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Bowl of Vegan Spinach Pasta with a fork and spoon.
Creamy Vegan Spinach Pasta
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Soak Time
4 hrs
Total Time
4 hrs 25 mins
 

This vegan spinach pasta is made with a rich and creamy dairy-free sauce with hints of garlic and basil. It's deliciously comforting and so easy to make!

Course: Entree
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 533 kcal
Author: Alissa
Ingredients
  • 12 ounces dried fettuccine pasta (or dried pasta of choice)
  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4 to 8 hours and drained
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt, or to taste (Note 1)
  • ½ cup fresh basil leaves, packed
  • 10 ounces frozen spinach, thawed
  • Black pepper, to taste
For Serving
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 but reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. (Note 2)

  2. While the pasta boils, place the cashews, water, lemon juice, garlic, salt and basil into a blender or the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade. Blend the mixture until smooth.

  3. Squeeze your thawed spinach well to remove any excess water, then add it to the blender or food processor with the cashew mixture. Pulse the machine until the spinach is evenly incorporated into the sauce. The mixture will be thick.

  4. Return the pasta to the pot that you cooked it in and add the sauce. Thin the sauce with reserved pasta cooking water, adding just as much as is needed to reach your desired consistency.

  5. If the pasta has cooled down too much, place the pot over medium heat to warm it up, stirring constantly and adding more water if needed.

  6. Taste-test and season the pasta with additional salt to taste, along with some black pepper.

  7. Divide onto plates and top with vegan Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

  8. Serve.

Recipe Notes
  1. If you don't like too much salt, start with 1 teaspoon and add more if needed after combining the pasta and sauce.
  2. This will be used to thin the sauce after you add it to the pasta. It works particularly well because it will have some starch dissolved in it. Plain water can be used if you forget to reserve some of the pasta cooking water (it happens!).
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Vegan Spinach Pasta
Amount Per Serving
Calories 533 Calories from Fat 158
% Daily Value*
Fat 17.5g27%
Saturated Fat 3.5g18%
Sodium 942mg39%
Potassium 804mg23%
Carbohydrates 78g26%
Fiber 5.4g22%
Sugar 4.5g5%
Protein 18.6g37%
Calcium 114mg11%
Iron 7mg39%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.