Vegan Creamy Tomato Pasta
🌱 Vegan Creamy Tomato Pasta 🍝
My daughter watches TikTok all day, and I’ll admit — sometimes it drives me up the wall. But then… she makes dinner based on a video she saw, and suddenly I’m quiet, smiling, and devouring a bowl of this creamy dream.
This Vegan Creamy Tomato Pasta is rich, silky, and full of flavor. Rigatoni gets tossed in a blush-orange tomato cream sauce with wilted greens, chili flakes, and just enough heat to keep you going back for another bite. No dairy. No complicated steps. Just a skillet dinner that tastes like you ordered in.
Jump to Recipe ↓ 🌱
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Tomato Pasta 💚
- 🌱 Completely dairy-free
- 🍅 Rich tomato-cream sauce
- 🍝 Coats every piece of pasta
- 🥬 Fresh spinach or basil wilted in
- ⏱️ Ready in about 25 minutes
- 🔥 A little chili heat if you want it
The Secret to a Creamy Vegan Tomato Sauce
Coconut milk or cashew cream turns a simple tomato sauce into something lush without tasting heavy. Save a splash of pasta water — that’s what helps the sauce cling to the rigatoni. Add the greens at the end so they wilt instead of disappearing, and finish with chili flakes for that little kick you see in the skillet.
Frequently Asked Questions ❓
Will it taste like coconut? 🥥
Not if you use the tomato, garlic, and chili. The coconut milk just makes it creamy. Cashew cream is a great swap if you want zero coconut flavor.
What pasta works best? 🍝
Rigatoni, penne, or any short tube pasta holds the sauce well. Spaghetti works too if that’s what you have.
How do leftovers keep? 🧊
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat with a splash of plant milk or pasta water so the sauce stays creamy.
🌱 Vegan Creamy Tomato Pasta
Ingredients 🛒
- 12 oz (340 g) rigatoni or penne
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes, plus more for serving
- 1 cup (240 ml) tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¾ cup (180 ml) full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups fresh spinach or a handful of basil
- Optional: 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Instructions 👩🍳
- Cook the pasta in salted water until just al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce, coconut milk, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer for 3–4 minutes, until the sauce looks creamy and slightly thickened.
- Add the pasta and a splash of pasta water. Toss until every piece is coated.
- Stir in the spinach or basil and nutritional yeast if using. Cook just until the greens wilt.
- Taste, add more chili flakes if you want extra heat, and serve hot.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per serving (1/4) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 420 |
| Protein | 12g |
| Net carbohydrates | 58g |
| Total carbohydrates | 62g |
| Fiber | 4g |
| Total fat | 15g |
| Sodium | 480mg |
Estimates based on rigatoni, tomato sauce, and coconut milk. Exact numbers may vary by pasta brand and cream used.
Notes & Tips 💡
- Don’t skip the pasta water — it helps the sauce cling instead of sitting in the bottom of the pan.
- For extra creaminess, blend ½ cup soaked cashews with the coconut milk before adding it to the skillet.
- A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens the whole dish.
- This is even better the next day after the flavors settle.
This Vegan Creamy Tomato Pasta is rich, cozy, and weeknight-easy. The kind of dinner that makes everyone at the table go quiet — in the best way. 🍝🌱
If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out — leave a comment or tag me!
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