This creamy vegan sun-dried tomato pasta recipe made pasta night much tastier. Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy weeknight dinner or a comforting meal to share with friends and family, this dish will surely impress. With its rich and flavorful sauce, tender noodles, and mouth-watering toppings, this sun-dried tomato pasta will surely become a regular in your recipe rotation.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- 20-minute meal, perfect for weeknights
- Flavor-packed pasta
- Creamy, vegan sauce made with cashews, soy milk, and sun-dried tomatoes
- Nutritious and delicious
- Easy for home cooks of all levels
What Are Sun Dried Tomatoes?
Sun-dried tomatoes are ripe tomatoes that have been dried in the sun or using a dehydrator. They have a rich, intense, sweet, and slightly tangy flavor. A staple in Italian cuisine, they are often used to add depth and richness to sauces, salads, and pasta dishes. Sun-dried tomatoes are also high in antioxidants, especially Lycopene, which has been linked to various health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: These are the stars of the show! They have a tangy, sweet flavor and are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They cannot be substituted as the base flavor of our pasta sauce. I highly recommend buying the best quality that you can from a delicatessen. These have so much more flavor than sun-dried tomatoes in a jar; it will make a world of difference to the final flavor!
- Basil: Add fresh basil leaves to the sauce for a fresh, herby flavor. You could replace this with oregano if preferred. However, it will have a very different flavor. I recommend sticking to basil 🙂
- Raw cashews: Ahhh, a vegan’s best friend for making creamy sauces! Soaked cashews are blended to create a creamy, dairy-free sauce base. Suppose you are allergic or would prefer not to use them. In that case, cashews can be omitted from the recipe (however, you may need to simmer the sauce a little longer to thicken it). Note that the sauce will be quite as rich, thick, and creamy as the cashews. You can also replace the cashews with sunflower seeds to make it nut-free. However, these will have a slightly different flavor.
- Soy Milk: Add creaminess to the sauce, but you can replace it with any unsweetened plant-based or dairy milk. However, I recommend avoiding some sweeter oat milk, rice, or coconut milk varieties as these will impart their flavor.
- Pasta: I love rigatoni for this recipe as the sauce coats it very nicely, but this would also be great with fusilli; however, any pasta will do!
- Oil: If you have enough, use the oil in which the sun-dried tomatoes were marinated for that extra tomato-infused flavor. If not, olive oil or any other mild-flavored vegetable oil will do just fine!
How to Make Vegan Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
- Prep your ingredients. Boil cashews for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse. Roughly chop sun-dried tomatoes and mince garlic.
- Cook pasta to packet instructions.
- Saute garlic, ic, basil, and sun-dried sun-dried tomatoes.
- Form a roux sauce by combining the remaining ingredients and simmering.
- Transfer the sauce to a high-speed blender and blitz until smooth.
- Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta. Garnish and enjoy!
- Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta. Garnish and enjoy!
Storage Instructions
This vegan sun-dried tomato pasta is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken once cooled and reheated. To reheat, use your microwave or heat through on the stovetop. If reheating on the stove, add a tiny splash of water if the sauce becomes too thick. I would not recommend freezing this pasta as the sauce won’t thaw well.
FAQs
Yes, sun-dried tomatoes are considered healthy due to their high concentration of nutrients, particularly Lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers, heart disease, and stroke. The oil in sun-dried tomatoes activates the Lycopene, making it easier for the body to absorb. Sun-dried tomatoes are also a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Sun-dried tomatoes are not considered inflammatory; in fact, quite the opposite! They are believed to decrease the risk of certain cancers, neutralize free radicals, and decrease inflammation. However, some people with specific medical conditions may need to limit their intake due to their high levels of histamines. However, sun-dried tomatoes are generally well tolerated and considered safe for most people.
No, you do not have to soak sun-dried tomatoes before eating, but soaking them can help to rehydrate the tomatoes and make them easier to chop or blend.
Sun-dried tomatoes are healthier than regular tomatoes in some ways because, once dried, they contain higher levels of nutrients, including Lycopene, an antioxidant. Regular tomatoes should not be overlooked as they are also nutritious and lower in calories, but sun-dried tomatoes are a more concentrated source of nutrients.
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- 2 tbsp oil reserved from sun dried tomatoes or olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 bunch fresh basil leaves
- 200 g sun dried tomatoes in oil from a delicatessan (not a jar). Drained, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked in boiling water and drained
- 1 cup soy milk
- 3/4 cup vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 500 g pasta of choice cooked to packet instructions
- cashew parmesan
- fresh basil leaves roughly chopped
- To prepare, boil cashews for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse. Roughly chop sundried tomatoes and mince garlic. Cook pasta to packet instructions.
- Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for one minute, then stir in fresh basil and about 3/4 of the chopped sun dried tomatoes.
- Add the flour, soaked cashews and tomato paste, stirring until the mixture is well combined.
- Gradually add soy milk and vegetable stock, then simmer for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Transfer sauce to a high-speed blender and blitz until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper to your taste, then blitz again. Add an extra splash of soy milk if the sauce is too thick.
- Pour the sauce over cooked pasta. Garnish with the remaining sundried tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and cashew parmesan.
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This vegan sun-dried tomato pasta is a delicious, easy-to-make meal perfect for those looking for a quick, and delicious dinner. If you’d like to try more creamy plant-based pasta, my Creamy Spinach & Avocado Pasta, Cauliflower Alfredo, or Pumpkin Pasta with Basil Pesto are all delicious and have been very popular. If you enjoy this recipe (or any of my other recipes) I am always so grateful if you could leave a comment and star rating below. Or feel free to tag me in your photos on social media, my handle on Instagram is @glowdiaries___ 🙂
Video – Watch Me Make This Recipe
Creamy Vegan Sun Dried Tomato Pasta (20 minutes!)
This flavour-packed sun dried tomato pasta is creamy, delicious, vegan-friendly and only takes 20 minutes!Servings 4 peopleCalories 774kcalIngredients
To serve
Instructions
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 774kcal | Carbohydrates: 118g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 412mg | Potassium: 1346mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1117IU | Vitamin C: 58mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 5mgIf you love tomato recipes, then check out this vegan roasted tomato soup from my friends over at Vegan Bilaraby.
Author
Vanessa Bozdogan says
Delicious meal!
Liz Douglas says
So glad you enjoyed it Vanessa!!
Chloe Mehrtens says
Quick, easy and delicious! This recipe is a big yes for me.
Caitlin says
My little ones love this recipe. Thank you!
Ell says
Hands down best pasta I’ve ever eaten!
Sarah says
Already made this three times… it’s unbeatable!!
Hong Nguyen says
Seriously, this was delicious!!