Sun Dried Tomato Vegan Pasta Recipe – Creamy Italian Style
There’s a certain magic in creating a dish that feels utterly indulgent and luxurious, yet is made with wholesome, plant-based ingredients. That’s exactly what we have here with this Sun-Dried Tomato Vegan Pasta. The sauce is rich, velvety, and packed with an intense, savoury-sweet flavour that clings beautifully to every piece of pasta. It’s the kind of meal that silences the table in the best way possible, followed by requests for the recipe. I make this at least once a week – it’s become a family favourite for those busy weeknights when we all crave something deeply satisfying.
What makes this particular sun dried tomato vegan pasta recipe so special is the sauce. We’re not using any shop-bought creams or processed alternatives. Instead, the secret to its incredible creaminess lies in soaked cashew nuts, blended until impossibly smooth with the vibrant punch of sun-dried tomatoes. The garlic and onion provide a fragrant, savoury base, while a splash of lemon juice cuts through the richness, balancing everything perfectly. It’s a truly gorgeous Italian-inspired vegan pasta that tastes like it took hours to prepare.
This dish works beautifully for a quiet night in, but it’s also elegant enough to serve when you have guests. It’s for anyone who loves robust, Italian flavours but is looking for a brilliant plant-based option. Everyone seems to love this, whether they are vegan or not, because the focus is purely on brilliant flavour and texture.
Recipe Overview
This recipe guides you through creating a lusciously creamy and flavourful vegan pasta sauce using sun-dried tomatoes and cashews. The result is a vibrant, restaurant-quality dish that comes together in about 30 minutes. From my testing, I’ve found that using the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar to sauté the onions and garlic adds an incredible depth of flavour that you just can’t get from regular olive oil.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Servings: 4 people
- Difficulty: Easy
Why You’ll Love This Sun Dried Tomato Vegan Pasta Recipe
- Genuine Flavour: The sauce delivers a deep, umami-rich taste from the tomatoes, balanced by the subtle sweetness of cashews and a bright, zesty finish from fresh lemon and basil. It’s genuinely savoury and satisfying.
- Ready in Under 30 Minutes: While the pasta boils, you can prepare and blend the entire sauce, making this a fantastic option for a straightforward weeknight dinner.
- Flexible Recipe: It’s easy to adapt. You can stir in a few large handfuls of fresh spinach at the end until it wilts, or add some chickpeas for an extra protein boost.
- Great for Meal Prep: The sauce can be made a day or two in advance and stored in the fridge, making dinner time even faster. It works wonderfully for a planned-ahead lunch.
- Family Tested: This is one of those rare vegan recipes that pleases everyone. My kids absolutely devour this every time I make it, often asking for seconds before they’ve even finished their first bowl!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For this creamy vegan pasta, we’re using simple, high-quality ingredients to build a complex flavour. I always recommend using sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, as the oil itself is infused with so much flavour. I particularly like the Belazu brand, but any good quality jar will work well.
- 400g dried pasta (I like rigatoni or penne for this)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (or oil from the sun-dried tomato jar)
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 150g raw cashew nuts, soaked in boiling water for at least 30 minutes (or overnight in cold water)
- 180g sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained (reserve the oil)
- 60ml nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for a little heat)
- 800ml vegetable stock, low sodium
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- A large handful of fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped, for serving
- Vegan parmesan-style cheese, for topping (optional)
Sara’s Tip: Don’t throw away the water you boil your pasta in! We’ll use this starchy liquid to help the sauce emulsify and cling perfectly to the pasta. I always scoop out a large mugful just before I drain the pasta.
How to Make This Sun Dried Tomato Vegan Pasta Recipe
The process for this dish is quite straightforward. We’ll cook the pasta while simultaneously building our sauce, then bring it all together at the end for a spectacular finish.
- Soak the Cashews: If you haven’t already, place your raw cashews in a heatproof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes. This step is crucial for achieving a silky-smooth sauce. Once soaked, drain them well.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add your chosen pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Just before draining, remember to reserve about 250ml of the starchy pasta water.
- Sauté the Aromatics: While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil (or the reserved oil from the tomato jar) in a large frying pan or skillet over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for another minute until fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.
- Blend the Sauce: Transfer the cooked onion and garlic to a high-speed blender. Add the drained soaked cashews, sun-dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast, oregano, and about 600ml of the vegetable stock. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce is completely smooth and creamy. If it’s too thick, add a little more vegetable stock until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Combine Sauce and Pasta: Pour the blended sauce back into the skillet and warm it gently over a low-medium heat. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and season generously with salt and black pepper to your taste. What works best for me is tasting and adjusting the seasoning at this stage before the pasta goes in.
- Finish the Dish: Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet with the sauce. Toss everything together until the pasta is thoroughly coated. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water at a time until it loosens up into a glossy, coating consistency.
- Serve Immediately: Divide the pasta among four bowls. Garnish generously with the chopped fresh basil and a sprinkle of vegan parmesan, if you like. This dish is best served hot, straight from the pan.
Tips From My Kitchen
- Blender Power is Key: For the creamiest possible sauce, a high-speed blender is your best friend. If you don’t have one, you may need to blend for longer and stop to scrape down the sides a few times to ensure all the cashews are pulverised.
- The Secret Step: I learned that adding the starchy pasta water is non-negotiable. The starch in the water helps the cashew-based sauce bind to the pasta, creating a much more cohesive and luxurious dish than if you were to use plain water. It’s a classic Italian technique that works wonders in this vegan pasta recipe.
- Make-Ahead Sauce: You can make the sauce up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to eat, gently reheat it in a pan, thinning it out with a little water or vegetable stock as it will have thickened considerably. Then, just toss with freshly cooked pasta.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the hob or in the microwave, adding a splash of water to loosen the sauce. I find it reheats surprisingly well.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Under-soaking the Cashews: If you rush the soaking step, your sauce won’t be as smooth. If you’re short on time, boiling the cashews for 10 minutes can work in a pinch, but a good 30-minute soak in boiling water is ideal for a silky texture.
- Forgetting to Reserve Pasta Water: This is the most common mistake! This starchy liquid is gold for creating a perfectly emulsified sauce that coats the pasta instead of sitting in the bottom of the bowl. Set a mug right next to your hob to remind yourself.
- Overcooking the Pasta: Remember the pasta will continue to cook slightly when you add it to the hot sauce. Always cook it to ‘al dente’ (with a slight bite) as per the packet instructions to avoid it becoming soft and mushy.
Delicious Variations to Try
Once you’ve mastered the base recipe, feel free to get creative. This sun dried tomato vegan sauce is a wonderful canvas for other flavours.
- Add Some Greens: Stir in a couple of big handfuls of fresh spinach or kale into the hot sauce just before adding the pasta. Let it wilt down for a minute or two for added nutrients and colour.
- Nut-Free Option: If you have a nut allergy, you can achieve a similar creaminess by swapping the cashews for raw sunflower seeds (soaked the same way) or by using a good quality plain vegan cream cheese, stirred into the sauce at the end.
- Add a Protein Punch: For a more substantial meal, add a tin of drained chickpeas or some pan-fried mushrooms to the sauce along with the pasta. If you’re looking for other speedy dinner ideas, our Bang Bang Chicken Thighs is another one that always gets compliments.
What to Serve With This Sun Dried Tomato Vegan Pasta Recipe
This dish is quite complete on its own, but a few simple sides can elevate it into a full-blown feast.
- A Simple Green Salad: A crisp salad with a sharp lemon vinaigrette provides a fresh contrast to the richness of the pasta sauce.
- Crusty Garlic Bread: Ideal for mopping up every last bit of that delicious, creamy sauce from the bowl.
- Wine Pairing: A dry, crisp white wine like a Pinot Grigio or a Sauvignon Blanc works beautifully to cut through the creaminess of the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sun Dried Tomato Vegan Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Soak the Cashews: If you haven't already, place your raw cashews in a heatproof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes. This step is crucial for achieving a silky-smooth sauce. Once soaked, drain them well.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Add your chosen pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Just before draining, remember to reserve about 250ml of the starchy pasta water.
- Sauté the Aromatics: While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil (or the reserved oil from the tomato jar) in a large frying pan or skillet over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for another minute until fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.
- Blend the Sauce: Transfer the cooked onion and garlic to a high-speed blender. Add the drained soaked cashews, sun-dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast, oregano, and about 600ml of the vegetable stock. Blend on high for 1-2 minutes, until the sauce is completely smooth and creamy. If it's too thick, add a little more vegetable stock until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Combine Sauce and Pasta: Pour the blended sauce back into the skillet and warm it gently over a low-medium heat. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and season generously with salt and black pepper to your taste. What works best for me is tasting and adjusting the seasoning at this stage before the pasta goes in.
- Finish the Dish: Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet with the sauce. Toss everything together until the pasta is thoroughly coated. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water at a time until it loosens up into a glossy, coating consistency.
- Serve Immediately: Divide the pasta among four bowls. Garnish generously with the chopped fresh basil and a sprinkle of vegan parmesan, if you like. This dish is best served hot, straight from the pan.
Notes
I really hope you enjoy making this creamy, dreamy Sun-Dried Tomato Vegan Pasta. It’s a recipe I come back to time and time again, and it never fails to impress. If you do give it a try, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below – I love hearing from you! And if you’re looking for a simple dessert to follow it up, my Biscoff Truffles are always a good shout. Happy cooking!
– Sara Gomez
