Vegan Tomato Cream Sauce and Pasta is a staple recipe to have in your house on those nights when you need dinner on the table in 15 minutes and you haven't had a chance to venture to the grocery store yet. Creamy, delicious and nutritious, this is the perfect meal for big and little ones alike. It also packs well for lunch the next day.
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Embracing The Simple With Vegan Tomato Pasta Sauce
It can be so easy to get caught up in trying to create something new and interesting, that you can forget that sometimes it's the simple meals that are the most enjoyable.
Take this week for example. We had some mushroom cold rolls with chili and lime dipping sauce, some chicken and zucchini skewers with salsa verde, and a lovely Summer Stone Fruit and Spinach Strawberry Pecan Salad.
All really yummy, and well received by everyone in the house. But kinda fancy for everyday weeknight faire.
Tonight....I just couldn't come up with anything exciting.
Life gets busy and sometimes coming up with the mental energy to create something new just isn't going to happen. That's when you need something quick and easy like a classic creamy tomato pasta sauce and some spaghetti that can be thrown together quickly, and you know everyone will eat.
My Secret Ingredient: Cashews
My kids' favorite thing to do is sprinkle cheese on their pasta, so I knew if they were going to eat their dinner there had to be something to sprinkle on top.
On a whim, I grated some cashews and they were thrilled with the results. It looked exactly like parmesan cheese but also added a depth of flavor to the pasta dish which was just lovely!
What Ingredients Are Required For Vegan Tomato Cream Sauce?
This is a simple dish.
One that everyone has probably thrown together at some time in their life. And it is made out of ingredients most people no doubt have lingering in the fridge and pantry.
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes, or if they are in season then fresh tomatoes are amazing;
- garlic;
- mixed herbs;
- onion;
- balsamic vinegar (don't leave this one out, it makes the dish!);
- cashews;
- non-dairy milk of choice.
Is Vegan Tomato Cream Sauce and Pasta Kid Friendly?
Definitely. What kid doesn't like spaghetti? Mine didn't even miss the cheese and were actually quite intrigued with sprinkling cashews on top. They thought it was a bit of a treat.
I even got the ultimate seal of approval with a declaration that:
'hmm, delicious...we are so lucky to have a family restaurant in our home'
Does my daughter know how to butter me up or what? I swear she is 6 going on 32!! She did request chocolate about two minutes later...so she knew exactly what she was doing 😛
Do you have a favorite staple dish you fall back to on those days you just can't muster the energy for something different? I would love to hear what it is! Be sure to leave a comment and let us know all about it.
Vegan Tomato Cream Sauce and Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 lb spaghetti of choice
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 1 ounce can of diced tomatoes 28
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup cashew milk
- Grated cashews and chopped parsley leaves to serve or parmesan if you aren't vegan
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions
- While pasta is cooking, heat the avocado oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until the onions become translucent
- Add the diced tomatoes, oregano, sage, parsley and salt and pepper to taste
- Bring the tomato mix to a boil, reduce heat to low and leave to simmer until sauce has thickened up. About 10 minutes
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar, followed by the cashew milk. Once heated through, remove from the heat and mix in with the cooked spaghetti
- Garnish with the grated cashews and parsley and serve
Nutrition
If you tried this recipe please comment and rate it.
I love hearing your feedback and answering your questions! And if you make this please tag me on Instagram with @wholefoodbellies so I can share it <3
Try some other quick and easy meals:
- 6 Ingredient Teriyaki Salmon Rice Bowl with Avocado and Pickled Radish;
- Instant Pot Potato Leek and Cheddar Soup;
- Crusted Sage and Macadamia Nut Chicken Breasts
You can find a full index of my recipes here.
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Toni says
I love how easy this is to make!
Michelle says
Do you think it could be made with soy milk?
Donna says
Definitely!
Erin says
GREAT post!! We really enjoyed. We found it on the sweet side with the cooked shallots, almond milk, and lovely roasted tomatoes (like little bites of candy!). We added zucchini and mushrooms to leftovers to balance it out. It may just be us because I see people loved as is. Have no idea if our version is helpful to others. Thanks so much for great recipe! Thanks for the post.
Donna1 says
Oh I love your version! It sounds delicious, thanks so much for sharing. I cant remember it being too sweet, will have to make it again soon to check (but that may have been why the kids like it so much!) 🙂 I guess it will depend a lot on the tomatoes used as well.
Soleah says
I agree, the pic with your baby is funny- cute. I made this last weekend with tomatoes from my Mom's garden. I used more then called for but I like sauce. It was really really good. Gonna make it again! Thanks! Yum!
Whole Food Bellies says
Oh I am so glad you enjoyed Soleah 🙂 And how lucky to have home grown tomatoes!!
Becky Winkler says
Delicious! I love this simple, dairy-free meal. Your kids are too cute!
Whole Food Bellies says
Aww thanks Becky, I think they are pretty cute 🙂
Michelle@healthiersteps says
My son would love this recipe, he loves spaghetti very much!
Whole Food Bellies says
It always seems to be popular with the kids hey!
Diane says
I'm relating to the day you described. When the family is hungry; pictures are on the fly. This sauce looks really good. i'm not vegan, but I could definitely enjoy a plate of this delicious meal!
Whole Food Bellies says
Oh we are not vegan either Diane, we just eat vegan a couple nights a week 🙂 I am glad someone else can relate!!
Raquel says
I looooooove spaghetti. Yours looks so great and I love seeing your kids eating it - your baby is adorable!
Whole Food Bellies says
Oh thank you Raquel, he is a terror, but he is pretty cute 🙂
olivia giovanni says
Your photos are so adorable! I always love photos with little hands making a cameo 😀
This is the first time I've heard of avocado oil.. Do you buy them at specialty stores?
Whole Food Bellies says
There's always little hands in my photos - I seriously spend half my time trying to crop them out 🙂 No, I just get avocado oil at the normal grocery store - it's a high heat oil, so I use it in everything going on the stove top these days!
swayam says
I think like u!! I love going back to simple pleasures once in a while... It does for me what fancy cant. And your baby... OMG... How utterly adorable!!! Spaghetti is my baby girl's fave too 🙂
Whole Food Bellies says
Thanks 🙂 I think he is pretty cute! I swear my kids would eat spaghetti every day if I let them! Yes, I totally agree - I love fancy, but going back to basics always centres me 🙂
Hannan says
Is it ok to skip on the vinegar? If not, what would the substitute be? What’s the purpose of the vinegar?
Donna says
You can skip the balsamic vinegar if preferred, the purpose is to give more depth of flavor to the sauce, but it will be fine without!
Ilona @ Ilona's Passion says
Yum, perfect for a dinner. I love vegan dishes lately:)
Whole Food Bellies says
Me too Ilona 🙂