15 Minute Creamy 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.

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 1/2 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

Try these pasta recipes next!