Creamy Vegan Sundried Tomato Alfredo Pasta
Vegan sundried tomato alfredo pasta is so easy to make and ready in just 15 minutes! The creamy, dreamy vegan sundried tomato alfredo sauce is incredibly flavorful and so simple to make! This will quickly become one of your families go to favorite recipes!
Ingredients
- Cashews – raw cashews work best for this recipe, they help make a super smooth, creamy sauce without any heavy cream or dairy. Be sure to soak the cashews before blending them (soaking helps ensure the sauce gets super smooth).
- White beans – white beans are the secret ingredient to this creamy vegan sun dried tomato alfredo sauce. They get blended up with the cashews to make the creamiest, thickest sauce you can imagine. Use your favorite white bean (cannellini, great northern white beans or navy beans) for this recipe. I don’t recommend using chickpeas.
- Sundried tomatoes in oil – you can find these in just about every grocery store now (I always pick up a jar at Trader Joe’s). The oil these sun dried tomatoes are packed in is full of flavor, so as you are measuring out the sundried tomatoes, don’t be afraid to use some of the oil as well!
- Pasta + pasta water – use your favorite gluten free pasta. I love using a fettuccine noodle here but you could also use spaghetti, penne, fusilli, or even elbow shaped pasta. Gluten free orzo or gluten free gnocchi would be great too!
How to make vegan sundried tomato pasta
Start by filling a large pot with water, place over high heat and bring water to a boil.
While waiting on the water to boil, pour boiling water over the cashews (using an electric kettle) or soak the cashews in another way (see below).
Rinse and drain the white beans and soak them in cold, clean water.
Once the water has come up to a boil, add a large pinch of salt and add the pasta. Cook according to package instructions.
After at least 5 minutes of soaking, drain the cashews and discard the water. Drain the beans as well (discard the water). Add the cashews, beans, salt, garlic powder and sundried tomatoes to a high-speed blender with clean water (1 cup).
Blend until smooth. Likely you will need to blend the sauce on high speed at least 1 minute until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Don’t worry if it looks thick, we will add some pasta water.
Right before draining the pasta, use a ladle or a large measuring cup and reserve about ½ cup of the cooking liquid. Then drain the pasta and add it right back to the pot (turn off the heat).
Add in the creamy sun dried tomato pasta sauce and ¼ cup of the pasta water. Stir, stir, stir.
Add up to an additional ¼ cup of the cooking liquid until the sauce reaches a consistency you prefer. If you need more water, just use regular water. Serve hot!
What else can you add to this recipe?
- Veggies: Add sauteed zucchini, mushrooms, chopped broccoli (that you add to the boiling water during the last minute of cooking), baby spinach or chopped kale (stir into the pasta when hot), roasted red pepper, or artichoke hearts. You can also add fresh basil or fresh Italian parsley after cooking.
- Spice: Add crushed red pepper flakes
- Protein: Add another can of white beans, chickpeas, shredded chicken, 10 Minute Italian chicken bites, cooked shrimp or cooked chicken sausage
- Cheesy flavor: Add 1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast or your favorite vegan parmesan cheese (or regular parmesan if you are not dairy free)
Dairy Free Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 1 can white beans
- 1/4 cup sundried tomato in oil
- 1.5 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup water
- 12 oz gluten free pasta
- 1/2 cup pasta water
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- While the pasta is coming to a boil, soak the cashews in boiling water (use a electric kettle) and drain and rinse the white beans.1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked
- Once the water is boiling, add a large pinch of salt to the water and add the pasta to the pot. Cook pasta according to the box instructions.12 oz gluten free pasta
- While the pasta is cooking, make the sundried tomato alfredo sauce in the blender. Put the cashews, white beans, sundried tomatoes, water, salt and garlic powder to a blender. Blend on high at least 1 minute.1/3 cup raw cashews, soaked, 1 can white beans, 1/4 cup sundried tomato in oil, 1.5 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 cup water
- Before the pasta is done cooking, reserve at least 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain the rest of the pasta and return the pasta to the pot.1/2 cup pasta water
- Add the sundried tomato alfredo and 1/4 cup of pasta water to the pot with the pasta. Stir well.1/2 cup pasta water
- Add up to an additional 1/4 cup of pasta water until the pasta sauce reaches a consistency you love. Serve hot.
Recipe Notes
- Soak the cashews for at least 5 minutes in boiling water before blending to help soften them.
- Reserve some of the pasta water before draining it to help ensure the sauce has the best consistency.
- Want to make this even higher in protein and fiber? Use chickpea pasta or lentil pasta instead of gluten free noodles.
- No need to drain the oil from the tomatoes, the oil the sundried tomatoes are packed in is full of flavor and can also help with the creamy consistency of the sauce.
- Use this sauce over gnocchi, rice, quinoa, orzo or over your favorite protein (chicken, shrimp).
- Fridge: Store leftover vegan sundried tomato pasta in the fridge for up to 5 days. Note that the sauce will get thicker as it sits, so you will likely have to add a little water (1-2 tablespoons) to the pasta when reheating. Reheat in the microwave (1:30-2 minutes) or on the stove (low to medium low until hot).
- Freezer: You can freeze pasta for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and follow the reheating instructions above.
Nutrition Information
What to serve with vegan sundried tomato pasta
- Salad: Salad greens with creamy Italian Dressing or a Greek Salad with kalamata olive dressing
- Appetizers: Serve with spinach artichoke stuffed mushrooms
Common Questions
Can you make this recipe nut free?
Yes, instead of cashews, you can use hemp hearts or raw sunflower seeds. Hemp hearts don’t need to be soaked in advance. Raw sunflower seeds need to be soaked just like cashews.
Can you use sundried tomatoes that come in a bag instead of packed in oil?
Yes, however the sun dried tomatoes need to be rehydrated before using them in the sauce. Pour boiling water over the sundried tomatoes or soak them in water overnight. Drain the water before adding them to the blender.
Can you make in advance?
You can make the sauce up to 3 days in advance. Let the creamy sun dried tomato sauce come up to room temperature as you are cooking the pasta. Stir it into the drained pasta and add the cooking water right before serving.
If you need to make the entire recipe in advance, cook the pasta 2 minutes less than suggested on the box. Reheat the creamy vegan sundried tomato pasta over low to medium low heat in the same pot you cooked the pasta in and add about ¼-1/2 cup water to help thin out the sauce as it’s cooking.
Can you make this recipe without beans?
Yes, instead of using white beans, you would want to use 1 cup of cashews. Follow the same directions, just omit the beans and add more cashews.
I made this today with some little tweaks and it was surprisingly good! Its my first time making a completely dairy free cream pasta and the cashew cream works wonders! Thank you for the recipe 😁😁
So glad you enjoyed this so much! Cashew cream really does work wonders 😁 I really appreciate you coming to leave a review, it means so much! Happy cooking, xo Sam