Creamy Vegan White Pasta with Summer Vegetables

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Top down shot of a plate of gluten-free pasta with slow roasted tomatoes and vegan pasta sauce

Inspired by summer produce and a love for pasta, we dreamt up this dish with sautéed yellow squash, red onion, roasted cherry tomatoes, and a light vegan white sauce.

The result is an incredibly hearty yet light pasta with an abundance of vegetables and greens. The perfect plant-based side or entrée for summer and beyond. Just 10 ingredients required. Let’s do this!

Cherry tomatoes, yellow squash, cashews, red onion, nutritional yeast, herbs, sea salt, garlic, olive oil, spinach, and gluten-free fusili

For the veggies, we sautéed squash with onion, then added salt, pepper, Italian herbs, and red pepper flake for more seasoning and a little heat. Once the veggies were tender, we stirred in spinach and cooked until just wilted.

Sautéing yellow squash and red onion in a skillet with Italian seasonings

Depending on the season, these veggies could be swapped out for whatever is fresh and available. Other veggies we think would be good include red bell pepper, asparagus, roasted Brussels sprouts, and roasted cauliflower. And for the spinach, we think other delicate greens would sub nicely.

Sautéed vegetables for adding to pasta

For the tomatoes, we went with slow-roasted tomatoes. The process of slow roasting intensifies the flavor and makes them taste like candy!

Bowl of slow roasted cherry tomatoes

How to Make a White Sauce For Pasta

To make a vegan white pasta sauce, we used a base of cashews because they yield a creamy texture and neutral flavor.

They’re added to a small blender with garlic for zing and nutritional yeast for cheesiness. Salt enhances all the flavors and water or almond milk is added to thin into a pourable sauce.

Small blender with ingredients for making vegan cashew pasta sauce

Then the sauce gets poured over the veggies and pasta and the mixture is tossed until combined. Then the slow-roasted tomatoes are gently stirred in. The result is a colorful vegan white pasta filled with fresh summer veggies!

Finally, we like to garnish with fresh herbs (such as basil or parsley), vegan parmesan cheese, and an extra sprinkle of red pepper flake!

Pouring creamy cashew alfredo onto pasta and sautéed veggies

We hope you LOVE this creamy white pasta! It’s:

Cheesy
Light
Comforting
Summery
Versatile
Savory
& Delicious!

Serve it on its own or alongside salads, veggies, or Italian-inspired dishes! It would pair especially well with our Chickpea Caesar Salad, Lemony Arugula Salad, or Best Vegan Meatballs.

More Vegan Pasta Recipes

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Using a wooden spoon to stir a pan of Creamy Vegan White Pasta with Summer Vegetables

Creamy Vegan White Pasta with Summer Vegetables

A light, cheesy white vegan pasta with summer vegetables. Incredibly versatile, 10 ingredients, and a delicious plant-based side or entrée!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Wooden spoon resting in a pot of Creamy Vegan White Pasta with Summer Vegetables
4.99 from 114 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 (Servings)
Course Entrée
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 3-4 Days

Ingredients

ROASTED TOMATOES

  • 1 cup cherry / grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tsp oil of choice
  • 1 pinch sea salt

SAUCE

  • 1/3 cup raw cashews
  • 2 cloves garlic, plus more to taste
  • 2-3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 cup water or unsweetened almond milk (we did half of each)

PASTA

  • Water to cook
  • 1 healthy pinch sea salt
  • 10 ounces gluten-free pasta (ensure vegan-friendly as needed // we prefer Trader Joe’s brown rice quinoa fusilli)

VEGGIES

  • 1 tsp oil (or sub water, adding more as needed as it evaporates)
  • 1/3 cup sliced red onion
  • 1 cup sliced yellow squash or zucchini
  • 1 healthy pinch each sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried Italian herbs (oregano and basil // optional)
  • 1 pinch red pepper flake (optional)
  • 2 cups spinach (or other delicate green // we found sturdy greens, e.g. kale, to add too much chew)

FOR SERVING optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (148 C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise and toss with a little oil and sea salt. Arrange the tomatoes cut-side up and place on the center rack of your oven. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the edges have shriveled and the tomatoes have shrunken slightly.
  • In the meantime, prepare sauce by soaking raw cashews in very hot water for 30 minutes.
  • Once the cashews are almost done soaking, bring a pot of water to a boil and season with a healthy pinch of salt. Once boiling, add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain and set aside until serving (ideally the pasta is ready within a few minutes of serving — try to time accordingly).
  • After the 30 minutes are up, drain and rinse cashews and add to a small blender. Add remaining sauce ingredients (garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, and water or almond milk — we used half water, half almond milk) and blend until creamy and smooth. The sauce should be thin and pourable (add more water as needed).
  • Taste and adjust flavors as needed, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesiness, salt to taste, or garlic for zing. Set aside.
  • Once your sauce is ready, the tomatoes are nearly done roasting, and the pasta is almost ready, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a small amount of oil to coat pan (if oil-free, use water) and add sliced onion and yellow squash. Season with salt and pepper, Italian seasonings (optional) and a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional). Ensure the squash is in a single layer and not overlapping so it gets evenly cooked.
  • Once browned on the underside, use tongs or a spatula to flip the squash and cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes more. Once onion and squash are tender and slightly brown, add spinach (or other greens of choice), and stir to combine. Season with another pinch salt and pepper.
  • Add cooked drained pasta to the pan and pour over the sauce. Toss to combine. Lastly, add the roasted tomatoes and stir.
  • Serve immediately as is, or garnish with fresh herbs (such as parsley or basil), vegan parmesan cheese, or red pepper flake (all optional). Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days (reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot, adding a little dairy-free milk if it appears dry). Not freezer friendly.

Video

Notes

*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with avocado oil and water instead of almond milk, and without optional ingredients.

Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 373 Carbohydrates: 64.3 g Protein: 11.9 g Fat: 9.3 g Saturated Fat: 1.2 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.24 g Monounsaturated Fat: 4.17 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 367 mg Potassium: 450 mg Fiber: 5.3 g Sugar: 3.3 g Vitamin A: 1794 IU Vitamin C: 17.71 mg Calcium: 38.55 mg Iron: 2.51 mg

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  1. Megan says

    I made this and added two ears of fresh corn cut off the cob when I added the spinach and it was delicious! I also used 4 cloves of roasted garlic instead of two cloves of raw.

  2. Meri Schroeder says

    Oh my goodness, what a wonderful recipe. I just made for dinner and we both loved it. I used zucchini and not yellow squash. I went ahead and used the entire zucchini b/c I didn’t want to have to figure out what to do with the rest; so slightly more than a cup. I also used Banza pasta which come in 8 oz packages; again it worked out great.

  3. Laura says

    This was yummy! I used the air fryer to roast my tomatoes to avoid heating up the house with the oven, and whole wheat rotini.
    I was curious as to why you chose to cook the squash and onion in the pan vs roasting them like the tomatoes?
    I doubled the recipe and didn’t feel like batch cooking the onion and squash so they weren’t as evenly browned as if I had done a single layer, but didn’t really affect the taste to me. Next time I might roast the onion and squash in the air fryer ahead of time too and just add them along with the tomatoes at the end.
    Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thank you for sharing, Laura! We like to cook the onion and squash in the pan because we find they get more nicely browned without the zucchini becoming too tender/mushy.

  4. T Evans says

    Incredible! One of the best recipes ever! Sooo yummy. I roasted Japanese eggplant with the tomatoes and added shallots to the red onion. Top quality, very satisfying meal. Love your recipes! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review! xo

  5. Amie Chant says

    Such a delicious and easy recipe! Very forgiving for the roasted veggies portion as I made this using red bell peppers instead of squash. And I changed the roasting in the oven step to using the air fryer for both the tomatoes and peppers together. I also used boiling water to speed up the cashew soak. Then reused that water in the sauce. Turned out creamy and delicious!

  6. Danielle says

    I’ve made this so many times for guests and it is always a crowd pleaser! I’m wondering if I could just make the sauce ahead of time and freeze it? I know the recipe says not freezer friendly but how about just the sauce? Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Danielle, we’re so glad you enjoy this recipe! We think that freezing the sauce should work, but we haven’t tried it. Let us know how it goes!

  7. Loretta Talios says

    Made this tonight with chickpea pasta, and added a tsp of miso to the sauce. Instead of roasting the tomatoes i just sauteed them with the onions. It was quite easy and super delicious!

    thanks!

  8. Christin says

    YUM! Just made this for dinner & it was super flavorful + easy to make. Thank you for another phenomenal dinner. Xoxo.

  9. Abby says

    I roasted eggplant with the tomatoes to add instead of the squash and added cannelloni beans to the sauce for some extra protein.
    It came out great! I love how creamy the pasta is and really enjoy the red onion.
    I’m eating my leftovers now :)

  10. Claudia says

    Oh so easy & incredibly delicious!!! My additions – subbed diced shallot for the red onion, added 1 bunch of broccolini and dozen asparagus spears cut on the diagonal, 1 rough chopped red pepper. In place of spinach sautéed 1 bunch dinosaur kale with 1 Tbs pine nuts. It’s a great recipe to use all and any fresh vegetables in the fridge which is what I did. Thanks, Dana, you make it so easy for me to be my daughter and son-in-law’s personal vegan chef.

  11. Cedella says

    It’s a great to go pasta, you can alter the garlicky taste of the sauce (which I prefer lots of garlic so I added 3 cloves). I added my summer garden veggies, which I also love, lowering the chances of food waste is always a +!

  12. Catherine says

    Made this for the first time last night. This will become a new favorite in our home as my daughter and I plan to have this often for lunch. 🙂

    The only thing I did differently is I substituted a sweet bell pepper in place of the tomatoes, and added carrot as we like a lot of vegetables. For the options I did add both the Italian herbs and the red pepper flakes, adding even more flakes to my meal, and I used 2 T. of the nutritional yeast.

    We served this with garlic bread made with vegan spread and nutritional yeast.

    There are so many vegetables that could go well with this dish. I plan to add roasted asparagus next time.

    Yum! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.

  13. Suzy says

    Delicious recipe! I love all the protein from the pasta and the yummy veggies. It made easing veggies a delight instead of a chore. I did substitute canned Alfredo sauce as I did not have raw cashews on hand. I will try again with the raw cashews. Thank you!

  14. Valerie Campbell says

    Made this early this morning and tasted it and it is great. I will use one portion this evening and freeze the rest in one portion sizes. I did make a change in the greens and used radish leaves which I loved cooked also I am inundated with radishes so added a few of those too. Would love to see a recipe for a vegan radish quiche sometime.

  15. Andrew Romanelli says

    I’ve made this several times with both yellow and green squash. It’s outstanding and non vegans love the creaminess. I found cutting the squash a bit thicker and roasting the squash easier (375 for about 20 minutes).

  16. AJ says

    I love this recipe!!! I did not roast my tomatoes due to time restraints but it still came out so yummy. The sauce thickened up nicely and has a good flavor. Another great recipe!!! No one else in my house is vegan so I get this for my lunches 😁

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for the lovely review, AJ. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo

  17. Melissa says

    This is one of my favorite summer recipes! I usually end up oven roasting all of the veggies together, just for simplicity and I like them really cooked to death. I can’t wait to try with grilled veggies too this summer! I love making this and taking leftovers to work for lunch. One day I didn’t have time to heat in the microwave and it was even amazing cold!

  18. Kevin says

    Superb! I doubled the recipe for a party of 6. The only change I made was the addition of a tbl of lemon juice to the sauce. The veggie and pasta combinations are endless. For me the fresh basil put it over the top. What a great dish. Thanks.

  19. Kate Meyer says

    To be fair, I modified this recipe quite a bit. I wanted to make more because it sounded so good. Unfortunately, it tasted bland. We added a ton more spices and cheese, trying to make it a little better and succeeded a little. Might be that I just wanted to have extra so added a little more of all ingredients, so maybe just make according to recipe or others comments. Unfortunately, I’ll try a different MB recipe next time.

  20. Penelope says

    great recipe! I followed it exactly except 1. added double the cherry tomatoes, and 2. added miso to the cashew sauce instead of salt, and a little bit of preserved lemon paste. It was phenomenal! No surprise there though — I can always rely on Minimalist Baker for amazing recipes. Oh and I also used a mix of Cybele’s Free to Eat purple and green vegetable pastas as a way to add even more plant protein!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Woohoo! Thanks for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Penelope! xo

  21. Lori Donohue says

    Vegan, but allergic to nuts. Have trouble making any sauces without them or tofu (soy) – also not able to eat. Any ideas?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Lori, for the almond milk, we’d suggest rice or hemp milk. And for the cashews, we’d suggest hemp seeds and/or sunflower seeds. But we haven’t tried with these modifications and can’t guarantee results. Let us know how it goes!

  22. Kim Browning says

    Such a great recipe! A “cheesy” pasta dish that doesn’t leave you feeling heavy. I made the dish with red pepper, red onion, zucchini, roasted tomatoes (mad in the air fryer). I used 3 cloves of garlic and 3 Tbsp of nutritional yeast. 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup oat milk. I will make this again for sure.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kim! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo