Creamy Vegan Sun Dried Tomato Pasta

This easy pasta recipe features pasta and kale in a creamy but completely dairy-free sun dried tomato sauce.

The recipe calls for a jar of sun dried tomatoes, half of them are blended into the cashew cream to make a delicious, silky smooth sauce and the other half is added to the pasta for tender, tangy bites throughout.

Big on flavour and low on effort, you’ll love having this recipe in your back pocket for nights when you simplicity and comfort. Creamy, rich, high in protein and ready in 30 minutes, yep, this one is a keeper!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Easy to Make: You’ll love how easy this recipe is to put together. There are a few steps but it can be on the table in 30 minutes or less.
• Simple Ingredients: You’ll need just a few everyday ingredients.
• Amazing Flavour & Texture: Extra creamy and packed with flavour!!
• Dietary Needs: This recipe is vegan (dairy-free) and can be made gluten-free by using your choice of gluten-free pasta.
• Special Occasion or Everyday: This recipe is perfect for special occasions and entertaining but easy enough for a quick meal any night of the week.
• Family-Friendly: This recipe is sure to please the whole family though you can always skip the kale for a picky eater.
• Swap the Pasta: Try gnocchi, orzo, rigatoni, farfalle, penne, fettuccini noodles or any other pasta shape you enjoy!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Complete list of ingredients with amounts and full instructions is located in the recipe card below. This section covers ingredient and substitution considerations.

• Cashews: Use plain, raw cashews with no added oil or salt.
• Pasta: The recipe calls for bowtie pasta but you can use an variety of pasta you like, such as penne, spaghetti, rotini, etc.
• Onion: White or yellow onion is suitable.
• Sun Dried Tomato: Use a jar of sun dried tomatoes packed in oil. Drain them before use but reserve the oil for cooking the onion and garlic. You can keep the rest of the oil for another use or discard it.
• Lemon: You’ll need a whole lemon for the juice and lemon zest.
• Kale: You can use any variety of kale or substitute spinach. For convenience, packaged spinach works great. Just toss in a few handfuls when you add the pasta.
• Fresh Herbs: Optional but fresh parsley or fresh basil are lovely for serving. This vegan parmesan cheese or vegan ricotta is also tasty on top.

Step 2: Make the cashew cream.

Add the cashews and soaking water to a blender with roughly half of the sun-dried tomatoes, the lemon zest, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Blend the mixture until completely smooth.

Step 3: Cook the pasta.

Once the water is boiling, cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions.

Important Step: Before draining, scoop off 2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Step 4: Once the pasta is cooking, start heating 1 tbsp of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil in a large pan over medium heat.

Once heated, add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.

Add the remaining sun-dried tomates, oregano and chili flakes, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Hot Tip: If you forgot to save some oil or are using bagged sun dried tomatoes, you can use extra virgin olive oil or any other oil you like. For an oil-free recipe, you can use water and rehydrated sun dried tomatoes.

Step 5: Add the cashew cream sauce.

Add the tomato cream sauce from the blender and stir to combine.

Step 6: Add the pasta and kale.

Finally, add the pasta and kale, mix well, then slowly start adding the reserved pasta water 1/4 cup at a time while stirring. Cook for another few minutes until you have a thick creamy consistency.

Serve your pasta with fresh basil or parsley and fresh cracked black pepper. Enjoy!

Expert Tips

• Need a gluten-free recipe? No problem! Just swap the pasta for your choice of gluten-free pasta such as chickpea pasta, brown rice pasta or quinoa pasta.
• Need a nut-free recipe? Substitute 1 cup of canned coconut milk for the cashews and water. I think you could do white beans too for a low-fat nut-free option, like in this roasted red pepper pasta recipe, though I haven’t tried it myself.
• Need an oil-free recipe? Use water instead of oil to cook the onion and garlic and use rehydrated sun dried tomatoes instead of tomatoes packed in oil.
• This vegan parmesan recipe is yummy for serving.
• Try it served with this vegan kale caesar salad.