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!
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.
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.
For the tomatoes, we went with slow-roasted tomatoes. The process of slow roasting intensifies the flavor and makes them taste like candy!
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.
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!
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
- Garlic & White Wine Pasta with Brussels Sprouts
- Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta (Vegan + GF)
- Spicy Red Pasta with Lentils
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!
Creamy Vegan White Pasta with Summer Vegetables
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
- Fresh parsley or basil
- Vegan parmesan cheese
- Red pepper flake
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.
Allie says
I’m attempting to make a switch to eat less meat and since im already dairy free, this leaves mostly vegan recipes for me! I was worried that vegan meals were going to be too time consuming to make or require all these ingredients I didnt have or even worse- taste boring. This recipe has proven otherwise!!
I really enjoyed this meal. Took me a second to get used to the nuttiness but now I love it. I think I could have let the sauce blend a little more to be a bit more creamy but I still found it to be delicious :)
We’re so glad it exceeded your expectations, Allie! Thank you for sharing! If you don’t already have a good quality, high-speed blender, it can go a long way for improving the creaminess of nut-based sauces, dips, desserts, etc. Hope that helps!
Marie says
I am walking through the kitchen taking a bite then going mmm, mmm, mmm. Seriously, I actually laughed out loud! I was craving a pasta and I have my favorite Minimalist Baker pasta recipes but wanted to try something new. I am so glad I did! I used what I had on hand for veggies; red pepper, zucchini, red onion and cauliflower. I also added a squeeze of lemon and omitted the Italian seasoning, not on purpose, I simply forgot! Another winner! Thanks to the MB team for keeping my family in the five circles for every meal! They know I only make five circle recipes: VG, GF, NS, V, DF! Can we be #teamfivecircles or #teamfivedots oh they would die of embarrassment if they read this review! HA, you all have helped improve my health so much my sense of humor is returning! Much love!!!
Ha! Love this so much, Marie! xoxo
Katy says
If yeast-free, what can I use to substitute the nutritional yeast?
Hi Katy, we’d say add a bit more garlic, lemon, and some herbs of choice to brighten up the flavor! You can also use this yeast-free vegan parm as a guide!
Heather says
Made this tonight and it was Fan-Tastic! Per comments from others, I doubled the garlic in the sauce, used coconut milk instead of almond, and I added about a tsp of lime juice to brighten it up. I also added snow pea pods for a little more color and a good portion of ground black pepper. The sauce seemed quite thin, so I was a bit concerned, but as soon as it hit the warm pasta, the starches went to work and it was super creamy. My family loved it and could not believe it was vegan. Yet another wonderful recipe from Minimalist Baker. Yum!
Yay! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Heather. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Lea says
This was such a simple yet delicious recipe. A few modifications: I ended up using red bell pepper, asparagus, and cauliflower for my veggies. I opted to cook the tomatoes in with the rest of the veggies rather than roast them. (Trying to live my best one pot life!) And I thought the sauce was a little too sharp to pour straight over the pasta, so I cooked it down with the veggies and added in pasta water as needed. The whole family loved it, and this is definitely in my spring/summertime rotation now!
Love the modifications, Lea! And we’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Ashlee says
Absolutely delicious! I loved how easy it was to make. I used legume pasta to bump up the protein, and added some sun-dried tomatoes at the end! This has become a favorite in our house! (I highly recommend topping with extra vegan parm.)
Love that! Thanks so much for sharing, Ashlee! xo
Akaya says
I made this today, and really enjoyed it! I didn’t have any spinach, so I increased the amount of tomatoes, onion, and squash. This is my first time making a cashew based sauce, and I think I’ll need to play around with it more to get the taste exactly how I’d like it. I used 3 cloves of garlic, but think I could have gone with 4 or 5. Terrific recipe, thank you so much!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Akaya!
Allison Sias says
This was my first time working with raw cashews. The sauce was crunchy, so I assume I did something wrong. Should the cashews be soft after soaking in hot water? Maybe my blender blades are dull?
Other than this, the pasta was amazing!
I’d say either your cashews weren’t soaked fully (they should be soft after soaking) or your blender wasn’t high speed enough? Glad you still enjoyed it!
Tania Klein says
This was absolutely delicious & perfect for a weeknight dinner!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Tania. 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
Caroline says
I loved this! My whole family, which has a variety of eating preferences (and is mostly not vegan) all enjoyed this recipe. I used Banza pasta and did not have squash, so I just used spinach and added a side of green beans. Also, I bought roasted tomatoes from the Whole Foods salad bar ahead of time which helped speed this recipe up. Thank you!!
Caroline says
Also doubled this recipe with no issue
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Caroline! xo
Kaleigh R says
Wow – this pasta was awesome! I was initially turned off by the title because I’ve never been a ‘white sauce’ or Alfredo kind of gal but decided to try it anyway. I whipped this up for my parter and his parents who are new to plant based eating. They LOVED it! My guy loves sauce so I made the sauce x 1.5 for an even creamier dish and I pretty much always triple the amount of garlic in recipes. All the veggies add so much flavor too. Highly recommend this one and it makes a great dish when cooking for others!
Yay! We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Kaleigh!
Adrienne P says
This turned out wonderful! I made a few modifications though. For the sauce, I used half a cup of oat milk and half a cup of vegetable broth, plus a quarter-cup of cream cheese. I also added mushrooms to the vegetables.
This will be one of our new weekly staple meals. Thanks for always providing us quality meals, MB!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Adrienne! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Tymmarie says
Really wanting to make this for our dinner tonight. I only have Roma tomatoes on hand. Wondering if that will work the same?? Thanks! 🙏😊
Perhaps if you cook them longer or in thin slices? But we don’t think it will have quite the same sweetness! Let us know how it goes!
Stephanie says
Any thoughts on how you might replace the cashews in the sauce? I know might be tough but just checking on a nut-free option. Thanks!
Hi Stephanie, another reader mentioned using hemp seeds. Let us know if you try it!
Debra Ledsham says
White beans might work also.
Cynthia says
This recipe is fantastic! Really easy but so satisfying without being too rich. My husband literally shoveled it into his mouth and now we don’t have any leftovers for tomorrow. Thanks for another solid recipe!
Cynthia says
Lol I also forgot to add a rating 🤦🏽♀️😂
Whoop! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Cynthia! xo
Cristina says
This pasta dish was a total crowd pleaser! The roasted tomatoes are the best part IMO. I followed the recipe as is except quadrupled the garlic because…garlic. Timing everything out took some brain power but if I can do it, anyone can! Thanks you!!!
Cristina says
Forgot to add my rating 😬😬 5 stars of corse!
Thanks Cristina!
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing, Cristina!
Charlie says
Made this meal quite a few times now! The sauce is amazing. It’s also a great meal because you can totally substitute certain ingredients when needed – I’ve used regular pasta and heart of palms noodles! Also have added mushrooms which turned out delicious as well. it is just all about the sauce for me 😊
Thanks for sharing, Charlie!
Ruth Farajian says
This recipe is brilliant! I’ve never cooked a pasta sauce with nuts before, but it came out so well, that it’s now a regular meal in our house. Not only does it taste delicious, but it’s packed full of nutrients from the cashew nuts, spinach and tomatoes. I did add a bit of extra strong cheese (I know, not vegan!). It’s pretty flexible as you can add so many different veg. I’m so glad I found this website! I want to cook more plant based meals, and this website is different in that the recipes are so well put together.
Aw, thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Ruth! xo
Raquel says
Dana! How do you do it? Another winner. Made this recipe using zucchini and added two ears of corn off the cob for some more color. Walmart sells some eggless egg noodles under the Great Value brand and I used those. This was so good and my picky husband loved it too.
Aw, thanks Raquel! So glad you enjoyed it! xo
Arianna says
Absolutely delicious!! No modifications needed. I will be making this weekly
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Arianna!
Jess says
So good! I’ve made this once a week for the past month. Even my meat loving boyfriend is a fan. Timing was a little tricky for me the first go-round, but all the steps are simple. Minimal chopping here, which is great. That’s usually what takes me forever. Looking forward to eating my leftovers tonight. Highly recommend!
Whoop! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Jess! Thanks for sharing!
Drew Roberts says
This recipe is incredibly delicious! It’s the perfect “end-of-summer” meal and helps use up some of the items from the garden. I cooked everything together to try and thicken the sauce and it ended up thickening up too much, so do as Dana recommends and enjoy right after combining. The sauce will thicken naturally. Altogether it’s one of my new favorite recipes!
It really is perfect for that! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Drew!
Emily Hagans says
WOW this is DELICIOUS!
I followed the recipe exactly.. used 1/2 water 1/2 soy milk for the sauce. I doubled the recipe and mixed barilla chickpea pasta with another modern table gluten free pasta blend. I shredded violife parmesan cheese on top, but it was also amazing without it. The roasted tomatoes took this to the next level. Husband approved! We will definitely be making this again. I have yet to find a recipe that isn’t worthy of 5 stars. 10/10 recommend.
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Emily! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Deni says
Hi Danal,
I made this yesterday for a light lunch. Boy was it good!! Sooooo tasty and insanely delicious! Thank you so much for an unforgettable recipe. I live alone and your recipes are so worth the effort of cooking for one.
I’m just strolling through your recipe library for more suggestions.
Aw, we’re so glad to hear that, Deni! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Danielle says
So delicious and creamy! I even accidentally used vanilla almond milk and it was still a hit lol
We’re so glad it still turned out well! Thanks so much for sharing, Danielle! xo
Rachel Sweet says
This is the best creamy vegan pasta I’ve made and it’s so simple! I made the recipe as is. I never worry about feeding my family your new recipes for the first time, Dana! They are always delicious.
Aw, thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review, Rachel! xo
Miranda says
Omg this was so good!! The cashew sauce is amazing. One thing I did differently was I roasted my veggies (yellow squash, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes) all together in the oven for 30 minutes at 400 F. And then I sautéed my spinach with some garlic before adding the cooked pasta, the sauce, and the roasted veggies in the pan. Can’t decide if this is my favorite pasta recipe from you or the Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta!! Thank you so much for making delicious recipes!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Miranda! Those modifications sound great too. Thanks for sharing!
Sara says
Wow, this came out so good! The only thing I’m disappointed about is that I discovered this recipe at the end of summer. It will definitely be one of our regular meals while the produce lasts. I’m Italian and grew up with my mum’s pasta dishes every single day, and now I’m sending her this one to try out. Thanks for sharing this deliciousness!
Ha! Thanks for sharing, Sara! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, too. You can definitely sub in fall and winter produce, such as roasted squash, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and leeks!
Morgan says
Okay, wow! This was incredibly delicious. The only thing I had to do differently was thicken up the sauce on the stovetop with some heat and cornstarch. Came out very watery for some reason.
This will be going on our dinner rotation for sure!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Morgan! This sauce is a little more on the light, thin side, but it sounds like thickening worked well for you. Thanks for sharing!
Lynn says
This recipe was so good i’ve made it twice in a matter of 10 days!!! The only alteration I might make next time is to decrease the amount of garlic (as the amount she recommends is for garlic lovers!). Such an easy, DELICIOUS meal!!
Whoop! Thanks so much for sharing, Melinda!
Kristen S. says
This is SO good! Do yourself a favor and make this right now, if you have any of this lovely summer produce left. The pasta is so delicious, and comforting. But not in a heavy winter blanket way. More of a summer night at grandma’s way. It was surprisingly easier than I thought it would be and only took me the 30 minutes to make, not counting the roasting tomatoes, but I did that before I went for a walk, and finished the recipe when I got back. This is so good it tastes like it’s bad for you! Like one of those delicious but pumped full of chemicals, preservatives and God knows what else, ready made freezer bags of pasta. Except this recipe is none of that, and tastes even more delicious. I will definitely make again, my fiance wasn’t so sure about the “cashew” cream sauce, but he was licking the bowl afterward! Haha
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Kristen! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Manon says
One of the best vegan pasta dishes I’ve ever had! Five stars!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Manon!
Maclean Nash says
Absolutely incredible!
My partner took a bite and before he had swallowed said, “Wow! Delectable!”
I followed the recipe as is but I am sure other veggies would work well!
I thought the sauce was a bit too thin but when added to all the other ingredients, it really thickened up!
We will be making this again and again!
Thank you!
Yay! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Maclean! Thanks so much for sharing!
Elyssa says
This was delicious! The sauce was so good and the roasted tomatoes added wonderful flavor. Next time I’ll plan ahead a little better with soaking the cashews and roasting the tomatoes, which each take 30 min.
Made it with Banza pasta for extra protein and the flavors worked great, and made this the perfect one-pot meal. I’m definitely adding this to the rotation, I have a feeling it’ll be the prefect dish to use up leftover veggies from red pepper to asparagus or green beans.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Elyssa!
Alyssa says
This recipe came at the right time as I have SO much zucchini right now! I definitely didn’t slice mine thin enough, but loved the creaminess and flavor profile!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Alyssa!
Yummmm says
Amazing!! Tastes better than I could have imagined :) and so easy!! Thank you for sharing!
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
Nicole says
So satisfying! My eyes widened when I took the first bite and realized how flavorful this dish is… it turned out WAY better than expected. The veggies don’t go far enough for me so I’ll probably add more spinach and some mushrooms next time but other than that I can’t recommend this recipe highly enough. Thank you for this pick-me-up!
Aw, thanks so much for sharing, Nicole! xo
Audrey says
Absolutely loved it! So delicious and so easy to make!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Audrey! xo
Alexandra says
I loved this recipe! It was so delicious and easy to make. It was flavorful and filling!
Yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Alexandra! xo
Sara says
I have cooked a lot of Minimalist Baker recipes and this was one of my favorites!! I followed the recipe exactly. So much flavor. I will definitely be cooking this again.
Aw, yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Sara! xo
Kay says
This is delicious! Made it for dinner last night and had the left overs for lunch today. Used zucchini instead of yellow squash and broccoli leaves instead of spinach (what we had growing in the garden). Will definitely be adding this to our regular rotation. Thanks for another excellent recipe Dana!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kay! And love those modifications! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Molly says
I’ve always wanted to try a cashew based sauce because I used to love white sauces like alfredo before I became lactose intolerant. This sauce (as well as the rest of the dish) was amazing! I increased the ratio of veggies to pasta and it was so delicious :)
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Molly! Thanks so much for sharing!
Victoria says
This was incredible! I used shallot instead of red onion and omitted the spinach because I didn’t have any. This was one of the best creamy vegan pastas I’ve had, and I’ll definitely be making it again and again!
Yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Victoria! xo
Neil says
The sauce was perfect. I adapted this recipe to satisfy my wife’s craving for creamy mushroom pasta, which she has been missing since we went vegan. Fried up some onion, shiitake and chestnut mushrooms, poured the sauce in and warmed it all up, then added the cooked pasta.
Big Hit! Thanks.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Neil! Love the modifications!
Katie says
Wow!!! This pasta was amazing!! My husband loved it as did my kiddos. :)
I addded broccoli florets instead if spinach, about one cup
1 thinly sliced chicken breast (for hubby)
2 Tbs of homemade Vegan pumpkinseed pesto.
We ate it all!! :)
Aw, we’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Katie! Thanks so much for sharing!
Michelle says
Super quick and delicious! No one could tell the sauce was vegan.
Whoop! Thanks so much for sharing, Michelle! xo
Anna says
Rarely, if ever, do I find myself exclaiming “HOLY ****!” when eating food I made myself. Well, this dish did it! This packs a flavor punch you never saw coming! I tweaked the recipe in a few ways:
-I added lots more garlic because, as Tabitha Brown says, that’s my business!
-I added more veggies (and accordingly, make extra sauce!) for color, flavor, texture, and vitamins! Broccolini, extra extra cherry tomatoes, so on. Mmmm, so good!
-I cooked down the sauce because it was a little watery and I like it THICK, cheesy, and garlicky!
-I used boiling water to soak my cashews because I’m impatient and not a great planner. A handful of minutes soaking in boiling water will do the trick.
-I threw some thyme on the veggies too.
A+ dish. Can’t wait to make this for my dad’s birthday lunch! Predicting this will be a hit!
Aw, we’re SO glad you enjoyed it, Anna! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Suee33 says
I made this yummy Summer pasta (GF) dish last night, I did double everything. I chopped the Yellow squash small so- (as I did all the extra veggies I added) as to try and appeal to a toddler that has become picky.
I added asparagus, some frozen corn and some peas, some sauteed mushrooms to the adults – later.
This is a easy dish, easy to change to what is on hand in your kitchen or garden. I used lots of unfortified nooch.
I love this easy and delicious pasta, will make it again and again. This is a nutritious meal that is fast to make – DO it!!
Yay! Thanks for sharing! Super helpful modifications!
Liz says
My goodness this was delicious. I doubled the sauce quantity and added a Chinese eggplant and some leftover vegan sausage slices. My husband grilled the zucchini, tomatoes and eggplant. I used lots of fresh basil in with the spinach. My husband devoured it and mopped up the sauce with bread 😋. Couldn’t have been easier. I’ll make it for company because I can basically prep everything and boil the pasta right before dinner. Bravo Dana!
Love the modifications, Liz! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Jackie B. says
Oh my word. This was SO GOOD! I had everything on hand already, so it was meant to be. The sauce is crazy delicious, and I wanted to add it everything! I couldn’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch the next day. This is going into my favorites for sure!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jackie! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Allegra says
This was delicious! I made it for my non-vegan parents who absolutely loved it (and didn’t realize it was vegan). Great with broccolini for a little more crunch too. Delicious and so easy!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Allegra!
Chloe E says
This pasta was excellent! A nice, lighter, summer dish. I used mushrooms instead of squash, and added a splash of white wine and lemon juice in the sauce. Delicious! The roasted tomatoes totally make it. Would definitely make again.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Chloe!! Love those additions.
Darcie says
Super easy recipe and so good! I love the sauce, nice & garlicky!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Darcie!
Christine says
This was absolutely amazing and really easy to make! I roasted some mushrooms and added them too, so delicious. Thank you so much!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Christine! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Lisa says
This was the first meal I made after giving birth, and it felt great to be back in the kitchen. We also have a toddler, so finding the time and energy to cook has been limited but I knew I could count on Minimalist Baker for fast, simple recipes. I was a little intimidated by the number of ingredients and steps but true to MB fashion, if all came together really quickly and tasted sooo good. I added a bit more squash, so I didn’t get to cook them in a layer as the recipe called for but they still turned out great. Next time, I will probably cook the pasta a bit more al dente or turn off the burner sooner to make sure they didn’t mushy but the end. Still a huge hit with the whole family. Thank you!
So lovely. Thanks for sharing, Lisa! And congrats on the new baby!
Lindsay Tramble says
This was amazing! I used all almond milk and the consistency was super creamy/cheesy. Love the crunch of yellow zucchini! Definitely a keeper recipe.
Yay yay! Thanks for sharing, Lindsay!
Sammmmmmmm says
Wow. This was so good! I made it tonight for dinner and rushed here to leave a comment afterwards. I used pasta water and almond milk for the liquid of the sauce. So yummy!
Smart! Thanks for sharing the kind review, Sam!
Ashley says
I did this too!!! We used conventional pasta, which maybe weighs less by volume than gf pasta? Bc i used 8 oz and probably could have upped the veggies tbh. But this sauce… I was picking bits of onion out of the pan after my roommate put the leftovers away! I didn’t want ANY to go to waste! 🤤
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Ashley! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Katie says
I made this last night and used Parmesan cheese instead of the creamy sauce and it still turned out pretty good! I really like the combo of summer squash, red onion, and cherry tomatoes. A fresh summer meal which was easy to whip up post-farmers market run.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Katie!! xo
Kellie says
I’m excited to try this recipe. My husband is allergic to almonds, is there a good substitution for almond milk?
I’d say your best bets would be cashew milk, rice milk, or hemp milk!
Mel says
Excellent, as always! I subbed kale and shallot and it was still phenomenal. This will be my new go-to sauce for Alfredo type dishes. Thank you!
Agreed! So simple and light, but flavorful. xo!
Jennifer Sheley says
This was absolutely delicious! And so pantry friendly as well! I made this for lunch and I just want to eat it all honestly. This was very fresh and creamy and full of delicious veggies, and who doesn’t love pasta!
Agreed! Thanks for sharing, Jennifer!
Eilish says
Simple to make and very delicious!
Thank you Eilish!
Christie says
Amazing!!!
Wonderful flavors! This is definitely going into our regular rotation. You’ve done it again, Dana!
So great! Thanks for sharing, Christie!
Hanusia says
So yummy! Perfect way to use summer produce. I made it with tomatoes and delicata squash from my garden and served with black bean meatballs for protein.
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Hanusia!!
Sarah says
Just made this – SO GOOD.
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Sarah!
Jacqueline Stryker says
LOVE this recipe! Super tasty and easy to make. This can pair well with so many sides/salads and perfect to serve for dinner guests. Hearty but not too heavy and makes you feel good but not overly stuffed afterwards.
I used a white onion since that’s what I had on hand and it was delicious. Also only had an 8oz box of Banza (chickpea) Rotini Pasta and we really enjoyed the veggie-to-pasta ratio. Definitely will be making again and highly recommend!
So great! Thanks for sharing, Jacqueline!
Olivia says
so delicious! other than the roasting/soaking time, this takes hardly any time to make and is so easy but flavorful!
Yay! Thanks, Olivia!!
Trinity says
Made it last night for family and it was delicious! I feel like it could be pretty easy to prep in advance. Love it! Definitely recommend to everyone.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Trinity!!
Lori says
So satisfying, rich and flavorful. This is going to be a house staple. So easy to make. Thank you!
Yayyyyy! Thanks for sharing, Lori!
Liliana says
Hi! I was wondering if I could substitute the almond milk for the sauce with coconut milk instead of water?
coconut milk will make it taste like coconut. If you’re OK with that? Let us know how it goes!
Katy says
I made this and I didn’t have zucchini/squash and roma tomatoes. I used canned diced tomatoes (added them with the onions and greens I sautéed). It turned out BOMB. Simple is always the tastiest. Thanks @minimalistbaker. You never let me down.
Yay yay!! Thanks for sharing, Katy!!
Shayna says
Absolutely delicious! Made this with chickpea rotini, added roasted mushrooms and asparagus tops as well. For the sauce recipe I used half water and half almond milk, and the consistency was perfect. Next time I might add a few more cloves of garlic, just because I’m a garlic fiend. My husband raves about how creamy and “cheesy” the sauce was and my infant daughter couldn’t shovel the pasta in fast enough. This will definitely be kept in my recipe rotation!
Garlic fiends unite! Thanks for sharing, Shayna! So glad you all enjoyed it! xo
Devon says
This was a hit tonight. I love that your recipes are simple and contain ingredients that I usually have at home. I can’t seem to think straight to plan meals lately.
Yay yay! Thanks for sharing, Devon!!
Francis says
Loved this recipe !
Yay! Thanks, Francis!
Kitkat says
Made today and it was bomb! So creamy and comforting. Made under 40 min woohoo! I added cannellini beans for more protein. I bet it would also be awesome with some fresh cut corn kernels. Question: Can I make the sauce a day before?
YES. Add corn! That would be amazing! If it’s grilled, even better. And yes, the sauce can be made 2-3 days in advance.
kelli says
I made this tonight. I didn’t have spinach so we went without. We are also not vegan so we used parm. I also did not have almond milk so I used the water from the soaking cashews and some cow milk. Otherwise followed the recipe and it was great!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Kelli!
tessa says
So tasty! I used zucchini, chard and tomatoes from our garden, and a little extra of all of them. I wondered about the sauce being so thin, but it thickened up once everything was combined. Delicious flavors, and even some left over for lunch tomorrow (fed two adults and two children dinner).
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Tessa!
Jackie says
I made this the day the post came out! It was so flavourful and filling. My 1 year old devoured his plate. Going to make this part of my go to before the summer veggies end this year!
Love it! Thanks for sharing, Jackie!
Laura says
Easy and delicious!
xoxo!
Holly V says
Just made this for lunch and WOW!! Colorful, flavorful, and easy. Another win by Minimalistbaker!! Thank you so much!! 10/10 will be making this again.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Holly!
Tessa says
This looks so good! Could I serve this cold?
As leftovers yeah I think that could work but it is best when warm!
Suzanne says
Delicious and super helpful instructions to facilitate multitasking!
Thanks, Suzanne!
John G says
Love this website and have used so many of your recipes and should have commented sooner. This one is a classic and made in my house several times a month. Nothing better than roasted veggies, cashew cream sauce, and pasta. Extra nooj (nutritional yeast) for me and my kids please ;)
Keep up the great work and photography!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, John!
Tina says
Loved how easy and delicious this was! Great way to use all the summer veggies.
Yay! Thanks for the kind review, Tina!
Frances says
We made this last night using fresh-from-the-garden squash, tomatoes, and herbs. With my husband’s reaction to it, I’m fairly certain this is how the rest of the summer squash harvest will be used. I did use more squash and less pasta, and thickly sliced large tomatoes, and it ended up being somewhere between pasta Alfredo and casserole–and entirely summer comfort food perfection.
Isn’t it the best way to eat squash?! So glad your husband agreed! Love your modifications, Frances!
Cathleen says
checks all the boxes for plant based eating!
Yay! Thanks, Cathleen!
Amara says
Great recipe – as always minimalist baker is my go-to for dinner inspiration and this did not disappoint :)
Awesome! Thank you, Amara!
Cato says
Loved it!! Tastes amazing. Saving this recipe for sure. Thanks for sharing with us!
Thanks, Cato!
Beth says
My family made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious! We don’t typically make pasta dishes with any sort of cream sauce, but everybody loved this! It’s easy to put together and was creamy, but still nice and light. We will definitely be making this again!
So great! Thanks for sharing, Beth!
Jill says
Made your zucchini boats with your vegan sausage last night with some massive farmers market summer squash. Had half a squash left and saw this recipe!! I did it almost as written other than I added some leftovers of your vegan sausage all crumbled up and for the sauce I didn’t have any nutritional yeast left so I added some go Bio pesto cubes instead haha. They aren’t very good and I just wanted to use them up but they actually worked pretty well blended up with the cashews. Extra red pepper flakes for spice. I also used my go to chickpea lentil pasta. Really good and easy, will definitely make again when I pick up some more nooch!!
Oooh, leftover vegan sausage is the PERFECT addition to this dish! Thanks for sharing, Jill! I’ve been playing with chickpea pasta, too. And had even wondered what pesto would taste like in there. Thanks for sharing Jill!
KVT says
I was absolutely taken aback by how AMAZING this recipe was! I made it exactly as written and it came out perfectly. This will definitely be going into our weekly rotation of recipes in our house. :)
Yay! Thanks for sharing, KVT!
Tracy Alvarez says
This is going to be my go to comfort pasta! It’s sooo creamy and satiating. I juiced half a lemon on my portion and it intensified the veggie flavors and made it feel light. So good.
Whoop! I thought that lemon might be nice here, too. Thanks for sharing, Tracy!
Emma says
Very yummy and easy to make. I used 1 cup of soy milk and a whole head of roasted garlic in the sauce. As for veggies, I roasted tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms and red onion. Served over a bed of arugula 😋
Will definitely make again soon!
Oooh, lovely addition of roasted garlic! Thanks for sharing, Emma!
Christine Benjamin says
Just made this for dinner tonight. My son and I loved it. I added pieces of chicken (for my son who’s not vegan) cooked in Italian spices. Since it’s been hot in the area where we live I cooked the tomatoes in a pan on the stove – caramelized them and added some sun dried tomatoes too. I will be making this again and again.
So lovely! Thanks for sharing, Christine! xo
courtney says
I just made this recipe and it turned out so good! I used hemp seeds instead of cashews because I am allergic and I used chickpea pasta. I will definitely make again. Thank you!
Love it! Thanks for sharing, Courtney! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Donald says
Another home run 🙌🏽 This will now be in regular rotation. So yummy, especially with the vegan Parmesan cheese.
Yay yay! Thanks for sharing, Donald! Agreed, the vegan parm at the end is *chefs kiss*
Radmila says
OMG BOMB!
I just made this! in fact I’m eating it as I type..
I thought the sauce would be too thin but i added a bit of corn starch and it naturally thickened a bit once I mixed everything together too.
Lovely! Yes, the sauce is supposed to be thin on this and will thicken once it’s heated with the pasta and veggies! But a little starch will help it along even more if you’re looking for a thicker sauce. Thanks, Radmila!
Kristine says
Wondering if you could use frozen spinach for this instead of fresh?
Yeah that should work! I would probably let it thaw, ring out any excess moisture, and proceed with the recipe as written (just use a little less as frozen has been packed down quite a bit from fresh).
Henri says
Oh wow this is amazing. The best way to use summer produce! Everything came from my garden except the onions, pasta and sauce. This is my first year growing my own and we planted way too much, I’m glad to have another use besides zucchini bread! I used half zucchini and half summer squash and it was divine. Feels like an extra rewarding meal! Thought the sauce would be too thin but it’s perfect as is. Loved the touch of roasted tomatoes too!
So great! I agree, the tastiest way to enjoy summer produce. Glad you enjoyed it, Henri!
Vicki says
This is out of this world. We have proclaimed it our new comfort food. The sauce is amazing and everything together is a delicious blend of flavors. Thank you so much!
Yay! Thanks, Vicki!
Mary says
This was amazing! It was very easy to make. Such good flavor and creamy. I used chickpea Banza penne and it was perfect. I didn’t think there was enough sauce until I put it in the pasta and it was perfect. The roasted veggies with the herbs were such a good addition. I’ve never made a bad minimalist baker recipe.
Love it! Thanks for sharing, Mary!
DIANA says
Made this for lunch! It was awesome. I think the next time I might add some sauted mushrooms with the vegetables. Thanks for the great recipe1
I’ve had the same thought! Thanks for sharing, Diana!
Roxanna says
Thank you!!!
Hannah says
I made this tonight for my daughter’s birthday dinner. Everyone loved it! Followed the recipe exactly with one exception – used soy instead of almond milk (that’s what I had on hand).
This will definitely be made on the regular with a variety of veggie combos.
Thanks for always bringing us great recipes, Dana. 🙂
Yay yay! Thanks for sharing, Hannah. So glad you all enjoyed it.
Jessica says
Hi, this recipe sounds yummy. I seem to be sensitive to cashews and almonds which makes finding substitutes for creamy or cheesy products more difficult. Are there any substitutes for the cashews here? Love the recipes I’ve tried so far on here, esp the quinoa taco meat!
I’d say hemp seeds (no need to soak), or sunflower seeds!
rafeena says
This looks amazing but I’m allergic to cashews. Is there an alternative that might yield a similar result? Thanks in advance <3
I’d say hemp seeds (no need to soak) or sunflower seeds! Or, you could also potentially skip the nuts and add do 1 Tbsp arrowroot instead.
Roxanna says
Hi Dana!!
I‘m looking forward to making this recipe and I was curious if the Nutritional Yeast could be replaced with something else or omitted maybe? I seem to get some kind of bad reaction whenever I try to eat it.
Thanks so much!
I’d say add a bit more garlic, lemon, and some herbs of choice to brighten up the flavor! You can also use this yeast-free vegan parm as a guide!