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Vegan Creamy Tomato Spinach Pasta
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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Creamy Tomato Spinach Pasta

Pureed cashews make this vegan creamy tomato spinach pasta rich and silky. It will become your go-to lighter pasta sauce.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Soaking Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 40 minutes
Course: Pasta
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6
Author: Paige Adams

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup raw cashews
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 white onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup packed spinach leaves
  • 1 pound fettuccine
  • Chopped parsley for serving
  • Nutritional yeast for serving

Instructions

  • Soak the cashews in a bowl of water at room temperature for at least 4 hours to overnight, and then drain them.
  • Combine the cashews and 3/4 cup water in a blender. Puree until creamy and smooth.
  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions until they start to soften and turn translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until very fragrant.
  • Fold in the tomatoes followed by the spinach. Simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat.
  • Transfer the tomato sauce to the cashew cream in the blender. Puree until smooth.
  • Cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Stir in desired amount of sauce and reheating in the skillet as needed. (If you need to thin out the sauce, you can add a splash of the starchy pasta cooking water.)
  • Top with chopped parsley and nutritional yeast before serving.

Notes

To soften the nuts faster, bring the cashews to boil in a small saucepan of water, remove them from the heat and let them sit for 15 minutes before draining.
The recipe makes 5 cups sauce, so you will have extra. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container up to 5 days and in the freezer up to 1 month. It is best to portion it out, then you can thaw it faster.

Nutrition

Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 608mg | Potassium: 771mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 845IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 5mg