind.
- Cherry tomatoes for garnish
Instructions:
- Process the fresh basil, cashews which have been soaked in water, nutritional yeast, garlic and olive oil until smooth. You need to add some water in case you want to thin out the batter a little. Season with salt and pepper.
- Prepare pasta depending on the current package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Pulse the cooked pasta in the creamy pesto sauce. Finally garnish with cherry tomatoes and serve.
Recipe 3: Spicy Tomato Cashew Cream Pasta
If you like spicy foods, you will have a good time with this enjoyable and easy cream-based tomato sauce.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 12 oz pasta in spaghetti or whichever type you prefer
- Fresh basil for garnish
Instructions:
- First sauté the garlic in olive oil until it turns slightly brown. Place the crushed tomatoes and red pepper flakes into the pot and continue to stir over low flame for about ten minutes.
- If using cashews, drain them and blend together with ¾ cup of water until smooth. Add the cashew cream to the tomato sauce and let it cook for the next 5 minutes.
- Prepare the pasta by boiling it in water, to the producers’ recommendations. Drain and then turn it over with the sauce.
- Hot and garnish with fresh basil at the end of the serving line.
Health Benefits of Creamy Vegan Pasta
Not only a perfect comfort food dish, creamy vegan pasta can also be healthier than other classic creamy dishes. It also means using no cholesterol: this is typically absent from plant foods, but present in animal foods high in saturated fats. Also, many of the components of the dish, namely cashews, tofu, nutritional yeast contain a rich amount of vitamins and minerals.
Cashews, for example, contain good fats and magnesium and nutritional yeast if prepared with vitamins, it is rich in vitamin B12 which is hard to find for vegans. Tofu supplies additional protein and calcium for these sauces, which makes such dishes rich and healthy at the same time.
Tips for Perfecting Your Vegan Pasta Dishes
- Season Well: Remember to spice your food well. Since vegan sauces do not contain animal proteins, they should be seasoned well with salt, pepper and other herbs in order to bring out the natural flavours.
- Add Vegetables: For extra nutrition and taste to your pasta try adding roasted or sautéed vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, mushrooms or bell peppers.
- Use High-Quality Pasta: Choose pasta with superior quality, legume or whole grain based to get the benefits of fibers and other nutrients. Most of the food and drinks can be found in versions with gluten-free suggestions too.
- Don’t Overcook the Sauce: Some creamy preparations based on plant based products can tend to coagulate quickly; thus, do not leave them on the heat for long time and take off from flame as soon as the desired thickness is achieved. In case the sauce turns too thick then add a drop or two of water or vegetable broth to make it thinner.
Conclusion: Embrace the Creamy Vegan Life
Healthy and an entree that is delicious, it also helps to remember that you can be vegan without ever sacrificing a good creamy pasta dish. Using ingredients such as cashews, coconut milk or tofu it is possible to make a number of tasty sauces which not only offer that creamy texture but are also far less unhealthy for you. All of these recipes are delicious and perfect whether you’re cooking just for yourself or for a group of people.
