This 15-Minute Creamy Tomato Pasta packs all the comforting flavor of Tuscan pasta into a delicious, meatless, dairy-free meal. The rich sun-dried tomato cream sauce perfectly coats al dente noodles and seasoned chickpeas so your family is still getting the protein they need.
You Will Love This
- It’s quick and easy! This creamy vegan pasta is on the table in less than 30 minutes, which makes it a great option for a busy weeknight dinner. The only knife work required for this Tuscan pasta recipe is a quick slice of some cloves of garlic - otherwise, it's just dump and mix! Quick prep time + a short simmer on the stove makes this dinner one of our family's favorites! If you love easy pasta dinners, be sure to check out my Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff, 15-Minute Greek Pasta, and 20-Minute Baked Ravioli Casserole.
- It’s vegan AND packed with protein! Introducing more meatless meals is good for your health and your budget, but everyone's biggest concern about meat-free meals is where they'll get their protein! Incorporating chickpeas into a creamy vegan alfredo pasta is the perfect way to cut out meat without cutting out protein!
- The creamy tomato sauce can be used for a dairy-free meal as well. If you’re just avoiding lactose (and not worried about creating a meatless meal), feel free to add some grilled chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken to this recipe for dairy-free Tuscan pasta with all the richness of the original dish, and none of the dairy!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Pasta - Use your favorite cut of pasta for this recipe! Long noodles or short noodles work well. I love to use rigatoni, penne, fettuccine, or linguine if I don't have rotini on hand.
- Olive Oil - Try to find an olive oil that is organic and cold-pressed if possible. This will give your dish the best flavor.
- Garlic Cloves - If you don't have fresh garlic on hand, you can sub about a ½ teaspoon of garlic powder in its place and add more to taste.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes - These are a key ingredient in this recipe. I prefer to get the oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes as those seem to be the most flavorful!
- Dried Oregano - You could also use dried thyme or dried rosemary in place of the dried oregano. Italian Seasoning would be a fine substitute as well.
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk - This is what's going to give the tomato sauce its luxuriously smooth and creamy texture without any dairy! Make sure you opt for full-fat canned coconut milk - not the stuff that comes in a carton. If you aren't worried about this creamy tomato pasta being vegan, you can sub half and half in place of the coconut milk.
- Canned Chickpeas - You can omit these if you don't have any on hand or even use white beans in their place. They're a great way to add a little protein to your meal without much effort.
- Vegan Parmesan Cheese - You can also use regular Parmesan in place of the vegan Parmesan cheese if you're not worried about this meal being dairy-free.
- Spinach/Arugula - You can omit the greens if you don't have any on hand, but they do a nice job balancing out the creaminess of the pasta sauce.
- Balsamic Vinegar - This is our family's favorite brand of balsamic vinegar. You could also use white balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar in its place. The vinegar is going to cut the creaminess of the sauce so don't skip it!
Instructions
Saute garlic, oregano, sun-dried tomatoes, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper in the oil from your sun-dried tomatoes.
Add coconut milk, chickpeas, and vegan Parmesan along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Then reduce heat and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add fresh greens and balsamic vinegar.
Stir until greens are wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add cooked pasta, and a splash of reserved pasta water if needed.
Toss to coat noodles.
Garnish with vegan Parmesan and fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
Tips
- Try to use oil-packed tomatoes. You can use regular olive oil if needed, but the oil that sun-dried tomatoes come in is loaded with Italian herbs and spices. It adds lots of rich flavor to this creamy vegetarian pasta! (These are my favorite sun-dried tomatoes.)
- Forgot to save some pasta water? It happens to us all. Just add a splash of broth or water to this vegan tomato pasta as your tossing it (if needed) in place of the pasta water called for in the recipe. But, I would advise you to get into the habit of saving pasta water! It is literally like liquid gold and does the best job of helping the sauce coat every nook and cranny of your noodles.
FAQ
A fool-proof way to make tomato pasta more interesting is to use this recipe! The sun-dried tomatoes are going to take this dish to the next level and the combination of dried spices with fresh garlic is a treat for your taste buds! Skip the jarred spaghetti sauce and opt for a homemade creamy sun-dried tomato sauce that comes together in just 15 minutes!
It's so much easier than you think! In this tomato pasta recipe, full-fat canned coconut milk does all the work for you in creating a creamy, dreamy pasta sauce that requires no roux or fancy cooking techniques. Saute garlic, herbs, and sun-dried tomatoes, then add coconut milk and Parmesan for a creamy Tuscan pasta sauce your family will love! That's it - easy peasy!
I try to stay away from referring to foods as healthy or unhealthy. Any food can be harmful when consumed in excess! Enjoying everything in moderation is the key to feeling your best and this creamy tomato pasta can very easily be part of a balanced diet! Serve it with a fresh green salad for a complete meal that the whole family can enjoy!
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Creamy Vegan Tomato Pasta
This 15-Minute Creamy Tomato Pasta packs all the comforting flavor of Tuscan pasta into a delicious, meatless, dairy-free meal. The rich sun-dried tomato cream sauce perfectly coats al dente noodles and seasoned chickpeas so your family is still getting the protein they need.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 8 oz. pasta, cooked al dente
- 2 tablespoons reserved pasta water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or oil from the sun-dried tomatoes)
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- ½ cup julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes (these oil-packed tomatoes are my fave)
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 (13.5 oz.) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup shredded vegan Parmesan cheese
- 2-3 cups baby spinach/arugula
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Garnish
- vegan Parmesan cheese
- freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions, just until al dente. Reserve a couple tablespoons of pasta water for use later.
- Heat oil in a large saute over medium-low heat.
- Add garlic, oregano, sun-dried tomatoes, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for about a minute, stirring frequently, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add coconut milk, chickpeas, and vegan Parmesan along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Then reduce heat and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in fresh greens and balsamic vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add cooked pasta, and a splash of reserved pasta water if needed. Toss to coat noodles.
- Garnish with vegan Parmesan and fresh chopped parsley and enjoy!
Equipment
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Notes
Try to use oil-packed tomatoes. You can use regular olive oil if needed, but the oil that sun-dried tomatoes come in is loaded with Italian herbs and spices. It adds lots of rich flavor to this creamy vegetarian pasta! (These are my favorite sun-dried tomatoes.)
Forgot to save some pasta water? It happens to us all. Just add a splash of broth or water to the pasta as your tossing it (if needed) in place of the pasta water called for in the recipe. But, I would advise you to get into the habit of saving pasta water! It is literally like liquid gold and does the best job of helping the sauce coat every nook and cranny of your noodles.
Keywords: creamy vegan pasta, vegan alfredo pasta, creamy vegetarian pasta, Italian chickpea pasta
Susan
Our family LOVES this recipe! I chop up the sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces so my kids will eat them. They love the flavor of the sauce!
★★★★★
Alexis
Love love loveee making this! Super quick, easy and most importantly, my kids gobble it up!! Add mushrooms! :))
★★★★★
Monique DC
A question. Not a Vegan, so dairy not a concern. What can I sub for the coconut milk? Milk? Half/Half? Yogurt?
Like the recipe, but not a fan of coconut milk.
Thanks
Kylie
Great question! I would use half and half or heavy cream! I'd start with about half the amount called for and then add more as needed. Can't wait to hear how it turns out if you try it 🙂
Kristin
Due to the pandemic, I wasn't able to get my hands on sun-dried tomatoes, so I used tomato paste in this recipe instead. I know my dish is probably a little less flavorful as a result. With my sauce, the coconut milk taste came thru the most, and the pretty pink color reminded me of vodka sauce. I liked it, but I kept a star because the taste was a little plain. Looking forward to sampling more recipes!
★★★★