Vegan Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta is easy to make on a weeknight, but elegant enough for a special occasion. The sauce is oil-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Do you know the secret to making creamy sauces without any dairy or oil?
It's raw cashews!
All you need to do is blend soaked raw cashews with water and some seasoning, and you get a luxurious sauce without any milk or oil. For example, you can make Creamy Spinach & Mushroom Pasta. Or one of my go-to recipes, Lemon Cream Pasta Sauce. And don't forget Mac and Cheese with Garlic Spinach.
You won't believe how quick and easy it is to make delicious pasta dishes when you have raw cashews!
Ingredients
- Pasta
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Raw cashews
- Lemon juice
- Salt and pepper
Sun-dried tomatoes
This recipe uses the sun dried tomatoes you find in a package, rather than the ones packed in oil. You can find them in most supermarkets in the produce section, at your local Trader Joe's, or on Amazon.
Raw cashews
Raw cashews are perfect for making creamy pasta sauces because they eliminate the need for dairy and oil. Be sure to buy raw cashews rather than roasted and salted.
In addition, it helps to have a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix. But if you don't have one, fear not. You can soak the cashews for 30 minutes in hot water or overnight in the refrigerator, and you'll be good to go.
Serving suggestions
Besides making this pasta dish when you feel like a comforting meal, you can also serve it on special occasions, like Christmas and Valentine's Day.
I like it with a salad like Mediterranean Tomato and Cucumber Salad or Marinated Artichoke Hearts Salad.
Or if you like to grill, this pasta goes really well with Grilled Eggplant Salad or Grilled Corn Tomato Cucumber Salad.
And, of course, a dessert, like Small Batch Brownies or Raw Key Lime Pie.
But making this creamy tomato pasta is so quick and easy, there's no reason to save it for special occasions.
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 ounces pasta, (gluten free, if desired. I use Barilla gluten-free spaghetti)
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes, (not packed in oil)
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh parsley for garnish, (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, return to the pot, and set aside.
- Blend the sun dried tomatoes, cashews, water, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a high-speed blender until sauce is very smooth. Add more water, if needed.
- Add the sauce to the cooked pasta and toss until well coated.
- Serve the pasta in bowls and top with fresh parsley, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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Steve
Yummy! Unique flavor. Fast and easy. Thank you!
Amy
Thanks Steve!
kdmi
Hi -- I made this sauce tonight. It has a great flavor. But I wonder why my sauce turned out brown in color while the photos of the sauce you have posted look more tomato red in color (much more appealing than brown). I used sun dried tomatoes (not packed in oil), and followed the recipe exactly. Any ideas?
Thanks for the recipe -- great idea...
Amy
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I imagine the sundried tomatoes you used weren't as red as the ones I used. Were they a dark color? Anyway, I'm glad it still tasted good!
jill
do you think this sauce is freezable.....before combining with the pasta ??
Amy
I'm afraid the texture would be off when it's defrosted. I would make it fresh, if possible.