Vegan lemon pasta is all about the sauce. It's silky, bright, and blended to creamy perfection without a drop of oil.
Made with raw cashews, fresh lemon juice, and zest, this easy pasta recipe works for weeknights and special occasions. Even better, it's ready in about 15 minutes.
Raw cashews are one of my favorite pantry staples. They can turn into everything from zesty herb dip to vegan ranch dressing to potato leek soup. Each one is rich, velvety, and satisfying, just like the lemon cashew cream sauce in this vegan pasta recipe.
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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
Ingredients
- Pasta: I used gluten free spaghetti, but any pasta shape works well.
- Raw cashews: Look for them packaged or in the bulk bins at stores like Trader Joe's or Sprouts. You can also order them online.
- Lemon: Both the zest and the juice give the sauce its bright flavor.
- Fresh parsley: An optional garnish that adds color and freshness.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
How to make creamy vegan lemon pasta
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions. Drain and return it to the pot.
- In a high speed blender, combine the cashews, water, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Blend until completely smooth.
- Pour the sauce over the warm pasta and toss until everything is well coated.
- Garnish each serving with lemon zest and parsley, if using, and enjoy right away.
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Love and Veggies,
Amy
📋 Recipe
Vegan Lemon Pasta with Cashew Cream
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.
- Garnish each serving with lemon zest and parsley, if using, and enjoy immediately.1 Tablespoon lemon zest, fresh parsley
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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. 🙂