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    Home » Pasta & Noodles » Creamy Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta

    Creamy Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta

    January 9, 2021 / by Claire Cary / 23 Comments

    This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclaimer here.

    JUMP TO RECIPE

    Made with fresh tomatoes, basil, and deliciously dairy free, this creamy vegan tomato basil pasta is simple enough for a weeknight, but decadent enough for a date night in!

    Two bowls with vegan pasta sauce on a white backdrop.

    They say you are what you eat, so I’m pretty sure at this point I’m about 90% pasta. I’ve been obsessed with pasta since I was a wee one, but this creamy tomato basil pasta sauce really blows all of the other pasta out of the water.

    It’s somewhat similar to my vegan vodka sauce, but we’ll be roasting fresh tomatoes and onion to bring out tons of delicious flavor. It’s a classic recipe with a dairy free twist.

    It’s rich (but not overwhelming), creamy, incredibly easy to make, and it stores well in the fridge so it’s perfect for meal prep!

    Roasted tomatoes on a baking sheet.

    Recipe ingredients

    For this tomato cream sauce, we will be using three (yes, three!) forms of tomato. Whole tomatoes which will be roasted, tomato sauce and tomato paste. That might seem like an excessive amount of tomato, but I promise it yields such a good flavor.

    These ingredients combine to give the best flavor, and you’d have no idea it’s entirely dairy free! For this recipe you will need:

    Fresh tomatoes: Roasted to perfection for SO much flavor. I used medium sized red tomatoes.

    Tomato sauce: Unflavored plain tomato sauce from a can.

    Tomato paste: This adds a lot of depth of flavor and enhances the overall tomato-ness (not a word, forgive me) of the sauce.

    Cashews: The cashews will make the sauce super creamy without needing to use any dairy. For a nut free option try this tomato basil pasta instead!

    Basil: For flavor and a little garnish on top!

    Olive oil: Half will be for roasting and half will be to blend the sauce and make it creamy.

    Yellow onion: To roast with the tomatoes for tons of flavor.

    Garlic: Pasta without garlic is never good IMO!

    Salt & pepper: As much or as little as you want!

    Sauce in a blender with basil.

    How to make this recipe

    This recipe may seem scary and intimidating because it has a lot of steps, but just like my instant pot pasta, it’s really easy, I promise!

    Essentially, all you need to do is roast the garlic, onions, and tomatoes to bring out lots of flavor and juices. I like to add some olive oil and black pepper before they go in the oven to get a deep flavor. You will need to peel the tomatoes to prevent a grainy texture to the sauce.

    Next, you’ll add the roasted veggies, cashews and all remaining ingredients to a blender and process until completely smooth. About 1 full minute will make sure there are no chunks to the sauce.

    Feel free to taste and adjust any seasonings as desired before you pour the sauce over your cooked pasta. I like using brown rice pasta to keep this gluten free, but any type of pasta will do.

    Creamy vegan pasta in a large white pot with fresh basil on top.

    Do you have to peel the tomatoes?

    While you don’t have to remove the skins from tomatoes to make a good sauce, I do recommend it for this recipe, especially if you’re not using a high speed blender. The skins can make the texture a bit rougher, so for the creamiest and smoothest sauce, I do recommend peeling the skins off.

    The best way to remove the skins is to first roast them and let them cool for about 5 minutes. You just want to make sure they’re cool enough to handle so you won’t burn your hand.

    The release a lot of juice while they roast, so they get a bit slippery, but essentially what I like to do is pinch the skin side of the tomato and hold it over the blender and allow the inside to just fall right in. Set the skins aside and discard them.

    Up close of penne pasta with fresh basil on top with a fork on the side.

    Tips, tricks, and notes

    Once prepared, this tomato basil pasta will store in the fridge for 5 days. To reheat it, I suggest adding to a pan on the stove with a splash of water, broth, or almond milk to make sure it gets nice and creamy again.

    If you do not have a high speed blender, you will want to soak the cashews for as long as possible to make sure they blend thoroughly. 30 minutes in hot water is ideal for a high speed blender, but overnight is best with a regular blender.

    Yellow onion will yield the best flavor, but white or red onion will also work. Red onion will have a stronger flavor, but will still be delicious!

    Creamy tomato vegan pasta sauce over penne with fresh basil.

    Looking for more? Try these

    • Roasted Red Pepper Penne
    • Mushroom Broccoli Rigatoni
    • Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
    • White Bean Pasta Sauce
    • Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese

    If you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list! As always, don’t forget to tag me on instagram so I can see your creations!

    Vegan Tomato Basil Pasta

    Made with fresh tomatoes, basil, and deliciously dairy free, this vegan tomato cream sauce sauce is simple enough for a weeknight, but decadent enough for a weekend date night in! 
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Author: Claire Cary

    Ingredients
     

    US Customary – Metric
    • 16 ounces pasta of choice
    • 1 large yellow onion (about 1 ¼ cups chopped)
    • 5 medium tomatoes (about 750 grams)
    • ½ cup tomato sauce (plain, from a can)
    • 3 tbsp tomato paste
    • ½ heaping cup raw cashews
    • ½ cup + ¼ cup basil (divided)
    • 6 large cloves garlic
    • ¼ cup olive oil (divided into 2 x 2 tbsp)
    • 1 tsp salt
    • Black pepper to taste
    • Optional: 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
    • Optional: ½ tsp red pepper flakes for spice

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 
    • Add the cashews to a bowl and cover with boiling water. 
    • Peel and chop the onion into large chunks, peel the garlic, and cut the tomatoes in half and then half again and add to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. 
    • Drizzle with 2 tbsp of olive oil and a few twists of fresh black pepper and toss to make sure everything is well coated. 
    • Bake for 30 minutes.
    • During the final 10 minutes, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions. 
    • Let cool for a few minutes until the tomatoes are easy enough to handle. Carefully remove the skins of the tomatoes. They will be hot, but the skins should peel off very easily. I like to hold the tomatoes right over the blender and pinch the back of the skins so the inside falls right inside. 
    • Drain and rinse the soaked cashews and add to a blender. 
    • Add the roasted tomatoes, onion and garlic to a blender and be sure to get all the juices in there. 
    • Add all remaining ingredients but only ¼ cup worth of basil to a high speed blender and process until completely smooth. 
    • Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. 
    • Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta and stir until well coated. 
    • Add in the chopped basil and mix through. Garnish with fresh pepper, red pepper flakes and extra basil if desired and enjoy!

    Notes

    For the tomato sauce, you will want to use just plain tomato sauce from a can. 
    The sauce shouldn’t need any additional liquid because the tomatoes release a lot of juice. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a few tbsp of vegetable broth, water, or even almond milk. 
    Once prepared, this recipe will store in the fridge for 5 days. To reheat it, I suggest adding to a pan on the stove with a splash of water, broth, or milk to make sure it gets nice and creamy again.
    Yellow onion will yield the best flavor, but white or red onion will also work. Red onion will have a stronger flavor, but will still be delicious!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 10.2g | Fat: 22.5g | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g
    did you try this recipe?Mention @eatwithclarity or tag #eatwithclarity!
    Keyword: creamy vegan pasta sauce, tomato basil pasta sauce, vegan cream sauce, vegan pasta recipe

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alma Grewal

      January 24, 2021 at 2:59 pm

      Hi! I’ve never used raw cashews. How long should they soak. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Claire Cary

        January 24, 2021 at 3:56 pm

        The fastest way is to just boil them for about 20 minutes to help them soften!

        Reply
    2. Michelle

      January 01, 2021 at 8:22 pm

      Can you use cashew milk instead of cashews and if so how much?

      Reply
      • Claire Cary

        January 01, 2021 at 8:49 pm

        I don’t recommend it! Cashew milk is very watered down and won’t give the same creamy consistency as whole cashews.

        Reply
    3. deanne

      September 11, 2020 at 3:15 pm

      Can I use basil paste instead of fresh if so how muchd

      Reply
      • Claire Cary

        September 11, 2020 at 3:27 pm

        I have never worked with basil paste before so I can’t really say how Much you would need. I highly recommend fresh basil for this recipe!

        Reply
    4. SaNyiag

      May 20, 2020 at 8:47 pm

      5 stars
      this was way easier to make than i thought! it’s absolutely delicious i’ll be making this again next week.

      Reply
      • Claire Cary

        May 20, 2020 at 8:56 pm

        Yay! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂

        Reply
    5. Kiki

      February 12, 2020 at 6:38 am

      Could you freeze leftovers??

      Reply
      • Claire Cary

        February 12, 2020 at 8:41 am

        I haven’t tried this, but I think that would be ok!

        Reply
    6. cho

      December 20, 2019 at 10:25 am

      hi,
      what other vegan options can be used instead of cashew to make it creamy?

      Reply
      • Claire Cary

        December 20, 2019 at 10:32 am

        It’s hard to make this recipe without cashews, but you can try subbing for coconut cream or tahini, though that will change the flavor slightly. Let me know how it turns out!

        Reply
      • Claire Cary

        December 20, 2019 at 10:49 am

        You can also try pine nuts, macademia nuts, or silken tofu. Cashews are my preferred choice, but let me know what you try!

        Reply
    7. Jen

      June 06, 2019 at 4:00 pm

      How much onion? I see this in the instructions but not the ingredient list.

      Reply
      • Claire Cary

        June 06, 2019 at 4:25 pm

        Hey Jen, sorry about that! You will need 1 large yellow onion (about 1 1/4 cups chopped)

        Reply
    8. Aoife

      May 09, 2019 at 9:18 pm

      5 stars
      Yum! Any nut free substitute?

      Reply
      • Claire Cary

        May 09, 2019 at 9:25 pm

        I haven’t tried any, but you can try coconut cream or tahini, though that will alter the flavor slightly!

        Reply
    9. Sarah | Well and Full

      May 07, 2019 at 12:34 pm

      I’m probably about 90% pasta too!! 😉 This sauce looks so creamy and delicious!!

      Reply
      • Claire Cary

        May 07, 2019 at 2:53 pm

        Hahaha I can’t get enough! Thanks Sarah 🙂

        Reply
    10. Marisol

      May 06, 2019 at 6:48 pm

      5 stars
      Looks so delicious! On the weekend menu

      Reply
      • Claire Cary

        May 06, 2019 at 6:55 pm

        Yay! Be sure to let me know how you like it 🙂

        Reply
    11. jess @choosingchia

      May 06, 2019 at 11:06 am

      This looks amazing Claire! Can’t wait to try it 🙂

      Reply
      • Claire Cary

        May 06, 2019 at 12:39 pm

        Thanks Jess! Hope you love it 🙂

        Reply

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