If you are looking for a creamy vegan pantry pasta with minimal effort under an hour, this recipe is for you. No need for soaking cashews for a cream substitute, nutritional yeast, or buying special vegan pasta sauce required. We are using olive oil, plant milk, lemon juice to make a rich cream pasta. Flavored with fresh rosemary, garlic, and chili flakes topped with roasted broccoli to finish. So simple but perfect for a romantic night in or special occasions. Let’s make some pasta magic!
When I run out of ideas to cook at home, I have to admit, I reach out for a box of dried pasta, olive oil, and lemon juice. I feel that those are key ingredients of what makes a vibrant, flavorful dish that take no time at all. I have been meaning to make a creamy-saucy pasta for a while but tend to get discouraged thinking I’ll need soak up cashews overnight and blend it into a cream. I’m not about that right now. I need to eat, yo! I love a good cashew cream, don’t get me wrong, but I want something that anyone can make without the use of equipment or spending out of budget for raw cashews.
I’ve been incorporating more fresh herbs into my dishes for extra flavors (which you can always alter with dried if it’s not available to you at the moment, you just need to add more). And with pastas, any choices of herbs are very forgiving. I love using rosemary which has a savory-lemony-peppery tone to it; let alone it’s quite fragrant, but in a way, that is lovely. I’ve strayed away from the common uses of basil or parsley for this dish and I hope you try it as well.
Rather than making any special sauces that contain twenty ingredients, I find that plain non-dairy milk will do the trick. And if I mix it in with the pasta cooking water (which contains starch from dried pasta), it will thicken into a creamy sauce and latch onto the pasta. My choice of milk for this recipe is soy milk which is very neutral in flavor but I can also recommend unsweetened plain almond, coconut, or cashew milk that will also work. Key note to remember: the higher the fat content of the milk, the richer the sauce is. Soy milk, to me, is a good balance. But honestly, you don’t need to worry about fat in unsweetened plant milk.
Lastly, what makes a complete pasta dish for me is the use of roasted broccoli. There is something that is so “whole” about adding some kind of cruciferous vegetable on any pasta dish. If you’ve never tried roasted broccoli or don’t do enough of it, let me tell you, it is absolute heaven. Roast the broccoli as you prepare your main dish and it would be ready by the time you are about to eat.
This pasta dish is made with simple ingredients, most you probably already have at home. Impress yourself or your loved ones by making this at home. As always, like this recipe if you have enjoyed this or comment in the section down below if this is something you’d love to try!
Rosemary Cream Pasta (Vegan)
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- sauté pan
- Boiling pot
- baking trays
Ingredients
FOR THE ROASTED BROCCOLI
- 1 whole head broccoli chopped into florets
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
- pinch of salt & pepper
FOR THE PASTA
- 1½ cups (210g) pasta of choice
- 1 cup (240g) unsweetened plain plant milk (I used soy milk)
- ¼ cup (50g) extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic chopped & crushed
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- fresh rosemary (or substitute with dry rosemary)
- fresh lemon juice
- salt & pepper to taste
- vegan mozzarella cheese for garnish (optional)
Instructions
FOR THE ROASTED BROCCOLI
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a parchment paper or reusable sheet on a medium sized baking tray.
- On a mixing bowl, toss broccoli florets with ingredients and coat until all ingredients are evenly combined. Place broccoli florets onto the baking tray on a single layer and spaced apart.
- Roast for about 20-25 minutes depending on your oven OR when the broccoli is brown and crisp on the edges.
- Allow the broccoli to cool down for about 5 minutes. Toss with lemon juice and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
FOR THE PASTA
- Boil pasta according to package instructions in salted water. Cook preferably to al dente (or slightly undercooked). Once the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat. Do not drain from pasta water.
- On a separate pan (sauté pan), preheat on stove top to medium heat. Pour the olive oil on the pan and heat until it is shimmery (or just about hot but not overheating). Toss in the crushed garlic and sauté until it is slightly golden brown. Do not overcook the garlic. If your garlic is burning or cooking too fast, lower down the heat.
- Add the rosemary and chili flakes to the garlic oil. Amount of rosemary is up to you. Mix until well combined. Then, directly strain out the pasta from the cooking water and toss into the oil mixture. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Pour the plant milk to the pasta and stir. Leave alone for 2-3 minutes to simmer.
- Add 4-5 tablespoons of pasta cooking water into the pasta. This will allow the plant milk to thicken into a creamy sauce. Once sauce has slightly thickened turn off heat and splash with a little more olive oil and lemon juice for finishing.
- Toss in the roasted broccoli and fold onto the pasta. Top with a little vegan cheese (optional) and more rosemary to serve.
- Enjoy!