Creamy Lemon Dairy Free Pasta Sauce is easy to make in your blender without any oil. This cashew-based recipe is delicious for both weeknight meals and special occasions.
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Dairy free
Just because you don't consume milk, cheese, or butter doesn't mean you have to give up creamy textures in your favorite foods. It's easy to make all sorts of dairy-free recipes by using raw cashews.
You can make everything from French onion dip to Ranch dressing to potato leek soup. All vegan, and all smooth, rich, and velvety.
And this Lemon Dairy Free Pasta Sauce is even oil-free. You won't believe how luxurious it tastes from just citrus and cashews, without containing a single drop of cream.
For a nut-free alternative, try Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce.
Shopping list
You'll only need a few ingredients in order to make this easy recipe:
- Pasta (I used gluten-free spaghetti, but you can use any type and shape of pasta you like.)
- Raw cashews (You can find them packaged or in the bulk bins of many supermarkets. Or you can buy them online.)
- Lemon (You will need both the zest and the juice.)
- Parsley (For garnishing the finished dish.)
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Instructions
Before you make the sauce, zest and juice the lemon. I like to use a Microplane grater to make zesting really easy. If you're not familiar with this process, check out How To Zest Lemons.
Then I squeeze out the juice. One lemon will give you approximately three tablespoons of juice.
Now you're ready to make your pasta:
- Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return to the pot.
- In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, and a little salt. Blend until very smooth.
- Pour the sauce from the blender over the cooked pasta. Toss well so every strand is coated.
- Divide among four bowls. Garnish each serving with lemon zest and parsley and enjoy immediately.
Tips
- If you don't have a high-speed blender, soak the raw cashews in a bowl of hot water for 30 minutes to soften before blending.
- This recipe makes enough for 12-16 ounces of pasta.
- Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for up to two days. Reheat in the microwave.
Serving suggestions
This lemon pasta is perfect any night of the week. It's wonderful for casual dinners as well as special occasions.
I love serving it with a salad that is colorful and full of vegetables such as a Greek salad or chickpea cucumber salad.
It's also delicious with a simple vegetable side dish like asparagus spears or Italian green beans.
More dairy-free pasta recipes
And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for support, inspiration, and fun.
If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars! ★★★★★
📋 Recipe
Lemon Dairy Free Pasta Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti, (or your favorite pasta shape)
- 1 cup raw cashews, (see Notes)
- 1 cup water
- 1 lemon, zest and juice (about 3 Tablespoons)
- salt, to taste
- fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return to the pot.
- Meanwhile, zest and juice the lemon.
- In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, and salt. Blend until very smooth.
- Pour the sauce from the blender over the cooked pasta. Toss well so every strand is coated.
- Divide among four bowls. Garnish each serving with lemon zest and parsley and enjoy immediately.
Notes
- If you don't have a high-speed blender, soak the raw cashews in a bowl of hot water for 30 minutes to soften before blending.
- This recipe makes enough for 12-16 ounces of pasta.
- Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for up to two days. Reheat in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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This recipe was originally published 10/9/2017. It was updated for improved user experience.
Whack
Amy,
I'm not keen on cashews... Do you suspect unsweetened soy milk could be substituted?
Thanks in Advance
---Whack
Amy Katz
I haven't tried that, but for a nut-free alternative, I recommend this Cauliflower Alfredo instead.
Tina L.
I just made this and it was good! I had given up trying to do anything with raw cashews because I have such a small, under-powered blender and can't get it smooth. But I had everything and I thought I'd give it one more try! It was still a little grainy (my blender's fault), but once on the pasta, it was fine. I did add a little garlic and some Trader Joe's Green Goddess Seasoning. It was tasty and easy and I will make it again! Thanks!
Amy Katz
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Tina! I'll have to look for that seasoning. I haven't tried it.
Courtney
This was so easy and delicious! I am a very inexperienced cook so my sauce came out kind of sticky and not creamy enough to coat the spaghetti (but the flavor was still great!). What am I doing wrong that I'm not getting the creaminess in the texture?? Thanks!
Amy Katz
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Countney! It's probably just your blender. Next time try blending it longer, and add in a little more water if the blender seems to get stuck.
Michael
Just wonderful. We're already eating a whole food, plant-based diet, so when we saw this recipe, it was an immediate Yes! The Vitamix certainly helped, as did my GF/partner's sage suggestion: put half the lemon zest into the sauce and sprinkle the rest on the pasta. Mmmmmmmm. Thanks!
Amy Katz
Thank you so much, Michael! And I love that suggestion for the zest!
Natalie
Super yummy! I soaked my cashews because my blender is not that great, and added garlic and dried basil! Delicious!
Amy Katz
Thank you, Natalie! I'm so happy you enjoyed it.
Ashley
So bright and delicious!
Amy Katz
Thank you, Ashley!
Maria
I've made this so many times because it's unbelievably easy and tastes amazing. Adding a few gloves of garlic brings it to the next level
Amy Katz
Thank you so much, Maria!
Ashley
I can't get over how easy this was! I followed the other suggestions to include more lemon, parsley and garlic and added nutritional yeast and was SO happy with this. So easy and quick. I'll definitely make this again.
Thanks 🙂
Amy Katz
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Ashley!
Laura
Would cashew milk work if I don’t have raw cashews?
Amy Katz
Hi Laura, unsweetened cashew milk will work, but it will be a little more watery.
Linda
Wow! This was so delicious. It was the first time I ever made a creamy sauce using cashews. Now I understand why they are used. The recipe was super easy and quick. I used an extra tablespoon and and a half of lemon juice because I love very lemony flavor. Another winning recipe to add to my already extensive recipe collection - which BTW are mostly from veggies save the day!
Amy Katz
Thank you so much, Linda!
Tiff
I just made this! I’ve never had a cashew sauce before. It was so wonderful. Thanks for sharing! ✨
Amy Katz
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Tiff!
Lori
Would this be ok to freeze?
Amy
Hi Lori, I find that creamy sauces don't freeze well.
natalie
As with other folks who commented, I added fresh basil and garlic and more parsley. We're new to vegan cooking and this is just as nice as a dairy version, but fresher tasting.
Amy
So happy you enjoyed it, Natalie!
Shir
SO I’ve made this sauce several times and it has become our favorite !
I adjust it a bit and add nutritional yeast, black salt, black pepper, and some onion powder.
I also didn’t have cashews this time so I boiled some almonds for a few minutes and peeled them, then I added hemp seeds for creaminess and it came out amazing !
I also eat this with zoodles instead of noodles sometimes and it is soooo good !
We like to add cooked artichoke to it when we eat it 😍
Amy
This is so wonderful to hear, Shir! Thank you for sharing your adaptations.
Julia
I bet this would be great with zucchini “noodles” too!
Amy
Absolutely!
Kara
I added some fresh tyme and lemon zest while blending....served with roasted green beans on the side......this was super yummy 😋 and one I’ll make again 👏👍
Amy
Thank you, Kara! 🙂
Carie
My family loves this! My husband and I went vegan and oil free several months back, I was searching for a "healthy" vegan cream sauce recipe and came upon this. My teens like it more than the traditional dairy/fat laden version. I add several cloves of garlic and I don't bother soaking the cashews as my vitamix blends everything very smooth. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!
Amy
Thank you, Carie! That's so wonderful to hear!
jenny
My new favorite sauce ever.
Made this last night, and after reading one of the other comments, I made a few minor tweaks.
After tasting batch following the recipe strictly, I added an extra tablespoon or so of lemon juice, a small clove of garlic and a pinch of lemon zest.
It turned out amazing. I will definitely be making this often!
Thanks so much!
Amy
Thank you, Jenny! I love your additions. You can never go wrong with extra lemon flavor and fresh garlic!
Marie Dearaway
I so want to make this yummy dish, but I would need to replace the cashew cream with coconut cream. That is, the thick part of a can of full fat coconut milk. I understand how the lemon juice is added to the cashew "cream", but I have added lemon juice to coconut cream before with no separating or any problem at all (makes lovely vegan sour cream). Can you see any other trouble spots in making this dish with the lemon and coconut cream "sauce"? Thank you so much! 🙂
Amy
Hi Marie! To be honest, I've never tried making it with coconut, so I can't be sure. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.
Stephanie
I tried this recipe last night and it was a success! The result was very yummy and so much healthier than the non-vegan recipes I was looking at. I am vegetarian (but I don't drink cow's milk and I cook a lot of vegan meals) and I have seen recipes using cashews instead of milk/cream/cheese before, but never tried one until now. I made a few slight changes to the recipe including: adding a little more lemon for stronger flavor (I used an extra teaspoon but could have added even more), about six medium-large basil leaves (I added to taste), and two cloves of garlic (again, I could have added more for stronger flavor). I used a food processor instead of a blender and it worked pretty well (the sauce didn't become liquid per se, but it was smooth with little chunks that added some texture and kinda look like cheese). The result is delicious and VERY filling. It also re-heats well for seconds (I used a microwave). I love how few ingredients were required and how easy the recipe is. Thanks for the great recipe!
Amy
I am so happy you enjoyed it, Stephanie! And the changes you made sound wonderful. It's always fun to start with a recipe and make it your own. 🙂