Rich and velvety Lemon Cream Pasta Sauce is dairy-free, oil-free, and delicious! This cashew based pasta sauce is quick and easy to make in your blender. It’s perfect for both weeknight meals and special occasions.
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Creamy vegan pasta sauces
I love making creamy sauces oil-free and dairy-free by using raw cashews.
Some of my favorites are Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta and Cashew Ranch Dressing.
And I love this Lemon Cream Pasta Sauce!
It’s so fast to make any night of the week with only a few ingredients.
I serve it over my favorite gluten-free pasta from Barilla which I get at my local Ralphs.
Does gluten-free pasta taste good?
Gluten-free pasta has come a long way since it was first introduced on the market.
My favorites are those from Barilla.
You’ll find it at your local store in the pasta aisle with the other Barilla products.
I used spaghetti in this recipe, but I also love their penne.
I use it to make Avocado Pesto Pasta and Marinated Artichoke Hearts Pasta Salad.
What I love about Barilla gluten-free pasta is that it tastes just like regular pasta.
It’s made from non-GMO corn and rice.
And the flavor and texture is exactly how I remember pasta tasting before I eliminated gluten from my diet due to a sensitivity.
Lemon Cream Pasta Sauce FAQ
Before jumping down to the recipe, please review these frequently asked questions.
What kind of cashews are used to make this vegan pasta sauce?
Raw cashews are the secret to making Lemon Cream Pasta Sauce dairy-free and oil-free.
All you need to do is blend them in a high-speed blender with water, lemon juice, and a little salt.
If you don’t have a Vitamix or Blendtec, don’t worry.
You can soak the cashews for about 30 minutes in hot water before you start to help the process.
Or if you’re planning ahead, you can leave them soaking in your refrigerator in the morning or overnight so they’ll be ready when it’s time to make dinner.
Then simply drain them and add them to your blender.
How do you make lemon zest?
Pro-tip: be sure to zest the lemon before you juice it!
I use a Microplane grater to make zesting really easy.
If you’re not familiar with how this process, check out How To Zest Lemons.
Then I squeeze out the juice.
One lemon will give you approximately three tablespoons of juice.
We have a lemon tree in the back yard, and I love using the fruit to make this recipe, as well as Air Fryer Lemon Tofu.
Of course, store-bought lemons work just as well.
But be sure to buy organic since you’ll be using the zest.
How to make Lemon Cream Pasta Sauce
All you need to do to make the pasta sauce is blend the cashews with some water, the lemon juice, and a little salt.
In the time it takes to cook the pasta, dinner will be ready!
Be sure to follow the directions on the box for cooking the Barilla spaghetti.
And I recently learned the importance of salting the cooking water from the excellent book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking.
Serving suggestions
Lemon Cream Pasta Sauce is perfect any night of the week.
This dairy-free recipe is welcome for casual dinners as well as special occasions.
I love serving it with a salad that is colorful and full of vegetables such as Vegan Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad or Marinated Artichoke Hearts Salad.
It’s also delicious with a simple vegetable side like Marinated Asparagus Spears or Italian Green Beans with Tomatoes and Garlic.
More easy pasta recipes
If you’re looking for other easy and delicious pasta recipes, check out these favorites:
- Pasta with Zucchini (Courgettes)
- Instant Pot Pasta Puttanesca
- Creamy Spinach & Mushroom Pasta
- Lemon Orzo with Asparagus and Chickpeas
- Creamy Asparagus Pasta
Lemon Cream Pasta Sauce Recipe
This vegan pasta sauce recipe makes enough for 12-16 ounces of pasta.
If you have any leftovers after you’ve mixed the sauce with the noodles, they can be covered and refrigerated for up to two days. Reheat in the microwave.
If you love this recipe, please give it 5 stars!
Lemon Cream Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Barilla gluten-free 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.
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. 🙂
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.
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!
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!
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! 🙂
Julia
I bet this would be great with zucchini “noodles” too!
Amy
Absolutely!
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.
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!
Lori
Would this be ok to freeze?
Amy
Hi Lori, I find that creamy sauces don’t freeze well.
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!
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!