Cheesy Vegan Taco Pasta

5 from 1 vote

Can’t decide between taco night and pasta night? Make it a taco pasta night — vegan style! This cheesy vegan taco pasta is loaded with Tex-Mex spices, black beans, veggies, and rotini, all tossed in a rich, dairy-free cheese sauce. It’s delicious, comforting, and easy enough for a busy weeknight.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Soak Time4

Total Time4 30

Course: Entree, Main, Pasta

Cuisine: American, Italian-Inspired, Mexican-inspired

Servings:

Calories: 526kcal

Author: Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

For the Cheese Sauce

¾ cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4 to 8 hours, drained and rinsed
1 cup water
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
2 tablespoons vinegar-based hot sauce (Note 1)
1 teaspoon salt

For the Pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
1 (15.5 ounce/439 gram) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 ounce/411 gram) can fire roasted tomatoes
10 ounces dried rotini pasta
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Accompaniments

Diced avocado
Lime wedges
Chopped fresh cilantro
Chopped scallions

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Begin heating your pasta water. Place a large pot of salted water over high heat. Hold off on adding the pasta for now. You can simply lower the heat if the water boils before you're ready for it.
Make the cheese sauce while the pasta water heats up. Place all of the ingredients into a high-powered blender or food processor, then blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl or pitcher if needed. Set this aside for now.
Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper. Sweat the vegetables for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften.
Stir in the garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, paprika, and ancho chile powder. Cook the mixture for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant.
Stir in the black beans and fire-roasted tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer and lower the heat. Let it cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cook your pasta while the tomato mixture simmers. Once the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and cook it according to the package directions, until al dente. Reserve about a half cup of the cooking water before draining the pasta into a colander.
Add the pasta to the pot containing the tomato mixture, then add the cheese sauce. Stir everything up, and thin the sauce with some of the reserved pasta water, if needed. Cook everything for about a minute, just until the mixture is heated throughout.
Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the corn and season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with accompaniments of choice.

Notes

The hot sauce makes this dish taste cheesy, so I don't recommend skipping it. You can reduce the amount if you're heat-sensitive, opt for a very mild brand, or use taco sauce as an alternative. Valentina hot sauce is delicious and has very little heat.

Nutrition