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!
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 some protein-added pastas that are made with whey.
I'm sure there are other dried non-vegan pastas out there, so always check your ingredients!
A Few Pasta Cooking Tips
- Salt your water! Click here to learn how. Your pasta will have better texture and flavor.
- 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.
- Put your pasta water to use! This is a great tip for saucy pasta dishes: reserve a half cup or so of your pasta's cooking water, then combine it with your pasta and sauce in a hot pan. Heat everything up long enough to reduce the excess water you just added. You'll be left with just a little bit of extra starch, which will create a nice bond between your pasta and sauce.
- 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
If pasta with tangy tomato sauce is your jam, check out a few of these veganized classics!
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.
Spaghetti with Cauliflower Walnut Meat Sauce
The hearty cauliflower walnut crumbles make this one a reader favorite.
Spaghetti in Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce
Another spicy one, but this one gets a dose of richness from coconut milk.
Vegan Pasta Puttanesca
This vegan pasta puttanesca doesn't hold back when it comes to flavor! Made with olives, capers, fresh basil and a spicy tomato sauce. Best of all: this one can be on the table in under 30 minutes.
Creamy Vegan Pasta Recipes
Yes, you can make creamy pasta sauce without dairy! Cashews and coconut milk are a couple of my go-to ingredients for this, and both are featured in the recipes below!
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!
Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara
Spoiler alert: the sauce has tofu in it. It works though...trust me!
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.
Loaded Creamy Vegan Pesto Pasta
This one is perfect for anyone who can't have cashew-based sauces. It uses coconut milk instead!
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.
Cauliflower Fettuccine Alfredo
This lighter vegan Alfredo sauce is made with sneaky veggies! Sounds weird, but it's incredibly tasty! Recipe here.
Light & Simple Vegan Pasta Recipes
Looking for a lighter vegan pasta dish where veggies are the star? You've come to the right place!
Vegan Pasta Primavera
This one is perfect when you've got a fridge full of veggies to use up!
Lemon Brussels Sprout Pasta
For anyone out there that thinks they don't like Brussels sprouts: you need to try this dish! Sprouts are sliced thin and sautéed in a lemon-garlic sauce to make them absolutely irresistible.
Tofu & Artichoke Heart Scampi
Tofu & artichoke hearts stand in for the shrimp in this veganized version of a classic.
Balsamic Asparagus Pasta
Made with seared asparagus in a zippy balsamic sauce with a touch of red pepper flakes, this flavor-packed dinner is as easy as it is delicious!
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.
Baked Vegan Pasta Recipes
Yes, you can veganize classic pasta bakes like lasagna, stuffed shells and ziti! And in most cases nobody would guess these dishes were vegan.
The Best Vegan Lasagna
With layers of pasta, roasted veggies, and a creamy ricotta that you'd never know was dairy-free, this vegan lasagna will knock your socks off!
Vegan Stuffed Shells Florentine
These taste just like the cheesy stuffed shells I grew up eating, but with the addition of spinach!
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!
Pea Pesto Stuffed Shells
Anyone who loves pesto needs to try these shells!
Vegan Manicotti with Blush Sauce and Kale
Kale goes deliciously with the creamy cashew-tofu ricotta that's used to stuff these pasta tubes.
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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ALISSA, YOU ARE AMAZING!! THANKS FOR SO MANY DELICIOUS, HEALTHFUL AND CRUELTY FREE RECIPES.
Thank you so much Rick!! I'm so glad you like them!
Hello, is there a way to not use cashews due to allergies and still keep the taste of the dish? Thanks!
Hi Anna! Which recipe were you planning on making? Macadamia nuts are the best substitution in most recipes, but if you're also allergic to them I'd play around with a coconut milk based sauce. It's not a one-for-one substitution like with cashews though, so you'll need to play around with the recipe a bit. You can use this coconut milk based sauce for guidance: https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-pesto-pasta/
The link to "LOADED CREAMY VEGAN PESTO PASTA" takes you to recipe for "VEGAN SPAGHETTI CARBONARA".
Fixed it! Thanks!
They’re all so mouth watering 😍 I can’t choose
Thanks Emily! I hope you enjoy!!
Hello Alissa please advise the name of food processor you use
Kisses !
I'm using a Cuisinart 11 cup food processor, and I love it. :)
I have made one of your recipes each week and the omnivorous in my life love your food. I’m a fan forever!!! The Alfredo was to die for the mushroom dip blew my mind and your cheese sauces never disappoint. Cooking for my household easier thanks to you!
That is awesome!! I'm so glad you're enjoying the recipes. Thanks so much Alicia!
These pasta recipes look so good~ Gotta find that red lentil pasta, it sounds interesting ^^ Thank you for sharing!