Vegan Cashew Cream Pasta

This Vegan Cashew Cream Pasta has a velvety texture that rivals traditional Alfredo. The cashew pasta sauce is fresh and flavorful thanks to bright lemon and lots of garlic. Best of all? It’s entirely dairy-free and ready in less than 30 minutes, making it an easy weeknight meal!

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Why You’ll Love This Cashew Pasta Sauce

I love that this cashew pasta sauce is SO creamy. This recipe is adapted from my Lemon Tahini Pasta recipe (which is a reader favorite!) and it has a similar texture to my Vegan Alfredo Sauce.

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Ingredients

Whipping up this creamy, luscious cashew cream pasta requires just a few key ingredients, many of which you might already have on hand:

• Raw unsalted cashews – The superstar of this dish. Raw cashews, when soaked and blended, create an impressively creamy sauce that serves as the base of our pasta.

• Fresh Garlic and Onion – These aromatic essentials provide a depth of flavor that perfectly complements the creaminess of the cashew sauce.

• Extra virgin olive oil – The oil brings everything together, adding a hint of richness to our cashew cream for pasta. Use a high quality olive oil for the best results.

• Chopped kale – This leafy green adds a pop of color and a nutrient boost, but feel free to substitute with spinach or your green of choice (or simply omit it altogether).

• Seasonings – A blend of salt, black pepper, and nutritional yeast to bring out the flavors of our other ingredients.

• Fresh lemon – The zest and juice offer a fresh, tangy counterpoint to the richness of the creamy cashew sauce.

• Fettuccine – I’m using this pasta as it holds onto our thick, creamy sauce perfectly, but feel free to substitute with your favorite pasta type.

• Toppings – A sprinkle of red pepper flakes adds a kick of heat, helping to round out and elevate this vegan cashew sauce pasta! Like most pasta dishes, I love adding some fresh basil as garnish as well.

 Substitutions

​This cashew pasta is a great base to make your own favorite pasta sauce. Feel free to swap in ingredients you love or you have on hand. Add more seasoning to taste or a splash of white wine if you’re feeling fancy!

• Kale – Not a fan of kale or don’t have it on hand? You can substitute it with spinach or any leafy green of your preference.

• Olive Oil – Feel free to use vegan butter instead! Or even another type of oil like avocado oil. 

• Nutritional Yeast – You can swap it out for your favorite vegan grated parmesan cheese (Violife is my favorite) for an extra cheesy twist.

• Fettuccine – You can use any pasta type you prefer. Penne or fusilli would work great as they’ll capture the sauce in their nooks and crannies. You could also use whole wheat pasta and I’ve even made this sauce with gluten-free brown rice pasta before. All of these versions were delicious! If using brown rice pasta, be sure to slightly undercook the pasta in the boiling water. Brown rice pasta has a tendency to become mushy very quickly. It will continue to cook slightly once added to the cashew sauce.

• Cashew Cream – If you don’t have cashews on hand, you could try substituting my homemade vegan heavy cream in it’s place! You can use about 3/4-1 cup of this dairy free heavy cream instead of cashew cream.

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Helpful Equipment

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

• High Speed Blender or Food Processor: to make the sauce

• Large Pot: for boiling the pasta

• Large Skillet or Pot: for the sauce

📌 TIP: One piece of equipment that’s necessary for this recipe is a high-speed blender or food processor! This will ensure that the raw cashews are blended smoothly, making a perfectly creamy cashew cream for the pasta.

Step By Step Instructions

STEP 1: Soak the raw cashews in hot water for at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour. You can skip this step, however, the cashews won’t blend as easily and your cashew sauce may end up a bit chunky.

STEP 2: Cook the pasta until al dente, as per the instructions on the box, in a large pot of salted water.

📌 TIP: Remember to reserve about 2 cups of pasta water after straining your pasta. If the pasta is done before the sauce, drizzle some olive oil over it to prevent it from sticking together.

STEP 3: Heat a large skillet, stockpot, or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the extra virgin olive oil, along with your chopped onions and minced garlic.

STEP 4: While the veggies cook, make the cashew cream. Blend the cashews and the soaking water together in the high-speed blender. If it looks like the mixture isn’t blending, add another splash of water or even almond milk until it is smooth and creamy.

STEP 5: Once the onions turn mostly translucent, toss in the chopped kale and season with salt, pepper, and nutritional yeast. Then, add the lemon zest and juice. 

STEP 6: Now, it’s time for our star ingredient – the cashew cream. Pour in the blended cream and stir until it coats all the veggies.

STEP 7: Pour in 1 cup of the reserved pasta water to deglaze the pot and loosen the cashew cream. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon to taste.

STEP 8: Lower the heat to a simmer and add in the cooked pasta, stirring until it’s thoroughly coated. 

📌 TIP: You can add more pasta water or even vegetable stock as needed to achieve your preferred sauce consistency.

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Serving

To serve, transfer the pasta into a large serving dish or twirl it onto individual shallow bowls. I love topping mine with red pepper flakes, more lemon zest and a touch of lemon juice. While it’s perfect on its own, here are a few vegan-friendly sides and toppings that I love to add to this pasta:

• Vegan Parmesan – Add an extra layer of flavor with some vegan Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

• Roasted Cherry Tomatoes – Their sweet, slightly charred flavor balances out the rich creaminess of the pasta. You could add crushed tomatoes as well to make a super creamy cashew tomato sauce (similar to my Coconut Milk Tomato Sauce!). 

• Sun-dried Tomatoes – For a rich sweet flavor add a few tablespoons of sun-dried tomatoes to the pasta sauce. Check out my Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta for some inspiration!

• Flavorful Baked Tofu – If you’d like a protein to pair with the pasta, this baked tofu is packed with flavor and will help round out the meal!

• Grilled Asparagus – Asparagus grilled to perfection can provide a nice crunch and a fresh, earthy flavor.

• Sautéed Mushrooms – These add a meaty texture and a rich umami taste to your dish. Button or oyster mushrooms would both be great here.

• Garlic Bread – A slice of vegan garlic bread could be the perfect accompaniment, because who doesn’t love a classic garlicky crusty bread to dip in pasta?

• Spinach Arugula Salad – This salad is vibrant and fresh with tender greens, making it a perfect accompaniment for this rich lemon cashew sauce.

Storage

If you have any leftovers or you’d like to use this recipe for meal prep- it stores super well in the fridge. Pack up and store any leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge. It should last for up to 4-5 days. 

If you’d like to reheat it, microwave or heat it in a small pot on the stove with a splash of water or vegetable broth to help loosen up the sauce and create a creamy consistency again.

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• Be Sure to Soak the Cashews – Soaking your cashews in hot water before blending can result in an even creamier sauce. If you have the time, try not to skip this step! You can even soak them overnight. 

• Save the Pasta Water – Don’t forget to save your pasta water. The starch in the water helps the sauce cling to the pasta and gives your sauce the perfect consistency.

• Spice it Up & Season to Taste – Feel free to add more red pepper flakes or lemon juice if you prefer your pasta with an extra kick of spice or tang.

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FAQ

More Vegan Pasta Recipes:

• Vegan Baked Tomato Feta Pasta
• Creamy Tomato Pasta Bake (No Boil!)
• One Pot Zucchini Mushroom Pasta
• Vegan Baked Mac & Cheese
• Creamy Vegetable Pasta {One Pot!}

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