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    Home » Recipes » Vegan Pasta Recipes

    Lemon Dairy Free Pasta Sauce

    By: Amy Katz · Published: Oct 9, 2017 · Last modified: Jan 21, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links. · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe - Print - Pin
    Special diet: gluten-free option, oil-free, soy-free, vegan

    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.

    White bowl of pasta with aqua basket of lemons and bunch of parsley in the background
    Jump to:
    • Dairy free
    • Shopping list
    • Instructions
    • Tips
    • Serving suggestions
    • More dairy-free pasta recipes
    • 📋 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    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:

    1. Prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return to the pot.
    2. In a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, and a little salt. Blend until very smooth.
    3. Pour the sauce from the blender over the cooked pasta. Toss well so every strand is coated.
    4. 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.
    Overhead close up of bowl of Lemon Dairy Free Pasta Sauce with gold forks next to it

    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

    • Vegan Rasta Pasta with Walnut Meatballs
    • Lemony Creamy Vegan Pasta with Asparagus
    • Cheesy Taco Pasta (Vegan)
    • Easy Vegan Pasta Bake

    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

    White bowl containing Lemon Dairy Free Pasta Sauce with aqua basket of lemons and parsley in the background

    Lemon Dairy Free Pasta Sauce

    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.
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate Email recipe + ingredient list
    Special diet: gluten-free option, oil-free, soy-free, vegan
    Course: Pasta
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 15 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 479kcal
    Author: Amy Katz

    Equipment

    • Lemon Zester
    • Lemon Lime Squeezer

    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
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    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.
     
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    Nutrition

    Calories: 479kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 250mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin C: 14.3mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 3.4mg

    Nutritional information is an estimation only.

    Want to learn the 5 Secrets to Cooking the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Way? Join the the FREE 5-day mini course and get the secrets delivered to your inbox.

    This recipe was originally published 10/9/2017. It was updated for improved user experience.

    « Cauliflower Chickpea Curry (Vegan)
    Vegan Mashed Sweet Potatoes »
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    About Amy

    Amy Katz is a vegan recipe developer, photographer, and Certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach. She loves sharing delicious plant-based Mediterranean diet recipes that home cooks of all levels can enjoy. Her easy vegan recipes have been featured on NBC News, Parade, VegNews, BuzzFeed, MSN, Greatist, PureWow, Brides, LIVEKINDLY, Insider, Brit+Co, Well+Good, and more. She lives in Orange County, California with the love of her life, Brad, and their adorable black cat, Ozzy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    All commentsI made thisQuestions
    1. Whack

      January 26, 2022 at 6:35 am

      Amy,

      I'm not keen on cashews... Do you suspect unsweetened soy milk could be substituted?

      Thanks in Advance
      ---Whack

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        January 26, 2022 at 11:07 am

        I haven't tried that, but for a nut-free alternative, I recommend this Cauliflower Alfredo instead.

        Reply
    2. Tina L.

      January 24, 2022 at 8:34 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        January 24, 2022 at 10:34 am

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Tina! I'll have to look for that seasoning. I haven't tried it.

        Reply
    3. Courtney

      July 30, 2020 at 10:23 am

      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!

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        July 30, 2020 at 10:25 am

        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.

        Reply
    4. Michael

      July 28, 2020 at 4:01 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        July 28, 2020 at 4:21 pm

        Thank you so much, Michael! And I love that suggestion for the zest!

        Reply
    5. Natalie

      July 20, 2020 at 8:02 pm

      5 stars
      Super yummy! I soaked my cashews because my blender is not that great, and added garlic and dried basil! Delicious!

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        July 21, 2020 at 4:07 pm

        Thank you, Natalie! I'm so happy you enjoyed it.

        Reply
    6. Ashley

      July 19, 2020 at 10:11 am

      5 stars
      So bright and delicious!

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        July 20, 2020 at 3:25 pm

        Thank you, Ashley!

        Reply
    7. Maria

      February 20, 2020 at 9:33 am

      5 stars
      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

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        February 20, 2020 at 10:10 am

        Thank you so much, Maria!

        Reply
    8. Ashley

      January 24, 2020 at 1:00 pm

      5 stars
      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 🙂

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        January 24, 2020 at 1:01 pm

        I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Ashley!

        Reply
    9. Laura

      January 04, 2020 at 10:22 am

      Would cashew milk work if I don’t have raw cashews?

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        January 05, 2020 at 3:37 pm

        Hi Laura, unsweetened cashew milk will work, but it will be a little more watery.

        Reply
    10. Linda

      November 24, 2019 at 11:03 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        November 24, 2019 at 11:18 am

        Thank you so much, Linda!

        Reply
    11. Tiff

      June 25, 2019 at 5:54 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this! I’ve never had a cashew sauce before. It was so wonderful. Thanks for sharing! ✨

      Reply
      • Amy Katz

        June 26, 2019 at 9:31 am

        I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Tiff!

        Reply
    12. Lori

      June 05, 2019 at 10:52 am

      Would this be ok to freeze?

      Reply
      • Amy

        June 05, 2019 at 11:51 am

        Hi Lori, I find that creamy sauces don't freeze well.

        Reply
    13. natalie

      May 10, 2019 at 5:00 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Amy

        May 10, 2019 at 6:39 pm

        So happy you enjoyed it, Natalie!

        Reply
    14. Shir

      April 08, 2019 at 6:46 pm

      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 😍

      Reply
      • Amy

        April 08, 2019 at 9:33 pm

        This is so wonderful to hear, Shir! Thank you for sharing your adaptations.

        Reply
    15. Julia

      January 18, 2019 at 10:44 am

      5 stars
      I bet this would be great with zucchini “noodles” too!

      Reply
      • Amy

        January 18, 2019 at 11:24 am

        Absolutely!

        Reply
    16. Kara

      January 04, 2019 at 6:51 pm

      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 👏👍

      Reply
      • Amy

        January 05, 2019 at 1:25 pm

        Thank you, Kara! 🙂

        Reply
    17. Carie

      November 29, 2018 at 4:23 pm

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Amy

        November 29, 2018 at 5:05 pm

        Thank you, Carie! That's so wonderful to hear!

        Reply
    18. jenny

      September 11, 2018 at 10:07 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Amy

        September 11, 2018 at 10:30 am

        Thank you, Jenny! I love your additions. You can never go wrong with extra lemon flavor and fresh garlic!

        Reply
    19. Marie Dearaway

      May 30, 2018 at 10:34 pm

      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! 🙂

      Reply
      • Amy

        May 31, 2018 at 9:39 am

        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.

        Reply
    20. Stephanie

      December 27, 2017 at 11:24 am

      5 stars
      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!

      Reply
      • Amy

        December 27, 2017 at 1:02 pm

        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. 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Amy! As a Certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach, my passion is creating vegan Mediterranean diet recipes to inspire everyone to choose plant-based meals more often. At Veggies Save The Day you'll find simple delicious recipes that are easy to make any night of the week.

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    Amy holding an avocado like a heart

    Hi, I'm Amy! As a Certified Vegan Nutrition Health Coach, my passion is creating vegan Mediterranean diet recipes to inspire everyone to choose plant-based meals more often. At Veggies Save The Day you'll find simple delicious recipes that are easy to make any night of the week.

    More about me →

    Summer Favorites

    • Quick Italian White Bean Salad
    • Mediterranean Tomato and Zucchini Saute
    • Cauliflower Curry Vegan Grill Recipe
    • 5 Ingredient Vegan Lentil Salad

    Most Popular

    • Mediterranean Yellow Rice
    • 15 Minute Tomato Paste Pasta Sauce
    • Vegan Lemon Artichoke Pasta
    • Sauteed Green Beans with Mushrooms

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