Vegan Creamy Sundried Tomato Pasta
This creamy vegan sun-dried tomato pasta is an irresistibly delicious pasta dinner with a mouthwatering sauce that will make you want to lick the bowl. Sweet and tangy sundried tomatoes pair perfectly with fresh basil, garlic, and more. Each tender, rich bite will leave your taste buds dying for more!
This vegan sundried tomato pasta is restaurant quality, but at home! This vegan pasta sauce is so creamy and flavorful…it’s like you’re at one of those fancy Italian place but you’re able to spare your bank account.
The tricks to making this sundried tomato pasta so flavorful? Fresh basil blended with thoughtfully selected ingredients that compliment the tangy and sweet sundried tomatoes.
This is a great date night recipe or for really any night of the week. Trust me, one bite and you will have to restrain yourself from eating the whole dish!
If you love sundried tomatoes, you will love my Tofu gnocchi with a creamy sundried tomato sauce, Pesto orzo salad with sundried tomatoes or Marry Me Pasta with Crispy Tofu!
🍅Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta: You can select your favorite type of pasta for this recipe. In my recipe photos you will see rotini (one of my personal favorites) but feel free to choose which you enjoy the most! This could include linguine, fettuccine, penne pasta and more. You can swap it for a gluten-free pasta such as a chickpea pasta or lentil pasta (it’s also high in protein!)
- Sun-dried tomatoes: In this recipe, I use the sundried tomatoes that are packed in oil. This adds a lot more flavor to this dish. You can usually find them in the canned goods section or in the produce aisle.
- Fresh basil: I highly recommend getting fresh basil for this recipe as it will add so much vibrant flavor to the sauce. If you cannot obtain this, you can use dried basil as well.
See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.
🍲Equipment
A High-speed blender like a Vitamix works great for recipes like this. If you don’t have one, use a food processor.
📝Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Begin boiling water in a pot with a pinch of salt. Cook pasta to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, start to make the sauce.
Cooking Tip: Cooking pasta to al dente will help so it maintains it’s texture with the sauce and doesn’t become mushy. To make al dente pasta start testing the pasta for doneness a minute or two before the shortest suggested cooking time. You want the pasta to be slightly firmer than you prefer as it will continue to cook a bit after draining.
Step 2: In a large pan begin heating some olive oil over medium heat. Add in your diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add your minced garlic cloves, stir, and cook for another 1-2 minutes until lightly browned.
Step 3: In a high speed blender (or food processor) add in your onion, garlic, sundried tomatoes in oil, non-dairy milk, maple syrup, and lemon juice, tahini, and fresh basil. Blend on high until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides in between if needed.
Taste and add salt and red pepper flakes as desired. (I added slightly more than 1/2 tsp salt to mine and a large pinch of red pepper flakes).
Save onion & garlic skillet to use for the next step. No need to wash it.
Step 4: On low-medium heat, add spinach to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly cooked down.
Tip: At this point you can add in other vegetables such as sliced mushrooms, if desired.
Step 5 : Add in cooked noodles.
Step 6: Pour sauce over the top and stir until combined.
Step 7: Serve the creamy sun-dried tomato pasta in bowls, garnished with chopped fresh basil, vegan Parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes if desired.
Craving more pasta?
Try one of these other delicious pasta dishes like Creamy Beet Pasta Sauce, Japanese Miso Peanut Noodles, 40 Clove Garlic Pasta, or Vegan Baked Ziti!
❓Recipe FAQs
Sundried tomatoes are ripe tomatoes that have been dried in the sun or through other drying methods. They have an intense flavor and chewy texture, making them a popular ingredient in various dishes, including pasta.
Let pasta cool completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 3-5 days in the refrigerator. I do not recommend freezing this pasta.
This would great with a side salad like this refreshing spring salad or some roasted vegetables. Try out my roasted broccoli and zucchini with lemon & thyme. My roasted carrots and asparagus is also a delicious, easy side.
Yes you can substitute but make sure to soak them in water for at least an hour so they create a creamier sauce. The oil adds a lot of flavor so you may need to add more salt and/or red pepper flakes.
Pro Tips
- Add in other veggies to this dish like sautéed mushrooms, kale, red pepper, and more!
- Cook your pasta al dente (firm to the bite) so that it doesn’t get mushy with the sauce.
- Adjust the salt and red pepper flakes to your taste. I think the pepper adds a nice contrast to the creamy, slightly sweeter sauce. This recipe definitely needs some salt too so make to sure to add it until it tastes perfect for you!
⇨ Other Popular Pastas You Will Love ⇦
▶︎More pasta! You will also love these stuffed shells with vodka sauce!
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Vegan Creamy Sundried Tomato Pasta
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Equipment
- Pot
Ingredients
Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 1 cup non-dairy milk unsweetened (like soy or almond)
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Red pepper flakes to taste
For the Pasta:
- 12 oz pasta of your choice* such as penne, rotini, or rigatoni
- 2 heaping cups chopped spinach or kale
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Garnish:
- Fresh basil leaves chopped
- Vegan Parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
Cook Pasta
- Begin boiling water in a pot with a pinch of salt. Cook pasta to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside. *Meanwhile, start to make the sauce.12 oz pasta of your choice*
Sundried Tomato Sauce
- In a large pan begin heating some olive oil over medium heat. Add in your diced onion and cook for 3-4 minutes.1 tbsp olive oil, 1 medium onion
- Add your minced garlic cloves, stir, and cook for another ~2 minutes until slightly browned.2 cloves garlic
- In a high speed blender (or food processor) add in your onion, garlic, sundried tomatoes in oil, non-dairy milk, maple syrup, and lemon juice, tahini, and fresh basil. Blend on high until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides in between if needed.Taste and add salt and red pepper flakes as desired. (I added slightly more than 1/2 tsp salt to mine and a large pinch of red pepper flakes).*Save onion & garlic skillet for the next step. No need to wash it.1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, 1 cup non-dairy milk, 1 tsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp tahini, 1/2 cup fresh basil, Salt and pepper to taste, Red pepper flakes to taste
Sauté Veggies & Combine
- On low-medium heat, add spinach to the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly cooked down. (At this point you can also sauté other veggies for this recipe such as sliced mushrooms).2 heaping cups chopped spinach or kale
- Add cooked noodles to the pan.
- Pour sauce over the top and stir until combined.
- Serve the creamy sun-dried tomato pasta in bowls, garnished with chopped fresh basil , vegan Parmesan cheese, and more red pepper flakes, if desired.Fresh basil leaves, Vegan Parmesan cheese
Notes
-
- Add in other veggies to this dish like sautéed mushrooms, kale, red pepper, and more!
-
- Cook your pasta al dente (firm to the bite) so that it doesn’t get mushy with the sauce.
-
- Adjust the salt and red pepper flakes to your taste. I think the pepper adds a nice contrast to the creamy, slightly sweeter sauce. This recipe definitely needs some salt too so make to sure to add it until it tastes perfect for you!
This pasta sauce was not only delicious and satisfying, but the plates of pasta I got to serve were beautiful! Thanks for sharing your recipe!
This was a huge hit and hubby loved it! I used rotini pasta and threw in some leftover roasted cherry tomatoes I had it was the perfect summer meal.
Wow, this was DELICIOUS — we loved it. It came together really well and was delicious with some bread on the side.
So delicious! That blender sauce was so easy to make — we’ll be making this time and time again!
The milk, syrup, and tahini formed a lusciously creamy sauce that coated every bite of penne perfectly. Fresh basil and leafy greens not only added color but also a burst of freshness. This recipe is a keeper.
Could I use an immersion blender to blend up the sauce? Also, double it? I’m a sauce freak. Thanks.
Hi Linda, I would recommend using a high speed blender to get the best creamy texture. You can definitely double it if you want!
I was visiting a friend who made this for dinner and it was absolutely amazing! The flavors blended so well together! Everyone at the table loved this dish and we all had seconds!
This is one of the best vegan recipes I’ve ever tried! Made it for my family and they all loved it! It was perfect for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
I appreciate your review Chloe!! My mother-in-law loved this recipe and she’s not vegan. Glad your family enjoyed it. 🙂