If you're craving a plateful of comfort dive into this One-Pot Creamy Vegan Pasta, so lush and satisfying, you won't believe it's plant-based! With veggies and plant-based meat, it's perfect for nights or when you need a creamy pasta fix.
Remember Tim the Toolman Taylor’s signature grunt from “Home Improvement”? That’s basically the noise I make every time I take a bite of this creamy vegan pasta. If you’re not familiar, just imagine the sound of pure satisfaction—it’s that good. This dish is veggie-packed, hearty, and irresistibly creamy, all made in one pot for ultimate convenience.
For more pasta inspiration, check out my Vegan Vodka Sauce or my Lemon Artichoke Pesto Pasta if you’re craving something zesty and quick.
And for those who can’t get enough pasta salad, my Vegan Greek Pasta Salad is always a crowd-pleaser! For more comfort food favorites, try my, visit Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese, Vegan Hamburger Helper, and Easy Vegan Mushroom and Leek Pasta.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Achieves a rich, creamy texture without any dairy.
- Everything cooks in one pot, which means easier cooking and less cleanup.
- Easily adaptable with different veggies to suit your taste or what you have on hand.
- Ideal for a fast weeknight meal, ready in about 40 minutes or less.
Recipe Ingredients
You’ll need the following simple ingredients to make this amazing creamy vegan pasta. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Pasta - I’m a penne fan for this recipe, but any pasta that can act like a little bowl for the creamy sauce will do the trick!
- Vegan Ground 'Beef' - If you're not a fan, this ingredient is optional, but my kids like it, so I add it to this pasta recipe. I either use Impossible or Beyond ground beef. Other times, I add reconstituted TVP or a meaty chopped mushroom such as shitake or oyster mushrooms.
- Vegetables: The red peppers and zucchini are my go-to veggies since I always have them in the fridge, but substitute with anything you have on hand.
- Coconut Milk - I use a can of coconut milk which gives a slight coconut flavor that is undetectable by most people. You can substitute with cashew cream if necessary or an unsweetened oat milk creamer. To make 1 ½ cups of cashew cream as a substitute for the coconut milk, blend 1 ½ cups of soaked cashews with about 1 ⅛ cups water until perfectly smooth, achieving a creamy texture ideal for enriching various dishes.
- Shredded Vegan Mozzarella - This optional ingredient thickens the sauce and makes the pasta even more creamy. You can substitute the mozzarella for cheddar for a cheesier flavor.
- Vegetable Broth - I like to use Vegetable Base Paste to control the flavor more easily. Just add about a tablespoon to the pot, then add the water.
Variations
- Stir in a spoonful or two of nutritional yeast for a cheesy, nutty taste.
- Mix in spinach, mushrooms, or sun-dried tomatoes for added texture and taste. I love to incorporate cauliflower since I always have it available in my freezer.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat or a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness.
How To Make One-Pot Creamy Vegan Pasta
This is easy to make for a weeknight dinner and a great way to clean out the fridge on Fridays and use up those unused vegetables. See the recipe card for details.
Step 1: Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Sauté diced onion until translucent, then add minced garlic, and cook until fragrant.
Step 2: Add ground meat and cook through. Then, add vegetables and sauté until tender.
Step 3: Stir in paprika, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Make room at the pot's bottom, and add tomato paste. Let it caramelize for a few minutes. Mix well.
Step 4: Pour vegetables, broth, and pasta and boil. Bring it back down and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes. Check often for doneness because cooking time will vary. It should be al dente before heading to the next step.
Step 5: Add the coconut milk and cheese. Stir well until combined. Allow everything to simmer for 5 minutes so the pasta absorbs the creamy sauce.
Step 6: Garnish and Serve. Garnish with fresh basil and vegan parmesan cheese before serving.
Recipe Tips
- The number one thing that can go wrong with this dish is overcooking the pasta and making a pot of mushy, sad pasta. Ask me how I know. You want the pasta to be slightly undercooked before adding the coconut milk and cheese since it will cook for a few more minutes.
- Cooking Time: Pasta will cook slower in a one-pot dish as it simmers with other ingredients in a denser liquid, affecting heat and absorption rates. The 15-20 minutes is only an estimate, so monitor the pasta’s texture and adjust the cooking time as necessary.
- You want to ensure that there is enough liquid to submerge everything. What you don't want is too much liquid, and you'll have a soupy pasta dish, which is not bad but not what we want in this recipe. Be careful if you need to adjust the amount of liquid so you get a creamy, not soupy, dish.
Serving Suggestions
- A classic choice, perfect for mopping up the creamy sauce.
- A fresh green or tomato salad with a light vinaigrette like this Classic French Salad Dressing can balance the richness of the pasta.
- Sprinkle on top for an extra touch of flavor. My favorite is the wedge you need to grate from Violife. The wedge tastes fresher than the grated cheese.
Vegan Creamy Pasta FAQS
Yes, but cooking times may vary, so adjust according to the pasta type.
Cashew cream or any unsweetened plant-based milk. To make 1 ½ cups of cashew cream, soak 1 cup of raw cashews in water for 4 hours or overnight, drain them, and blend with about ¾ cup of fresh water until smooth, adjusting the thickness by adding more or less water as needed.
It can be, just use gluten-free pasta and check all other ingredients for compliance.
Yes. Reduce the veggie broth to 1 cup and add the pasta when adding the coconut milk and cheese. This will yield a creamy dish without it being too saucy.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
One-Pot Creamy Vegan Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 12 ounces vegan ground meat optional
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 zucchini sliced half moons
- 1 red bell pepper julienned
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 12 ounce box of penne pasta
- 1 can coconut milk 13.5 ounces
- 7 ounces of shredded vegan mozzarella one bag
- garnish - fresh basil and vegan Parmesan
Instructions
- Saute: In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add Crumbles: Add the vegan ground beef or crumbles if using. Saute for about 8 minutes until it is cooked through.
- Add Spices and Tomato Past: Add paprika, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper, and sauté for a minute. Clear a space at the bottom of the pot, add the tomato paste, and cook for 2-3 minutes to caramelize and deepen the flavors slightly.
- Boil: Pour in vegetables, vegetable broth, and pasta and bring up to a boil. Make sure the pasta is fully submerged when you stir.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat to a simmer on medium-low and cook for about 15-20 minutes, checking the pasta for doneness frequently.* Stir frequently so that all the pasta cooks evenly to an al dente texture.
- Combine: Add the milk and shredded cheese to the pot, tossing to coat them thoroughly with the creamy sauce. Let it simmer together for 5 more minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly, the coconut milk to heat up, and the pasta to absorb the flavors and sauce.
- Adjust: Taste and adjust the salt.
- Garnish: Serve the creamy vegan pasta hot, garnished with fresh basil and vegan parmesan.
Blake says
Rich, creamy, and oh-so-easy! Perfect weeknight comfort.
Regi Pearce says
Yes it is! Thanks for commenting Blake.