Creamy Vegan Pasta with Veggies

Overhead shot of a pan filled with vegan pasta with veggies topped with fresh herbs and cheese. Next to is a bowl of tomatoes, bread, and a small bowl of cheese.

5 from 7 votes

Creamy Vegan Pasta with Veggies

The best creamy vegan pasta with veggies! Made with 10 ingredients and ready in 30 minutes. It will be your new go-to plant-based meal for an easy and comforting weeknight dinner. And it packs 17 grams of plant-based protein, fiber, and healthy fats for a well-balanced meal the whole family can get behind.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword creamy vegan pasta, pasta with veggies, vegan pasta, veggie pasta

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings

Calories 495kcal

Author Kelly

Ingredients

Vegan Pasta

8 ounces penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups broccoli florets (250 grams)
1 large red bell pepper, julienne (1 heaping cup/150 grams)
1 heaping cup sliced mushrooms (about 5-6 mushrooms/100 grams)
1 14-ounce can quartered artichokes, drained
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (150 grams)
salt and pepper, to taste
for serving: basil, parmesan cheese, bread

Vegan Creamy Pasta Sauce

1 1/2 cups pasta sauce
3/4-1 cup raw cashews, soaked * (I like to use whole cashews)

Instructions

Soak cashews in water overnight, or for at least 4 hours. If you forget (which I do a lot), you can just add them to a bowl, cover them with water, and microwave them for 1-2 minutes until soft. Soaking them in water allows them to soften up and makes for easy blending.
Cook pasta according to the instructions. When draining, reserve 2 tablespoons (or more depending on your preference) of pasta water.
Make the sauce. Add the pasta sauce and cashews* (make sure to drain them) to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
When the water is almost boiling for the pasta, start making the veggies. Add oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium and let it get hot, about 30 seconds. Add broccoli and salt and pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add peppers and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Drain pasta, saving 2 tablespoons of the pasta water. Add artichokes, cooked pasta, 2 tablespoons of pasta water, and the cashew sauce to the pan. Mix well to combine and let warm through, about 1-2 minutes. If needed, add more pasta water to thin out the sauce. Add cherry tomatoes and carefully mix to combine. Top with basil and enjoy!

Notes

*you can use 3/4 or 1 cup of cashews in the pasta sauce in this recipe depending on how thick you like your sauce. Both will give you a creamy sauce, but the 1 cup will yield a thicker result. I personally prefer using 3/4 cups, but it up to you! You can also adjust the amount of pasta water to make it more or less thick.

Nutrition