• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Contact
    • Photo Use Policy

Connoisseurus Veg logo

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up for email updates and receive a free copy of my veggie burger e-book!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • Free Veggie Burger Book
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Entrees / Creamy Vegan Cajun Pasta

    LAST UPDATED: February 2, 2021 • FIRST PUBLISHED: June 29, 2020

    Creamy Vegan Cajun Pasta

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    White Wooden Surface Set with Plate of Vegan Cajun Pasta, Water Glass, Napkin, and Skillet

    This easy Cajun pasta is packed with spicy flavor! Made with vegan sausage, peppers, and fire roasted tomatoes in a creamy sauce, it's both comforting and easy to make.

    White Wooden Surface Set with Plate of Vegan Cajun Pasta, Water Glass, Napkin, and Skillet

    I LOVE Cajun flavors and I've shared lots of recipes for classic Cajun dishes over the years, like my gumbo, jambalaya, and étouffée.

    But I also like to incorporate those Cajun flavors into not-so-classic, less authentic recipes, like this vegan Cajun pasta.

    What You'll Need

    Close Up of Vegan Cajun Pasta Topped with Chives

    • Dried pasta
    • Olive oil
    • Vegan sausage
    • Vegan butter
    • Bell peppers (red and green!)
    • Onion
    • Garlic
    • Paprika
    • Thyme
    • Oregano
    • Black pepper
    • Cayenne pepper
    • Flour
    • Coconut milk
    • Fire roasted tomatoes
    • Red wine vinegar
    • Parsley, scallions and/or chives

    How to Make Cajun Pasta

    Close Up of Vegan Cajun Pasta Topped with Chives and Parsley

    Start by cooking your pasta according to the package directions. Drain it when it's done, then toss it with some olive oil to prevent sticking.

    While the pasta cooks, brown your vegan sausage in a skillet. Chop it into small pieces and cook it over medium heat, flipping it from time to time, until it begins to brown. Remove it from the skillet when it's done.

    Now melt some vegan butter in the skillet and add your peppers and onion. Cook everything for about 10 minutes, to start softening it up, then add your garlic and spices. Continue cooking everything for a minute or so, until it becomes very fragrant.

    Next, sprinkle in some flour. Stir the mixture to coat your veggies with flour. Continue cooking everything for about a minute.

    Collage Showing Steps 1-4 for Making Vegan Cajun Pasta: Brown Sausage, Sweat Veggies, Add Spices, and Add Flour

    Slowly start adding your coconut milk, stirring all the while to prevent the flour from forming any lumps. Once all of the coconut milk has been added, stir in your tomatoes, raise the heat, and bring your sauce to a simmer. Lower the heat and let it cook until it thickens up a bit and the peppers are soft.

    Stir in the vinegar and season the sauce with salt to taste. Now stir in your pasta and sausage, then take the skillet off of the burner.

    Collage Showing Steps 5-8 for Making Vegan Cajun Pasta: Add Coconut Milk, Add Tomatoes, Simmer, and Add Pasta and Sausage

    If you'd like a little extra heat you can season your pasta with some extra Cayenne pepper or some hot sauce. Sprinkle it with parsley, scallions, and/or chives before serving. Dig in!

    Vegan Cajun Pasta Tips & FAQ

    • Can this recipe be made gluten-free? I'm pretty sure it can, but I haven't tried. My best suggestions would be to substitute an all-purpose gluten-free blend for wheat flour, and use your favorite gluten-free pasta and vegan sausage.
    • Does the sauce taste like coconut milk? Not to me, but if you absolutely hate the taste of coconut milk, try subbing cashew milk.
    • What brand of vegan sausage works best with this recipe? I used Field Roast Mexican Chipotle Sausage, which I recognize is not a Cajun flavor, but it's smoky and spicy and it works!
    • Not into vegan sausage? Try subbing vegan meatballs (the ones from my gumbo recipe would work well), seitan, or even chickpeas. You could also just leave it out.
    • Is this recipe spicy? If you use ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper and no hot sauce it will have a little kick. Also, if you use the Field Roast chipotle sausages like I did, they'll add quite a bit of heat. For a milder version, leave out the cayenne pepper. For an extra spicy version, use extra cayenne and/or hot sauce.
    • Leftovers and storage: Leftovers will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for about 3 days.
    • Need more pasta inspiration? Check out my collection of vegan pasta recipes.

    Skillet of Vegan Cajun Pasta on a White Wooden Surface

    Like this recipe? If so, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter. And please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you make it!

    White Wooden Surface Set with Plate of Vegan Cajun Pasta, Water Glass, Napkin, and Skillet
    5 from 8 votes
    Print

    Vegan Cajun Pasta

    This easy Cajun pasta is packed with spicy flavor! Made with vegan sausage, peppers, and fire roasted tomatoes in a creamy sauce, it's both comforting and easy to make.

    Course Entree
    Cuisine American, Cajun, Italian
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 45 minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 593 kcal
    Author Alissa Saenz

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces dried penne pasta (or pasta shape of choice)
    • Dash olive oil
    • 2 vegan sausage links, cut into ½-inch slices
    • 2 tablespoons vegan butter
    • 1 medium onion, diced
    • 1 medium red bell pepper, roughly chopped
    • 1 medium green bell pepper, roughly chopped
    • 4 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 ½ teaspoons sweet paprika
    • 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
    • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
    • 2 (14 ounce or 400 gram) cans fire roasted tomatoes
    • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
    • Salt, to taste (I used ¾ teaspoon)
    • Hot sauce, to taste (optional)
    • Chopped fresh parsley, scallions, and/or chives, for serving
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions. Drain the pasta into a colander, return it to the pot, and toss it with a dash of olive oil.

    2. While the pasta cooks, place a large skillet over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add the sausage.

    3. Cook the sausage for about 5 minutes, flipping occasionally, until browned. Remove the sausage from the skillet and transfer it to a plate.

    4. Melt the butter in the skillet, then add the onions, red bell peppers, and green bell peppers. Sweat the veggies for about 10 minutes, until they begin to soften.

    5. Add the garlic, paprika, thyme, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the skillet. Sauté everything for about a minute, until very fragrant.

    6. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to form a paste that coats the veggies. Continue cooking and stirring for about a minute.

    7. Slowly add the coconut milk, a bit at a time, stirring between additions to work out any lumps formed by the flour.

    8. Once all of the coconut milk has been added, stir in the tomatoes.

    9. Bring the sauce to a boil, lower the heat, and allow it to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until it thickens up a bit and the peppers become tender.

    10. Stir in the vinegar. Season the sauce with salt to taste, and optionally some more cayenne pepper and/or hot sauce.

    11. Stir in the pasta and sausage, then remove the skillet from heat.

    12. Sprinkle the pasta with parsley, scallions, and/or chives. Serve.

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Cajun Pasta
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 593 Calories from Fat 245
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 27.2g42%
    Saturated Fat 15.2g76%
    Sodium 1101mg46%
    Potassium 736mg21%
    Carbohydrates 67.1g22%
    Fiber 8.8g35%
    Sugar 13.6g15%
    Protein 21.7g43%
    Calcium 116mg12%
    Iron 6mg33%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    « Southwestern Vegan Corn Chowder
    Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins »

    Sharing is caring!

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email

    About Alissa Saenz

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors! You can read more about me here.

    I'd love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

    Subscribe

    Subscribe for email updates and receive a free copy of my veggie burger e-book!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tiffany says

      June 30, 2020 at 1:06 am

      5 stars
      I made this tonight, it was AMAZING. I didn't use fire roasted tomatoes but I will for sure next time. This recipe is a keeper!

      Reply
    2. www.Gmail.com says

      June 30, 2020 at 6:56 am

      It looks so yum! I just realize that I haven't cooked pasta for a while, gotta try this recipe very soon! Thank you!

      Reply
    3. Kelly Stevens says

      July 01, 2020 at 8:35 am

      5 stars
      Made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious! It will certainly make an appearance again. Thanks for another winner, Alissa!

      Reply
    4. Milk says

      July 06, 2020 at 3:22 am

      5 stars
      made this recipe, I really like your recipes and the fact that we can change the amount of servings is a huge help, thanks so much

      Reply
    5. Mimi says

      August 22, 2020 at 6:43 pm

      5 stars
      Another delicious and versatile recipe. Thank you Alissa!
      Guests added their sausage preference and cayenne at the table. Everyone enjoys!!!
      Fellow cooks, this recipe lends itself to the addition of extras. I found some mushrooms, garden zucchini and fresh corn in the crisper. Amazing flavor! I’ll be making this recipe again and again. Thank you!

      Reply
    6. Olivia says

      September 21, 2020 at 8:20 pm

      5 stars
      This was fantastic! Thank you for a great recipe.

      Reply
    7. Krista Forman says

      October 11, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this for lunch meal prep and it is really good, I love the vegan sausage, first time trying it. Thank you!

      Reply
    8. Karen Wells says

      October 24, 2020 at 7:29 pm

      Made this tonight with beyond sausage. Definitely a keeper.

      Reply
    9. Vanessa says

      June 01, 2021 at 7:55 pm

      5 stars
      I can’t believe how good this came out! Great flavors and super easy. Fantastic recipe!

      Reply
    10. Gwendolyn Lewis says

      November 23, 2021 at 10:05 am

      5 stars
      Thank you for this recipe! Delicious and very forgiving. I didn't have some ingredients, but was able to substitute with no problems. I will be making this often. Thanks again!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Alissa Holding a Coffee Cup

    Hi, I'm Alissa! I'm a former attorney turned professional food blogger. I love creating vegan recipes with bold flavors!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • The Best Vegan Banana Bread
    • Crispy Baked Teriyaki Tofu
    • Creamy Vegan Rice Pudding
    • Classic Lentil Soup

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact
    • Photo Use Policy

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more here.

    Copyright © 2013-2022 Tofu Press LLC & Alissa Saenz

    4719 shares
    • 451