Creamy vegan tomato pasta

This creamy tomato pasta is a simple but very tasty vegan pasta dish that can be prepared in just 15 minutes with a handful of basic ingredients. It's a great quick & easy weeknight dinner recipe that everyone loves.

What goes in creamy vegan tomato pasta?

To make vegan tomato pasta, you will need the ingredients shown below:

Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions

• Tomatoes: I have used cherry tomatoes but you can use any variety of red juicy fresh tomatoes in this recipe.
• Pasta sauce: Feel free to use any tomato-based pasta sauce of choice. I have used marinara sauce. You can also use passata or crushed tomatoes but then season the sauce more generously.
• Pasta: You can use your favorite pasta to make this tomato pasta recipe. I feel spaghetti is the best choice for this recipe.
• Parsley: Instead of fresh parsley, you can also use fresh basil leaves, cilantro, or green onion to garnish this pasta dish.
• Nutritional yeast: It's a deactivated yeast that has a strong cheese-like flavor and has a lot of nutritional benefits. It's used in many vegan recipes to add the taste of cheese. Nowadays you can easily find it in most grocery stores and it's available online too. You can skip it if you want. Non vegans may add parmesan cheese instead of nutritional yeast. Vegans may replace it with vegan parmesan cheese too.
• Seasonings: To season this pasta, I have only used garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. You can add more seasonings of your choice like basil, thyme, rosemary, etc.
• Milk: Any milk of choice can be used in this recipe. You can also use vegan heavy cream for a more creamy sauce
• Olive oil: Use good quality extra virgin olive oil. You may also use unsalted butter (plant-based or dairy).

Other ingredient details and nutritional information are given in the recipe card.

How to make (step-by-step instructions)?

To make this creamy tomato pasta recipe, just follow the easy step-by-step instructions given below:

Step 1: Cook pasta al dente following package instructions. Just before straining pasta, reserve some pasta water.

Step 2: While the pasta is getting cooked, put cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves, pasta sauce, nutritional yeast, red chili flakes, salt, and pepper in a blending jar.

Step 3: Blend to make a smooth paste.

Step 4: Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add the blended sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat. If the sauce is too thick adjust the consistency using starchy pasta water.

Step 5: Add cooked pasta and gently toss until the creamy tomato sauce evenly coats the pasta strands. Turn off the heat.

Step 6: Garnish with chopped parsley.

Your easy vegan tomato pasta is ready to be served!

Serving tomato pasta

This tomato pasta can be served with a fresh crunchy salad on the side.

It can also be paired with garlic bread, garlic cheese toast, a grilled cheese sandwich, or any crusty bread.

You can even enjoy it with a bowl of soup like this roasted cauliflower soup, vegan cream of mushroom soup, or green peas soup.

Or, serve some grilled vegetables or baked potato wedges with it.

Storing the leftovers and reheating tips

Leftover pasta can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for 3-4 days.

You can also freeze it for up to 3 months in airtight freezer-safe containers or zip-lock bags.

To reheat, add a splash of water and microwave until heated through, stirring once in between. Else, transfer to a saucepan, add a splash of water, cover the pan, and reheat on the stovetop until heated well. Keep on gently stirring in between.

If you are reheating frozen pasta. thaw it first.

Recipe tips, tricks, and variation suggestions

• Feel free to use any pasta of choice to make this recipe.
• When reserving pasta water, always collect it just before straining the pasta as it will be more starchy at that time. The starchy pasta water will help in making a creamy tomato pasta sauce.
• Any tomato-based pasta sauce is fine to be used to make this dish. You can use passata or crushed tomatoes too. 
• Instead of using fresh cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, or any variety of fresh or canned tomatoes can be used too. Make sure the tomatoes are ripe and juicy.
• You can also add around 1 tablespoon of tomato paste for a richer tomato flavor.
• The acidity of tomatoes in the sauce is balanced by the sweetness of milk but if your sauce is too tart to your liking, add a little sugar to balance it.
• You can saute some vegetables or greens like spinach and add them to this pasta to make it more healthy.
• If you don't like the taste of nutritional yeast, skip it or use vegan parmesan.

Frequently asked questions

More easy vegan pasta recipes

If you enjoyed this easy pasta recipe and want to try more delicious pasta recipes then don't miss to check out the following recipes:

1. Pasta napolitana
2. Aubergine pasta
3. Cherry tomato pasta with spinach and mushrooms
4. Greek tomato orzo
5. Pasta in zucchini sauce
6. Cranberry pasta salad

Other quick less than 30-minute dinner recipes

Want to try more quick dinner recipes for busy weeknights? The following under-30-minute dinner recipes are worth trying out:

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