I’ve had a fairly easy time giving up a lot of my favorite dairy-containing foods over the last year (yogurt, ice cream, cheese), but pasta and pizza have been tough ones for me. Pizza, I’ve recently discovered, works great cheese-less with a healthy shake of vegan parmesan. But pasta has mainly stumped me…until now.
One of the meals I’ve made for John and myself every week for the last several years is a lightened up Pesto Alfredo with some form of steamed veggie. I love the richness and creamy texture it offers. While I recognize there is a place for cashew-based sauces, I wanted something so undetectably creamy that it had to be nut free.
So I started with simple ingredients that I use in my original recipe, but swapped the regular milk for almond milk. As for the cheese? I supplemented other flavor in the form of shallot, garlic and roasted tomatoes. And when serving, I shake on a healthy amount vegan parm. The result? Pasta that sends me straight to creamy pasta heaven.
This is a 30-minute meal that’s virtually fool-proof. While you get your sauce going by sauteeing garlic and shallot in a little olive oil, roast your grape tomatoes. When you roast tomatoes in a little olive oil and sea salt, it enhances their natural flavor and gives them an almost smoky, fire-roasted taste, which pairs perfectly with the creamy garlic sauce.
Once your sauce is thickened you can either blend it for undetectable creaminess or leave it with a bit of texture. Then, all that’s left to do is toss in the tomatoes and garnish with fresh herbs, black pepper, or a little parm. This dish is so simple yet so flavorful! It’s:
Creamy
Rich
Savory
Garlicky
Warm
Comforting
& Surprisingly satisfying
I served ours with a little steamed broccoli and, of course, some white wine. What’s white pasta without white wine? This really is the perfect quick meal for weeknights that will please even picky eaters. Don’t even mention there’s no butter or cream and I’ll bet no one will notice. Cheers!
Creamy Vegan Garlic Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 3 cups grape tomatoes (halved)
- 10 ounces whole wheat pasta (such as penne, linguini, or fettuccine // use less if you want a higher sauce:pasta ratio // use gluten-free pasta for GF eaters)
- Olive oil
- 2 medium shallots (diced // 2 medium shallots yield ~1/4 cup or 40 g)
- 8 large cloves garlic (minced/grated // 8 large cloves yield ~1/4 cup or 24 g)
- 1 pinch each sea salt and black pepper
- 3-4 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour (or another thickener of choice)*
- 2 1/2 cups unsweetened plain Almond Breeze
- 2-3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1-2 Tbsp vegan parmesan cheese (optional // plus more for serving)
- 1-2 Tbsp lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C) and toss tomatoes in a bit of olive oil and sea salt. Place cut side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish. Then set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. When done, drain, cover and set aside.
- In the meantime, prepare the sauce. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add 1 Tbsp (15 ml // use more, as needed, if increasing batch size) olive oil and the garlic and shallot. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper and stir frequently, cooking for 3-4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Stir in flour (or other thickener of choice – see notes) and mix with a whisk. Once combined, slowly whisk in the almond milk a little at a time so clumps don’t form. Then add nutritional yeast, another healthy pinch of salt and black pepper, and bring to a simmer. Continue cooking for another 4-5 minutes to thicken.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt to taste, more minced/pressed garlic for zing, or more nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor. Optional: You can also add 1-2 Tbsp of vegan parmesan for extra flavor at this time. Some readers also enjoyed adding 1-2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice at this time for some brightness / acidity.)
- If you want an ultra creamy sauce, transfer sauce to a blender (or use an immersion blender) to blend the sauce until creamy and smooth. Place back in pan and reduce heat to a low simmer until desired thickness is reached.
- Once the sauce is to your desired thickness, taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Then add pasta and roasted tomatoes and stir.
- Serve immediately and garnish with extra black pepper, fresh basil, and/or vegan parmesan cheese. Best when fresh, but will keep for up to 2 days in fridge.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*Inspired by Kitchy Kitchen
Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)
Cait says
I have both gluten and dairy allergies so I was excited to find this recipe! We made it last night- I had to make some adjustments because we only had oat milk and the only gluten free flour I had was actually for pancakes (still tasted good!)
I read everyone’s reviews before I made our version so I added some Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, parsley, and red chili flakes). I also added nutritional yeast to give it a bit of a cheesy flavor. It was a bit bland but thankfully I read in the comments that that may be the case so I just kept an eye (our tongue) on it and kept seasoning as needed. We did roast tomatoes but also added in broccoli to give it more volume and grilled some chicken breasts and threw those in there too!
It was very creamy and very filling. Flavor was great and was easy to play around with it. My family (who is not GF or DF- but eats it because of me) actually really loved it and could not tell the difference.
Thank you so much! We are going to make this again!
Thank you for sharing!! So helpful.
Tena Heck says
I just discovered this site a few days ago. I didn’t make this entire recipe. I was only looking for a creamy sauce to make to add to my noodles. I’ve been vegan for 10 years and I have never found a creamy vegan recipe that works for me. However this recipe is it. I played with it a little bit as in adding more nutritional yeast than what the recipe calls for , adding on Lowery seasoning salt. I also had a half a block of tofu that I diced up very small and added it to the cream when I blended it and it just made for a creamier sauce. But you have to be careful not to add too much tofu because then the tofu will over flavor everything else.
This is my new website to find vegan recipes I absolutely love it. Thank you so much!!!!
We’re so glad you enjoy our site, Tena! Thanks so much for sharing! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Tena Heck says
Oh, I’m sorry about that!!! Can I give it TEN stars???? This sauce is so yummy.
Emily Wolfe says
This is a great recipe! Super easy and minimal dishes. I did add pepper flakes, nutritional yeast. I also added about 1 cup of thinly sliced baby portabella mushrooms about 2 mins into sauteing my onions and garlic. The mushrooms really gave it a really nice flavor. Love it! I will use this again!
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Emily. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Thais says
Quick question. What camera do you use for the photographs of the food and what are some tips you may have for food styling for a growing business.
Hi Thais, we’d recommend looking at our blogger resources for more info: https://minimalistbaker.com/resources/
Idan says
Super tasty! Swapped yellow onion for shallots and added some zaatar and red chili flakes for spice & tang. Loved how easy and customizable this was.
Lauren Smith says
Neither bad or amazing.
I’m a chef myself so probably a harsh critic.
Positives: super creamy!! Oh and cheap!!
Negatives: lacks that special something.
I’m looking forward to trying this recipe again where I can add that special something.
This is a good base recipe!
Jenny says
Hi, this is now my go to recipe for pasta sauce, I changed it a little bit by adding a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and swapped the shallots for white onion. This made the sauce so tasty, we tend to change little bits each time so that we don’t eat the same food (ie add some chilli, different herbs and spices), but this is without doubt one of the easiest sauces to make. Thank you
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jenny. We are so glad you enjoy it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Parker says
Does anybody have experience substituting the almond milk for cashew milk? We don’t use almond milk for environmental reasons, but this recipe looks amazing!
Hi Parker, we think that would work well! It also looks like other readers have done so with success.
Kitana Jones says
This is one of my favorites to make now that I’ve gone vegan. So light and creamy!
Sienna says
This recipe was not bad!
I don’t like tomatoes so I did my own recipe for roasted zucchini. Regarding the sauce, I used soy milk instead of almond milk. That turned out a little strange as the soy milk naturally imparts a somewhat sweet taste. This is not the fault of the recipe, I just don’t recommend it. I also added some nutritional yeast and plenty of salt for extra flavor.
Like other comments have said, even with these modifications, this recipe was a bit bland. Fresh herbs or vegan cheese would do a lot for this recipe!
Susan says
Amazing! So creamy and garlicky. We added some basil and can’t wait to make it again.
Karin P. says
Absolutely love this. Easy to make and exactly the sort of meal I love. Made it with red lentil pasta and added mushrooms and fresh basil. Thank you!
Yay- so glad to hear it, Karin! Thanks for sharing!
hh says
This was soooo delicious! I used oat milk, added a little extra garlic, a pinch of Italian spices, nutritional yeast, a dash of white wine, and some roasted tomatoes. Thanks so much for such an amazing pasta sauce recipe, will make often!
Martin Guy says
Most premade dried pasta contain eggs, which is not vegan.
Can you advise which brand you used that did not contain eggs?
Hmm, what store are you having that experience? The majority of the dried pasta we have come across does not contain egg. We like Trader Joe’s Penne or for gluten-free, their Quinoa & Brown Rice Fusili. Barilla also makes egg-free penne and should be pretty widely available. Hope that helps!
Jeanette says
I set out to make this vegan as the recipe states but turned out my husband used the rest of our almond milk. I had some leftover cows milk from a baking project and went ahead and used half milk and half veggie broth and it was DELICIOUS! Thank you this is an easy keeper
Deb says
Not a fan of this recipe. I have enjoyed many other recipes from this site. Unfortunately this one was bland and the texture was weird.
Sorry to hear that, Deb! What did you use for the thickener?
Shane says
I’m not sure why others are calling this bland. I used oatmilk instead of almond milk but it was absolutely amazing. So rich and creamy that it was hard to believe there was no butter or cheese in the sauce.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Shane! Thanks for sharing!
Katie Len Wai says
Made this last night and the garlic & shallots made the sauce!!! I used arrowroot flour as I’m gluten free and it turned out spectacular!! I will use this recipe again. Very easy to make!!
xoxoxooooo!
Lena says
I made this vegan pasta last night it was supper easy to make but it was bland no matter how much seasoning I added wish it had more flavor and all I could of taste is just the almond milk and flour but the texture was good
Hi Lena, sorry to hear it didn’t turn out as you were hoping! It sounds like maybe the almond milk had a strong flavor that overpowered everything. Would you mind sharing what brand you used?
Lena says
I used the brand silk almond milk
Thanks for letting us know! We think that brand tends to have a stronger almond flavor than others.
Shane Page says
I did it with oat milk (instead of almond) and added extra salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast. It was pretty amazing. My kids even loved it!
Jillian says
I was excited to make this; it looked so good in the pics and video but I have to agree with the others who said it was quite bland. I am dairy-free right now because of an allergy with my baby, and I am living in another country that lacks lots of food. Therefore, I really want some simple but tasty recipes. I think I will try this again but add some spices and maybe another veggie or two. Hopefully, it will have flavor then :/
Hi Jillian, sorry to hear that was your experience! We’ll take another look at this recipe and make modifications, as needed. For a more flavorful sauce, we would recommend adding more garlic, salt to taste, or nutritional yeast. Hope that helps!
Hi Jillian, we have added an additional note in step 4 to make this more flavorful, if desired. The reason we did not change the recipe is that many people have enjoyed it so we didn’t want to change what was working for them.
Kiley says
I made this tonight but I used asparagus along with the tomatoes. I used a generic brand almond milk and it was pretty overpowering. But it wasn’t bland. It just tasted like almond milk I also added red pepper.
Sorry to hear that was your experience, Kiley! We’d suggest trying a more mild-tasting brand if you give it another try!
Stephanie says
Will this freeze and reheat well? I am hosting an event, and I need to have everything cooked well ahead of time. I would like to have a non dairy pasta option. (Cooking this on the day of the event will not be possible.) Thanks.
Hi Stephanie, we haven’t tried freezing it, but some other commenters have done so with success. If you press “ctrl+f” on a PC or “command+f” on a mac, a find bar should pop up that allows you to search for specific words (such as “Freeze” in the post and comments. Let us know if you give it a try!
Mica says
I am sorry to say that I followed your recipe but the sauce had no flavor at all. Really sad about that.
Hi Mica, so sorry to hear that was your experience! For a more flavorful sauce, we would recommend adding more garlic, salt to taste, or nutritional yeast. Hope that helps!
Maria says
This recipe is amazing. So simple and so adaptable to adjust for whatever ingredients I have on hand. I’ve made it 3 times now—it thickens every time, the roasted tomatoes are a brilliant addition (when I have tomatoes and it was easy to sub in roasted broccoli or spinach when I didn’t), and I never bother with the blending because it is legit delicious without. Didn’t have shallots either so just added more garlic and some onion powder. Tasted as I went and really loved the whole thing.
I love so many minimalist baker recipes because I can actually use them without needing a special grocery trip! Thank you!
Craig Stevenson says
Added in Cajun spices on request from my partner and it was superb.
Jessica says
I’m sorry to report that this recipe just wasn’t a hit with us. It was pretty flavorless even after trying to add additional seasonings. Leftovers were even worse and had to be tossed.
I love many of your recipes, but this one just didn’t turn out.
Hi Jessica, sorry to hear this one wasn’t for you! Did you make any modifications?
suzanne Mosier says
I was surprised about how tasty the sauce was and how easy it was to make. This will be a regular dish on my list of go to recipes.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
Michelle says
I am going to make this for the 3rd time tomorrow and I am surprised that I haven’t rated it. Obviously another winner from MB. I am a very bland side so I will get my portion before shaking more salt. Thanks so much, Dana!
Clarence says
This is the first vegan white sauce recipe I’ve tried and while it did work, I wasn’t particularly impressed by the results. The flavour was bland, and the texture is a bit weird – it’s kind of thick but still watery and white, which looked kind of unappetizing.
But I imagine if you made some tweaks you could get the flavour pretty nice. Adding in some nutritional yeast for some cheesy flavours would be one thing, a good dose of herbs as well, like sage or parsley could be another…adding mushrooms to the recipe would be a good idea too I think. And making sure you use plenty of salt. Potentially even replacing half a cup of the almond milk with some white if you’re feeling really fancy.
Clarence says
*with some white wine
Thanks for sharing, Clarence! This admittedly is an early recipe of ours and we’ve since improved our sauce game! Try this one next time instead!
Charlotte says
Great recipe. I used oat milk as it’s all I had in and it was brilliant. I left out the roasted tomatoes as I’m not really a fan, however after reading all the reviews saying how amazing they are I’ll definitely add in next time. I think that some people find it bland because garlic can differ so much – as the recipe called for large bulbs I doubled my smaller ones and it was very flavourful. I blended it as mentioned as an option and it came out so creamy and thick! Chucked a handful of spinach in to give it a bit more colour and nutrition. For sure one I’ll make again and tweak depending on the flavours I’m looking for. Solid creamy base, thank you!
Thanks so much for sharing, Charlotte! That’s a good point about the garlic. We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Caitlin says
I gave 4 instead of 5 stars because the recipe is a bit bland for my taste. It did still reminded me a little of alfredo sauce though so that was a big plus! It’s a great recipe to build on. I love that it leaves room for your own flavor and interpretation. You can add spinach, paprika, peas, nutritional yeast, broccoli, red pepper, or whatever else you want to give it your own spin and a little more flavor if you think it needs it. I will definitely be making this again with a few added touches.
Caitlin says
Also wanted to mention, it’s super filling. I almost could not finish my dinner and I had slightly less than a serving on my plate.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Caitlin! Those all sound like lovely additions.
Carolyn Jarrett jones says
The sauce didn’t thicken well and I would describe the flavor as bland. The best thing was the tomatoes but I would not make this again. Very disappointing. I will try another recipe on the site however!
Hi Carolyn, so sorry to hear that was your experience! Would you mind sharing which thickener you used? Is it possible you didn’t allow it to simmer long enough? For a more flavorful sauce, we would recommend adding more garlic, salt to taste, or nutritional yeast. Better luck with the next one!
Lucía says
I looooooved this recipe, especially the sauce. Thats why I did it for the 2nd time and added 1 red bell pepper to the mix, so good! I was wondering, do you think I could make a big batch of the sauce and freeze it?
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Lucîa! The sauce should freeze well.
isabel says
I’ve made this recipe tonight, but used oat milk because I did not have almond milk, added some portobello mushrooms and frozen spinach to make it more filling and adding some extra veggies. I also added some oregano, paprika powder, nutritional yeast and fresh basil. The sauce is really creamy (I needed 5 tablespoons of flour in total but it worked), and the recipe leaves room for culinary creativity. It’s quick and easy to make, so will definitely do it again! Thank you!!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Isabel! xo
MJ says
It’s not a bad meal but definitely more on thr bland side. That being said, it was nice to eat a good creamy pasta that was dairy free. I’ll probably make it again but try to add a few more elements for some more flavor.
Hi MJ, for a more flavorful sauce, we would recommend adding more garlic, salt to taste, or nutritional yeast. Hope that helps!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Katie. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Katie says
This is SO delicious and easy. Will be a staple for me moving forward. I used oat milk and it turned out great.
hadewijch says
Glutenfree option for happy guts: I used tapioca flour as thickener and combined with spelt pasta, came out suuuper nice. The sauce is so creamy I was amazed at the fact it doesn’t have any cheese. I added some paprika powder and nutritional yeast for flavour. Definitely going to make this again!
Thanks for sharing! So helpful.
Justin says
Overall a solid recipe. I put the sauce in the Vitamix but even so, it took some time for it to thicken. My 15 year daughter who is super picky really liked it so that’s saying a lot! I do agree with other posters that it’s a little on the bland side but definitely worth trying.
Great! Thanks for sharing, Justin!
Maria says
Super Good!
Thanks for sharing, Maria!! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Maria says
Really good for a vegetarian before payday :)
Also because of said brokness subbed spinach for tomatoes and broth for milk, haven’t tried it yet but I will edit my comment. Thanks for the great recipe!?
Glad you enjoyed it, Maria! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Erin Lau says
So good! I used soy milk instead of almond, and 1 head of garlic instead of 2 (made this recipe for one eater) still turned out delicious! I used to hate roasted tomatoes, but this changed everything! Will be making again soon. (can’t believe this is vegan!)
So glad you enjoyed it, Erin! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Christina says
A really delicious recipe! I prepared it for my family and they all liked it. The roasted tomatoes are great!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Christina!
Zenith says
I think this is a great easy recipe. Very creamy without using dairy cream. The only thing I added was italian spices and served it with crushed red pepper if you like spice. But otherwise it is a delightful recipe. Than you so much.
Thanks for sharing, Zenith! We’re glad you enjoy it!
Cori Wheaton says
So good! I used vegetable broth instead of almond milk simply because I needed to get rid of it. I added lemon juice, oregano, nutritional yeast, and red pepper flakes to the sauce. I also added roasted asparagus along with the tomatoes. AMAZING. I will definitely be making this again. I can always trust your recipes to give me a good base, and if I want to add to them I always can. Thank you!!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Cori! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Abby M says
Pretty good. The sauce was very difficult to make, and the flavor just isn’t there. I had to add waaaay more Parmesan cheese to get it a little more Alfredo like. The roasted tomatoes were amazing though. ?
Randy Paschal says
Your recipe calls for all purpose flour. Therefore it is not gluten free. Sorry, don’t mean to be an ass, but I’m online searching gluten free recipes, and it recommends yours. When I read your ingredients, you put 3/4 tablespoon of flour. I understand that you also added, ” thickener of choice”, but, YOUR recipe calls for flour. You are miss leading your followers.
Randy, sorry for the confusion! We’ll update the categorization!
Michele says
Hi Randy, My daughter is GF and so therefore we used Brown Rice Flour for this dish instead and it was still so delicious.
Tanya Mai says
Can u use oat milk instead of almond?
Hmm, we haven’t tried that but think it would work? Let us know if you give it a try!
Ema Pantovic says
How can I substitute almond breeze?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Ema, any brand of unsweetened plain almond milk should be fine!
Ih says
I tried this recipe with a can of coconut milk instead of almond milk… It was super creamy, had a simple taste, the coconut and tomato flavours worked well together. I will be making it again :)
Sazzy says
As others had mentioned, its a little bland, but still very easy and quick to make. I feel like browning the garlic a little further and possibly adding more of it would make it more flavorful. I would like to try it with the veggie broth instead pf the almond milk to see if that adds to the flavor at all.
Overall, I’d make this again, with just a few tweaks here and there!
Hi Sazzy, for a more flavorful sauce, we would recommend adding more garlic, salt to taste, or nutritional yeast. Hope that helps!
Tina says
I thought pasta dough needed egg???
Hi Tina, fresh pasta tends to use eggs, but typically the shelf stable kind does not. Hope that helps!
Brooklyn says
I did not like this recipe at all. I had to add a thickener because it was way too watery and the flavour was very bland.
Hi Brooklyn, sorry to hear this didn’t turn out as expected! Did you add the 3-4 Tbsp flour to thicken? Did you try adding more salt to taste or additional garlic? Those would be our suggestions for next time! Hope that helps!
Kelly says
This recipe totally ticked all my requirements for deliciousness! I kept second guessing the amount of garlic and tomatoes, however, you indeed want all that you suggested! The sauce was amazing, even without taking it through a blender, and I even made the faux “parmesan cheese” and was pleasantly surprised! Needless to say, this will be a recipe that I will return to often! Thank you for posting!
Vanessa says
I made this tonight. It’s more on the bland side. If you like more flavor, try adding more seasoning. Something I’ll be trying next time. I used 8oz of pasta (instead of the 10 in the recipe) and it wasn’t enough sauce. I love my pasta creamy, so I’ll just double the sauce next time.
Thanks for sharing! Did adding more salt to taste or garlic help?
Michelle says
I made this tonight and it was pretty good. Kind of on the bland side but I excluded the shallots which probably would have added more flavor. The tomatoes help so much with flavor, you don’t want to leave them out! I did put my sauce in the blender to get it creamy. All in all its a good dish.
Thanks Michelle! Yes, shallot help round out the flavor. Glad you still enjoyed it!
bridget says
This was so good! And it’s so versatile. Made it as-is, delicious. Made it again, throwing in some things on hand. I added a dash of crushed red pepper, a handful of fresh minced basil, and some Italian “sausage” seitan crumbles. The roasted tomatoes have such a great, intense flavor. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thanks for sharing!
Janet says
I made the creamy garlic vegan pasta. Insanely good!!! My entire family loved it because it wasn’t overpowered by strong flavors . I did add some nutritional yeast. Next time I make it I am going to add some fresh chopped spinach for added veggies.
Thank you for this awesome recipe Dana. We are true fans of your Instagram page.
Aww thanks so much for the lovely review, Janet! We are so glad you enjoyed it! xo
Jacob says
hi! first time making this recipe, and my friend and i added juice from half a lemon and it made the sauce a lot more full bodied!
Thanks for the tip, Jacob!
Andria Curtis says
I made this tonight, but I definitely had to tweak it for it to work for us. We upped the garlic substantially (approximately doubled), added oregano, and roasted portabello mushrooms with the tomatoes. I wish I had spinach, as I still think it needed something green to make it feel a bit more complex. That being said, I’ll make this again! We used cavatappi noodles which held the sauce really well.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Andria!
Rachel says
Just made this and it is delish! Added roasted mushrooms when doing the tomatoes and wilted some baby spinach into the sauce to add some extra good nutrients. Used nutritional yeast instead of vegan parmesan and it worked well. Also made it using pulse pasta to up the protein count.
I’m not a big fan of cooked tomatoes but decided to try this as I was craving a white pasta sauce. Really glad I did. They go really well and I will definitely be making this again.
I’m just slowly transitioning to a vegan diet and it is this sort of recipe that makes it easier!
Carleigh Nivens says
I just tried this recipe at home and I LOVED it!! So delicious, totally satisfied my craving for a creamy pasta dish. I put shrimp in mine to add a little protein and it worked out great! Will definitely be making this again!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Carleigh!
Almaz says
Hi Dana, I made this dish today. It was super easy, tasted a million times better than what I expected and it was a very, very light dish.
Really loved it. I will try out your other recipes.
lacey isaak says
*** QUESTION *** im making this for company, just curious if tapioca starch or arrow root powder would work in this recipe instead? if so how much and how should i add it? THANKS!
Hi Lacey, we recommend arrowroot or cornstarch, but be prepared to mix the sauce in a blender or it will be clumpy. See this recipe as a guide.
Christine says
Made this tonight. Really delicious! I served it over gluten free gnocchi instead of a regular GF pasta, since I wanted gnocchi for dinner. Also served it overtop of chicken as part of the meal (I have to be dairy-free, but am not vegan). It was so tasty on everything!! I was really happy to find a delicious cream sauce using almond milk.
I am a bit confused about the shallots though. The recipe said 2 medium shallots, so I went ahead and chopped two up. But then I noticed that it said that was equivalent to 1/4 cup. It was definitely NOT equivalent to that! I measured it out and it was about 1 cup. To get just 1/4 cup, I would have needed to use just a half of one shallot. I’m not sure which amount I was supposed to use, 1/4 cup diced or 2 shallots. So I increased the other ingredients just in case (doubled the garlic and used 4 cups of almond milk). Turned out fine, but I’d love to know how much I was really supposed to use!
Hi Christine, so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! 1/4 cup would be the better measurement to use. It sounds like we might have different ideas of a “medium” shallot! We have found that they can vary so much in size.
Johanna says
I’ve made this quite a few times since I first tried it in 2016 and it’s a fave even with non vegans, including my 9 year-old stepson! I’ve started roasting mushrooms with the tomatoes and wilting spinach right in the sauce before tossing it with the veggies and pasta. Superb.
Naomi Low says
this recipe is good but of you like garlic put way more than 8 cloves – I put 8 small cloves in for a recipe for 2 and it turned out as a mild garlic flavour . The sauce was really creamy and everything else was great though.
Cara says
I absolutely love this recipe! It has become one of my go to recipes when I want something quick. I generally have the ingredients for it on hand and its a super easy one to follow, I don’t even look at the quantities anymore when I make it.
I’d also like to note that the sauce makes for a great base. I’ve mixed it in with vegan pesto and sometimes red sauce to get creamy pesto or something like a vegan vodka sauce. Its always delicious and so open to variation, truly a wonderful recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Denise says
I made this today but used non sweetened cashew milk and used corn starch to thicken. Salt, pepper, basil and a dash of smoked paprika. The fettuccine I use is gluten free. Also added some small shrimp. It was absolutely delicious, and so nice and creamy! Thanks for satisfying my craving. I’m saving this recipe for my next craving
Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Denise. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Leah says
This meal was so delicious! I added the juice of one lemon to add brightness. My whole family loved and I will definitely make again and again.
Missy says
I just made this. Eating while commenting. DELICIOUS! My new pasta go-to for sure!
Kayla says
My non vegan husband even loved this! most vegan Alfredo’s require a blender but this one does not and is super easy! I remember when I used to eat non-vegan Alfredo and I would feel disgusting, this dish is all the flavor and comfort without the regret after eating it! Love it!
Anna says
I absolutely loved this super quick and easy! Definitely recommend it!
Whoop! We’re glad to hear that, Anna!
Nikki O says
This was my first vegan pasta recipe. Admittedly I was a bit nervous but this exceeded my expectations! I don’t even usually like white pasta sauce but this dish was light and fresh. I made the recipe per instructions, including pureeing the sauce. I’m looking forward to eating the leftovers tomorrow!
Carol LeMaster says
Hello I am looking for recipes for my 18 year old daughter. Her dermatologist told us to eliminate dairy from her diet, and it’s quite a challenge.
Has anyone added chicken to this? She loves chicken pasta alfredo and this looks to be a good alternative while she is off the diary.
Hi Carol! That addition would work!
Lynda W says
Can this be made a day ahead and heated the next day?
Thanks
LRW
Yes, that will work!
Libby says
Sorry, didn’t like the sauce at all. Tasted like a weird blend of almond and garlic to me. Tried to mask the flavour with seasonings ( Italian, basil …) and added green pepper and mushrooms but would not make it again.
christie says
A new favorite! I have been vegan for 20 years and THIS is the recipe I’ve been looking for. So simple. It doesn’t taste like it’s trying to duplicate a non vegan dish, which I love. It took me a long time because I doubled it and spent quite a while chopping garlic and tomatoes, but it was worth it.
Nicole says
Incredible!
Lauren says
This recipe was delicious! My only complaint is that it wasn’t very filling. Do you have any suggestions on what I could add to give it more protein and make it more filling? Thanks so much for the recipe!
You could add some tofu for more protein, perhaps?
Topaz says
I halved the recipe and it turned out really well! Didn’t bother blending since I like chunky garlic. I added some red pepper flakes and used cherry tomatoes, which I guess they have more water than grape tomatoes? They turned the sauce reddish once I mixed everything together but it was still creamy and tasty. I just had it for lunch today and will happily eat the second serving tomorrow, but I don’t know if I would make this sauce again — the sweet almond flavor becomes pretty concentrated once the sauce thickens and it’s a little odd. My non-vegan brother loves pasta, but he tasted it and immediately spat it out.
Overall, glad I tried this but likely won’t be a regular addition to my lunch menu!
Steven Bar says
Aren’t there eggs in pasta? How is that vegan?
We’d recommend using a vegan pasta!
Julia says
Fresh pasta has eggs, but the boxed stuff at grocery stores usually doesn’t. Besides egg noodles, of course!
Vanessa Bell says
I made this recipe the other night and loved it! I was curious as to why it only keeps for 2 days?
Chloe says
I want to make this for myself and a few friends, however a few don’t like tomatoes. What would be another good veggie to add instead? I was thinking possibly: asparagus, peas, and/or spinach.
Please let me know what you would think to be best and if I should cook them (asparagus for example) the same way as the tomatoes
Asparagus would be delicious, but any of those ideas would work well!
Chrissy says
I tried to make this tonight. I am not sure if it’s my terrible cooking skills, but I can taste the almond so much it really covers any other flavour :(
Do you think soy milk can sub for almond breeze?
Hmm did you use unsweetened almond milk? I’d recommend using oat or rice milk instead of soy. Their flavor is more neutral as soy has a very strong, distinct flavor. If you can only use soy though, be sure to use unsweetened plain and sub 1 to 1.5 cups of it out with veggie broth to help offset the potentially strong soy taste. Hope that helps!
Mukta says
This was so good! I didn’t have all purpose flour – only flours I thought I had were buckwheat, teff, coconut and garbanzo and didn’t think any of them would work, then remembered I had a 7-grain chapati flour haha so used that! I wasn’t sure I’d use the tomatoes but they made this sauce come together! Also the basil. I added some spinach and ate it with a mushroom ravioli. Such a treat, thank you!
Thanks for sharing your recipe changes, Mukta! We are glad you enjoyed it :D
Tiffany says
This was delicious!!!!! I tend to not eat pasta or any grain really but I made this for my boys tonight 5 and 2yo since my nephew is dairy free so I did try a bite. I left the tomatoes out… Sadly my tomatoes were bad.. I just made the sauce with the garlic pepper salt flour and milk and stirred in the pasta and added vegan Parmasean cheese on top. It was the first thing they ate!!! Even asked for seconds… Sadly I didn’t make enough for seconds… Lol
Thank you sooo much this Will be my go to for a simple side dish when I have no other sides around!!
Ellie says
Omg amazing! Just made this and added mushrooms and zucchini. YUM! (Pro tip: don’t use sweetened almond milk. Oops had to start over!)
Smart tip!
Sophia says
This recipe was AMAZING! I had some doubts as I have tried many other creamy vegan pasta recipes that were not good at all but this was delicious. I made it exactly how the recipe said and was surprised at how creamy and how good it tasted. Would highly recommend this recipe to anyone
Thanks!
Whoop!
Codygirl says
I just made this for lunch today.
Roasted my garlic with the tomato’s ( I love the flavour of roasted garlic! )
I used veg stock to keep it light and sprinkled vegan Parmesan on top.
This is the BEST creamy vegan sauce I’ve had!!
Light but full of flavour.
Another winner??
Jenna says
This is amazing!
I didn’t have any almond milk on hand but subbed in Australians Own unsweetened Like Milk (pea protein milk) added mushrooms and baby spinach. Yum
Thank you so much for this recipe, your website is definitely going to help me transition to a Plant Based Diet.
Alea says
This was so delicious I put some mixed spices in the sauce to add some spice I will make this again for sure ♥️:)
Glad you enjoyed it, Alea!
Maria says
Oh my goodness!!! I haven’t been vegan for long at all and this recipe gives me hope! I see a lot of recipes calling for raw cashews, which I don’t have yet and other ingredients I am not used to having yet like tahini. I had everything needed for this and then some. I had made oat milk earlier (the recipe is also from this site) today and saw how well it congealed when I experimented and made vegan sweetened condensed milk so I used the oat milk and about half of the amount called for with flour. I added a bunch of nutritional yeast to make it cheaper and more flavorful and instead of shallots I used homegrown chives and a bit of yellow onion. It was awesome! I’m really impressed with how yummy this was. I went back for third and am definitely going to save this into my revamped vegan recipe book! <3
Maria says
Haha I dont know how to edit comments but I didnt mean to say that nutritional yeast made it cheaper
Jen says
Hands down one of the best recipes ever. Creamy, delicious, and so easy. I made this for dinner and was blown away with how tasty it was. I added some garlic powder (because 8 cloves is simply not enough for me), onion powder, and some spinach at the end. It was divine.
I like that you could add whatever veggies you like to the dish because the sauce is so light. Also something tells me that adding some nutritional yeast to the sauce would make it a super easy Alfredo type sauce.
Bella says
I made this today with regular soy milk and it tasted so awful it wasn’t salvageable even with a lot of adding. Maybe using almond milk makes it taste better, but using all that flour without actually making a roux – where you heat the flour in oil or butter that makes the flour taste disappear – makes it taste floury and awful.
Hi Bella! Sorry you didn’t have success with this! In future, we wouldn’t recommend using soy, and would go for a dairy-free milk that has a more neutral flavor like rice or oat milk. If you can only use soy though, be sure to use unsweetened plain and sub 1 to 1.5 cups of it out with veggie broth to help offset the potentially strong soy taste. Hope that helps for next time!
Sarah Middleton says
This recipe is absolutely fantastic and so easy to make. The ingredients are affordable to. The smell when cooking it is amazing and it tastes sooo good. Cannot wait to try other ones now xxx
Yay! We’re so glad to hear that, Sarah!
CAROLINE says
This is a great dish to make on a weeknight. It’s tasty and quick. I shared some with a co-worker who had forgotten her lunch as home and she wanted the recipe!
Thanks, Caroline!
Nicole Harper says
This was incredible! So creamy, delicious, and satisfying. I made a few changes. I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk because I did not have plain. While I could smell the vanilla there was no taste present. I added a can of mushrooms to the sauce once it cooked and I also added in Penzey’s Mural of Flavor. Thank you for posting this, we loved it.
Bailey says
I’m a college student with basically no real cooking skills and no fancy cooking gear. I made this and at the very least it turned out above average! It takes a bit of concentration to keep track of everything going on around you, but take it from me, its very doable. Thanks for the recipe! I also added some red pepper flakes to give it some spice.
Corey Christensen says
I put all the ingredients together and then I put the finished product in my mouth last night and it was SO GOOD THANK YOU THANK GOD GOD BLESS!
Woot woot!
Sharon says
Made it last night, eliminated the oil for the tomatoes, but I did add mushrooms, parsley and basil with a little white wine in the sauce. It was amazing…this is a keeper.
Ashley says
Can you sub flour for arrowroot powder for the thickener?
Yes, flour will work!
Wanda says
Thank you. The recipe is fantastic. This is the second pasta dish I had since I became vegan six months ago. I loved it. I’m still learning. There’s so much to learn, but I really appreciate your recipe. I just added nutritional yeast.
Dana says
Can I substitute the almond milk for whole milk, as I am not a vegan but love your recipe.
That should work!
Vanessa says
hey, so I tried this recipe but I am confused about the whole flour and nilk thing. Why would you first add the flour to the shallots and garlic instead of first pouring the milk as a liquid in it? It did work at the end but I still feel like it’s a weird that way around. Thanks tho because it tasted amazing!
Hi Vanessa! Great question. The flour and olive oil is the roux: the thickening agent used to make the sauce thick and creamy. Roux is made by cooking equal parts flour and fat together until the raw flavor of the flour cooks out and the roux has achieved the desired color. Hope this answers your question!