Get out of your boring dinner routine and cook up some pasta! Pasta is naturally vegan, super delicious, and way versatile. Proof: these 20 delicious vegan pasta recipes. Try one tonight!
Pasta makes appearances at my dinner table at least a couple of times a week. There’s so much to love about pasta! It cooks in minutes, can be dressed up in so many ways, and it’s naturally vegan.
Yes, Pasta is Vegan!
I have to clarify that last point because almost every time I post a pasta recipe I get questions from some confused readers who are under the impression that pasta is made with egg. Fresh pasta might be. But dried pasta is generally vegan.
I say generally because are a few exceptions, including egg noodles and protein added pasta, which is made with whey. I’m sure there are other dried non-vegan pastas out there, so always check your ingredients, but for the most part, go with dried and you should be good!
A Few Pasta Cooking Tips
Salt your water! Click here to learn how. Your pasta will have better texture and flavor.
Some people like leftover pasta that’s been sitting in the sauce for day or more. I do not. If you’re with me on this, store your leftover sauce and pasta separately. Plain pasta is best reheated by placing it in boiling water for 30 seconds or so and draining it. Fun fact: this is actually how lots of restaurants heat up pasta!
Is there really a difference between cheap and expensive pasta? I recently learned that in fact, there is! It’s all about the texture: the cheap stuff has a smoother surface that doesn’t mingle with the sauce as nicely. More details on all that here.
Looking for ways to healthy-up your pasta? Try whole wheat or bean pasta. Lately I’m a big fan of Trader Joe’s red lentil pasta. It’s a bit firmer than regular pasta and it does taste a bit like lentils, but I actually kind of really dig that.
The Recipes
Now that we’ve cleared all that up, here are some delicious vegan pasta recipes to try out. Oh, and be sure to head down to the bottom of the page, where I’ve included a video demonstrating five of my favorites!
Classic Tomato Pasta Recipes
Penne Arrabbiata
Lots of red pepper flakes (or fresh peppers! If that’s how you roll) give this easy pasta quite a kick! I love this one with my lentil meatballs. Recipe here.
Spaghetti with Cauliflower Walnut Meat Sauce
The hearty cauliflower walnut crumbles make this one a reader favorite. Recipe here.
Spaghetti in Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce
Another spicy one, but this one gets a dose of richness from coconut milk. Recipe here.
Creamy Vegan Pasta Recipes
Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
A mix of raw cashews and canned pumpkin puree blend up smooth and creamy to make the sauce for this fall favorite! Recipe here.
Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara
Spoiler alert: the sauce has tofu in it. It works though…trust me! Recipe here.
Roasted Garlic & Baby Portobello Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo
The roasted garlic adds so much delicious flavor and amazing texture to the vegan Alfredo sauce in this one. Recipe here.
Loaded Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta
This one is perfect for anyone who can’t have cashew-based sauces. It uses coconut milk instead! Recipe here.
Pasta with Vegan Vodka Sauce
People always ask me what the point is of vodka in this one, since it’s nothing but alcohol and water. Here it is: when the vodka cooks off it actually changes the sauce chemically (somehow or another. I’m not a chemist!), and alters the flavor! Give it a try and see if you can taste it yourself. Recipe here.
Cauliflower Fettuccine Alfredo
This lighter vegan Alfredo sauce is made with sneaky veggies! Sounds weird, but it’s incredibly tasty! Recipe here.
Creamy Vegan Spinach Pasta
Fresh dill and scallions give this dish a flavor reminiscent of spanakopita. Recipe here.
Light & Simple Vegan Pasta Recipes
Vegan Pasta Primavera
This one is perfect when you’ve got a fridge full of veggies to use up! Recipe here.
Tofu & Artichoke Heart Scampi
Tofu & artichoke hearts stand in for the shrimp in this veganized version of a classic. Recipe here.
Capellini with Spicy Cheery Tomato Sauce & Blackened Mushrooms
Roasting cherry tomatoes brings out their sweetness and makes them perfect for topping some pasta in this summery favorite. Recipe here.
Baked Vegan Pasta Recipes
Vegan Stuffed Shells Florentine
These taste just like the cheesy stuffed shells I grew up eating, but with the addition of spinach! Recipe here.
Vegan Baked Ziti
This one uses the cauliflower walnut meat sauce that I linked to above, for a super hearty dish that would please vegans, vegetarians and omnivores alike! Recipe here.
Vegan Lasagna Primavera
This rich vegan lasagna is packed with veggies and uses a luscious cashew cream sauce instead of the traditional red sauce you typically find in lasagna. Recipe here.
Pea Pesto Stuffed Shells
Anyone who loves pesto needs to try these shells! Recipe here.
Creamy Vegan Mushroom Lasagna
This hearty lasagna is super savory and perfect comfort food during the winter months. Recipe here.
Vegan Manicotti with Blush Sauce and Kale
Kale goes deliciously with the creamy cashew-tofu ricotta that’s used to stuff these pasta tubes. Recipe here.
Mushroom Lentil Lasagna
A mix of mushrooms and lentils makes the perfect replacement for meat in this scrumptious vegan lasagna. Recipe here.
Video!
Check out my video showing how to prepare vegan pasta alla vodka, stuffed shells Florentine, spaghetti with cauliflower walnut “meat” sauce, tofu & artichoke heart scampi, and penne arrabbiata!
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