Making creamy vegan pasta from scratch is easier than you might think – simply combine blended cashew cream with the delicious flavours in this recipe, then keep the sauce at the right consistency using starchy water from the pasta cooking pot.
If you don't have cashew cream or want to make the dish nut-free, simply substitute for another plant-based cream of your choice. It all comes together with meaty tempeh, broccoli florets, and sliced mushrooms for a quick and easy meal that's filling, high in protein, and gluten-free.
If you're looking for more ways to get tempeh and pasta in a bowl together, check out my recipe for vegan tempeh bolognese.
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- Dairy-free 🚫🐮
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- Ingredients 📋
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- To serve 🍽️
- FAQ ❓
- Variations 🔀
- Recipe 👨🍳
How to make a creamy sauce without dairy
This recipe uses homemade cashew cream for a plant-based spin on the traditional dairy ingredient. All you have to do is soak cashew nuts to soften them, then blend thoroughly with water until you have the desired consistency.
Don't worry if the cashew cream seems too thick when added to the hot pan – you can simply thin out the sauce using pasta cooking water (just like in this creamy mushroom pasta).
Another trick for creating a creamy vegan sauce can be found in this recipe for hummus pasta.
Is this dish healthy?
While the cashews and tempeh in this recipe certainly contribute to the fat content, one serving of the dish packs a whopping 34 grams of protein (68% of the average recommended daily amount). It also provides:
- Fibre: 7 grams (29% of RDA)
- Vitamin C: 57 mg (69% of RDA)
- Iron: 6 mg (33% of RDA)
(Info based on a third-party nutrition calculator – see bottom of recipe card for more details)
Ingredients
This pasta dish has a relatively small list of ingredients. To make it, you'll need:
- Tempeh for a meaty texture and plant-based protein
- Cashew cream or another plant-based cream of your choice
- Broccoli and mushrooms that go nicely with the creamy sauce
- Dried tarragon for a delicious flavour alongside the garlic and nutritional yeast
I'm a little bit obsessed with the flavour of tarragon – it's great in creamy sauces and it ends up in a lot of my soups. If you feel the same, I recommend taking a look at these recipes for mushroom and tarragon soup and broccoli, potato and tarragon soup.
How to make vegan tempeh pasta with creamy tarragon sauce
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add the tempeh pieces (1) and fry gently for 2-3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned (2).
While the tempeh is cooking, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions (usually 10-12 minutes). The sauce should be ready around the same time as the pasta.
Once the tempeh is a light golden-brown on both sides, remove from the pan and set aside. Using the same pan, heat ½ tablespoon of oil on medium/high heat and add the mushrooms. Stir regularly for 3-4 minutes until starting to colour (3).
Once the mushrooms have browned slightly, reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
Next, add the vegan cream, dried tarragon, nutritional yeast, and cooked tempeh (4). Stir well, adding small ladles of pasta cooking water to the pan as necessary to keep the sauce fairly loose.
Note: Homemade cashew cream will likely require more water than e.g. a shop-bought oat cream – just keep an eye on it and add as much pasta cooking water as needed. This water will be starchy, which helps to keep the sauce at a nice consistency.
Around the same time you add the cream to the saucepan, add the broccoli pieces to the pasta pot (5). These will become tender during the remaining pasta cooking time (you can add the broccoli earlier if you prefer it well-cooked).
Once the pasta and broccoli are cooked through, drain them together and add to the pan with the creamy sauce (6). Mix well, adjust the seasoning, add a squeeze of lemon juice (optional), and serve.
Serving suggestions
This pasta dish is delicious as it is, with an extra squeeze of lemon juice and fresh parsley to finish it off. You can also make some homemade cashew parmesan to sprinkle over the top.
Recipe FAQ
To make this dish nut-free, you'll want to substitute the suggested cashew cream with a vegan cream that isn't made from nuts (e.g. soya cream). If necessary, you'll also want to make sure that it's gluten-free (e.g. oat-based creams may contain trace amounts of gluten).
Tempeh is often naturally gluten-free, but you may want to double-check that yours is certified or labelled as such. You'll also want to use a GF pasta variety, and ensure your vegan cream is gluten-free (the suggested cashew cream is naturally gluten-free).
If using frozen tempeh, defrost this first according to package instructions.
Store this pasta in the fridge for up to four days. The cashew sauce will become a little clumpy, but it should thin out after reheating with a splash of water.
I don't usually freeze cooked pasta, but this should keep well in the freezer for up to six months.
Variations and tips for creamy vegan pasta
- Cashew cream: My recipe for cashew cream can be used to make a thinner 'single' cream or thicker 'double' cream. This pasta sauce is based on the single cream, however the thickness doesn't matter as you'll be thinning it out as needed with pasta cooking water. If you're using my recipe for cashew cream but only want enough for this pasta sauce, you'll want approx. 50 g cashews to 80 ml water.
- Other veg: This dish would also work with spinach or green peas. If using frozen versions, simply add these to the pasta pot for the final few minutes.
- Lemon juice: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice helps to lift the other flavours in the dish, but is completely optional.
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More vegan recipe ideas
If you liked this recipe, you may also enjoy:
- Vegan Tempeh Bolognese
- Teriyaki Tempeh Stir-Fry
- Easy Hummus Pasta
- 15-Minute Tomato Tahini Pasta
- Easy Cashew Alfredo
- Creamy Mushroom and Leek Tagliatelle
- Vegan Pasta Puttanesca
- 5-Minute Peanut Noodles
You can also check out my full list of vegan pasta recipes.
Full recipe
Creamy Vegan Pasta with Tempeh and Tarragon Sauce
Ingredients
- 5-7 oz (150-200 g) dried pasta of your choice (gluten-free if necessary)
- 1½ tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 5 oz (150 g) fresh tempeh, chopped into even, bite-sized pieces (gluten-free – see notes)
- 4-5 medium mushrooms, halved and sliced (closed-cup, chestnut/cremini, etc.)
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ½ cup (120 ml) cashew cream (or another plant-based cream – see notes)
- 1½ teaspoons dried tarragon
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ medium broccoli head, cut into bite-sized florets (including the stalk)
- Pasta cooking water (as much as is needed)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lemon juice to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add the tempeh pieces and fry gently for 2-3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
- While the tempeh is cooking, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions (usually 10-12 minutes). The sauce should be ready around the same time as the pasta.
- Once the tempeh is a light golden-brown on both sides, remove from the pan and set aside. Using the same pan, heat ½ tablespoon of oil on medium/high heat and add the mushrooms. Stir regularly for 3-4 minutes until starting to colour.
- Once the mushrooms have browned slightly, reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Next, add the vegan cream, dried tarragon, nutritional yeast, and cooked tempeh. Stir well, adding small ladles of pasta cooking water to the pan as necessary to keep the sauce fairly loose.Note: Homemade cashew cream will likely require more water than e.g. a shop-bought oat cream – just keep an eye on it and add as much pasta cooking water as needed. This water will be starchy, which helps to keep the sauce at a nice consistency.
- Around the same time you add the cream to the saucepan, add the broccoli pieces to the pasta pot. These will become tender during the remaining pasta cooking time (you can add the broccoli earlier if you prefer it well-cooked).
- Once the pasta and broccoli are cooked through, drain them together and add to the pan with the creamy sauce. Mix well, adjust the seasoning, add a squeeze of lemon juice (optional), and serve.📸 Recipe steps >📖 Table of contents >
Notes
- Vegan Tempeh Bolognese
- Teriyaki Tempeh Stir-Fry
- 15-Minute Tomato Tahini Pasta
- Easy Cashew Alfredo
- Creamy Mushroom and Leek Tagliatelle
- Vegan Pasta Puttanesca
- 12-Minute Tomato and Basil Pasta
- 5-Minute Peanut Noodles
Nutrition
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Chris Roberts
So delicious! I doubled the quantities and swapped broccoli for kale as we had some that had to be eaten, but otherwise followed the recipe, and the result was fantastic.
The Pesky Vegan
Wonderful, thanks very much for the review!
Carol
This was delicious, love using cashews to make cream!
The Pesky Vegan
Good stuff, glad you enjoyed!