This creamy vegan pasta is coated in a luscious sauce that’s entirely dairy-free! It’s a tangy blend of white beans, lemon juice & nutritional yeast.

This creamy vegan pasta is my favorite recipe to make when I’m craving comfort food but don’t have hours to spend in the kitchen. From start to finish, it takes just over 20 minutes to make, so it’s the perfect weeknight meal. All you need to do is boil the pasta, blend up the sauce, saute onion and broccoli, and toss it all together. Then, you can sit down to devour warm bowls of noodles and veggies coated with this super creamy vegan pasta sauce. While this sauce looks like a rich cream or cheese sauce, it’s actually a tangy, luscious blend of white beans, lemon juice, and nutritional yeast. So this recipe is not only quick & comforting, but it’s also healthy!

Vegan Pasta Recipe Ingredients

• White beans are the secret ingredient that make this sauce thick, smooth, and creamy! They also add a good amount of plant-based protein. Use canned beans, or cook your own.
• Lemon juice brightens it up.
• Olive oil adds richness.
• Nutritional yeast fills this vegan pasta with yummy cheese-like flavor.
• Onion powder & garlic amp up the savory, umami flavors in this recipe.
• Vegetable broth (and pasta cooking water, if you like) loosens the sauce as needed.
• Pasta. I used small shell pasta, but use what you have on hand. Orecchiette, bow ties, or rigatoni would all be great. Read the label on your pasta to make sure it’s vegan – most dried pastas are.
• Broccoli and chopped up broccoli stems. This recipe is a great way to use up the whole vegetable. If your broccoli still has leaves attached, toss those in too!
• And pine nuts add a delicious crunch!

Easy Vegan Pasta Recipe Variations

• Switch the vegetables. Sautéed broccoli and onion are my go-to veggies here, but roasted broccoli, roasted cauliflower or Brussels sprouts would also be delicious. In the summer, stir in roasted tomatoes. In the spring, add market-fresh asparagus.
• Skip the actual pasta. Instead of regular pasta, serve this sauce over spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles.
• Spice it up. I love adding a few pinches of red pepper flakes to my bowl. Pickled jalapenos would be another fun, punchy addition.
• Get creative with flavor add-ins. Amp up this creamy vegan pasta with chopped sun-dried tomatoes, dollops of vegan pesto, or fresh basil leaves.