Vegan Tomato Cream Pasta
Creamy, saucy pasta that skips the dairy entirely — this one is genuinely hard to distinguish from the real thing. The secret is a quick cashew cream made by soaking raw cashews in boiling water and blending them silky smooth, which gives the sauce that rich, velvety body you'd normally get from heavy cream. Nutritional yeast adds a subtle savory depth that rounds everything out beautifully. The tomato base gets a full 12 minutes to simmer and deepen before the cashew cream is folded in, so the flavor is layered and complex rather than flat. A hit of red pepper flakes and four cloves of golden-edged garlic make sure this sauce has real personality. Finished with torn fresh basil and optional vegan parmesan, it's the kind of bowl that feels indulgent and comforting without any compromise. Makes four generous servings, and it comes together in one skillet plus a pasta pot — weeknight dinner, sorted.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the cashew cream
- ¾ cup raw cashews
- 1 cup boiling water
For the pasta
- 12 oz dry pasta (rigatoni or penne)
- salt
For the sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper, to taste
For serving
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
- vegan parmesan, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the cashews in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let soak for 10 minutes, then drain.
- 2
Transfer the drained cashews to a blender with 3/4 cup fresh water and blend on high until completely smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside.
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