Vegan Lemon Pasta features a luxuriously creamy blender sauce made without oil. This cashew-based recipe is delicious for both weeknight meals and special occasions. And it's ready to eat in just 15 minutes!
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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.
- Linda
Just because you don't consume dairy milk, cheese, or butter doesn't mean you have to give up smooth textures in your favorite foods. It's easy to make all sorts of creamy vegan recipes by using raw cashews.
You can make everything from zesty herb dip to vegan ranch dressing to potato leek soup. All vegan, and all luscious, rich, and velvety.
And this Vegan Lemon Pasta 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, I recommend trying my Vegan Cauliflower Alfredo instead.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- You can make the sauce AND the pasta in just 15 minutes.
- It's silky and creamy with loads of lemony flavor.
- You don't need any oil, butter, or dairy to make it.
Ingredients
- 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 like Trader Joe's and Sprouts. Or you can buy them in bags online.)
- Lemon (both the zest and the juice)
- Parsley (an optional garnish for the finished dish that adds additional bright flavor)
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
Instructions
Before you make the sauce for the Vegan Lemon Pasta, zest and juice the lemon. I like to use a Microplane grater to make zesting really easy.
Then squeeze out the juice. One lemon will yield approximately three tablespoons of juice.
Now you're ready to make the pasta:
- In a large pot, 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 completely 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, if using, and enjoy immediately.
Amy's tip
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.
Serving suggestions
Vegan 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 colorful salad such as a vegan Greek salad, chickpea cucumber salad, or tempeh Caesar salad.
It's also delicious with a simple vegetable side dish like marinated asparagus spears or Italian green beans.
Storing
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave. For best results, freezing is not recommended.
More creamy vegan pasta recipes
Made this recipe? Have a question? Please leave a comment below. 💙 And for even more recipes, join the Vegan Mediterranean Diet Recipes Facebook group for community, inspiration & fun!
Love and Veggies,
Amy
📋 Recipe
Vegan Lemon Pasta with Cashew Cream
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Ingredients
- 12-16 ounces spaghetti, or your favorite pasta shape (gluten-free, if necessary)
- 1 cup raw cashews*
- 1 cup water
- 3 Tablespoons lemon juice**
- salt, to taste
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, prepare the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return to the pot.12-16 ounces spaghetti
- Meanwhile, in a high-speed blender, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, and salt. Blend until very smooth.1 cup raw cashews*, 1 cup water, 3 Tablespoons lemon juice**, salt
- Pour the sauce from the blender over the cooked pasta in the pot. Toss well so every strand is coated.
- Divide among four bowls. Garnish each serving with lemon zest and parsley, if using, and enjoy immediately.1 Tablespoon lemon zest, fresh parsley
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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Ashley says
So bright and delicious!
Amy Katz says
Thank you, Ashley!
Maria says
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 says
Thank you so much, Maria!
Ashley says
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 says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Ashley!
Laura says
Would cashew milk work if I don’t have raw cashews?
Amy Katz says
Hi Laura, unsweetened cashew milk will work, but it will be a little more watery.
Linda says
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 says
Thank you so much, Linda!
Tiff says
I just made this! I’ve never had a cashew sauce before. It was so wonderful. Thanks for sharing! ✨
Amy Katz says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Tiff!
Lori says
Would this be ok to freeze?
Amy says
Hi Lori, I find that creamy sauces don't freeze well.
natalie says
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 says
So happy you enjoyed it, Natalie!
Shir says
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 says
This is so wonderful to hear, Shir! Thank you for sharing your adaptations.
Julia says
I bet this would be great with zucchini “noodles” too!
Amy says
Absolutely!
Kara says
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 says
Thank you, Kara! 🙂
Carie says
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 says
Thank you, Carie! That's so wonderful to hear!
jenny says
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 says
Thank you, Jenny! I love your additions. You can never go wrong with extra lemon flavor and fresh garlic!
Marie Dearaway says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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. 🙂