Today I’m going to walk you thru how to make a simple sauce that will pair with a pasta of your choice. The great news is that you don’t need heavy cream or raw cashews to make a delicious creamy pasta. With just a handful of simple ingredients you can have a crave-able dish that you’ll want to add to your regular dinner rotation. AND! It’s top 9 and top 14 free!
Allergy Status
Free From: Wheat/Gluten, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Tree Nut (including Coconut), Peanut, Fish, Shellfish, Sesame, Top 9 Allergens, Top 14 Allergens, Apple, Avocado, Banana, Beans & Lentils, Berries, Buckwheat, Cane/Refined Sugar, Carrot, Celery, Cinnamon, Citrus, Corn, Cruciferous, Garlic, Latex Cross Reactive Foods (H/M), Legume, Lupin, Mushroom, Mustard, Nightshade, Oat, Pea & Pea Protein, Potato (Nightshade Variety), Poultry, Red Meat, Rice, Seeds, Stone Fruits, Strawberry, Squash & Gourd, Sweet Potato & Yam, Tapioca/Cassava/Yuca/Manioc, Tomato, Yeast
Friendly To: AIP Paleo, EOE, FPIES, Paleo, Vegan
Friendly Low Histamine Reminder: Use the baby kale option and skip the spinach.
Creamy Pasta Sauce Ingredients
- 10 TBSP Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for cooking)
- 480g Organic White Onion (17 ounces), diced and sliced
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- 130g Fresh Organic Spinach Leaves OR Fresh Organic Baby Kale, roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 900mL Milk of Choice (32 ounces/4 cups)
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
Note: the salt is written in the order you’ll use it. Don’t combine it all it once and refer to the directions.
Creamy Pasta Sauce Ingredients Part 2 (This is Your Slurry)
- 60mL Milk of Choice (2 ounces)
- 2 TBSP Arrowroot
You’ll Also Need
- Cooked Pasta of Choice (cooked and drained, don’t forget to salt the pasta cooking water)
Ingredient Notes
The white onion can be swapped for shallot, purple/red onion, or yellow onion.
You can swap all of the sea salt smoked salt for more flavour (don’t do this if you’re low histamine).
I use a homemade oat milk which thickens up beautifully. Not all plant based milk will do this, so use a little more arrowroot in your slurry if needed.
Remember, plant-based milk is a 1:1 exchange. You can use cow, goat, sheep, nut, tuber, legume, any kind of milk will work with this recipe. Whilst you can use any milk of choice, I don’t suggest coconut milk or any other heavily flavoured milk. Almond milk and other light flavoured (dairy free) milks will be a better fit, unless you want the forward milk flavour, or plan to pair this with something that can balance out the milk flavour.
I don’t suggest using a full fat coconut milk for this recipe, as it will throw off the thickness. Given the coconut allergy one of my kids has, I can’t tell you exactly how it would interact with this recipe, so only use it if you’re a coconut milk pro. If you do choose to use full fat coconut milk, you may not need to add as much slurry. After your mix has finished cooking, assess the thickness of the sauce before adding any slurry.
Great Pairing Ideas for This Creamy Vegan Pasta Sauce Recipe
This is a great recipe that can pair with so many different items including:
- Zucchini noodles as the base.
- Add extra protein and serve the sauce as part of a salad with white beans (or other beans you enjoy).
- Dice fresh tomatoes and add them along with chopped fresh herbs.
- Pan sear tofu or soy free tofu and add it on top. Pumfu makes a pumpkin seed based option and Big Mountain Foods makes a fava bean option.
- Use this sauce as part of an oven baked eggplant Parmesan.
- Cook and slice vegan Italian sausages and serve on top of your sauced pasta.
Tasty Sides to Serve with Your Pasta
- Simple Salad
- Vegan Garlic Bread
- Oven Roasted Vegetables
- Ratatouille
- Steamed Broccoli Tossed with Chopped Cloves of Garlic (skip the garlic if you’re not a huge fan)
- Grilled Corn (or other grilled veg you enjoy)
More Vegan Pasta Sauces to Enjoy
Each of these vegan pasta sauces are gluten free, dairy free, top 9 free, and more.
- Vegetable Harvest Pasta Sauce (a perfect way to add extra veggies for picky eaters as I’m told this tastes almost like ChefBoyardee in the best way possible)
- Butternut Squash Parmesan Pasta Sauce (a super easy vegan pasta sauce)
- Eggplant Pasta Sauce (doubles as a tasty dip in a hummus adjacent sort of way)
- Creamy Avocado Pasta Sauce (loaded with healthy fats)
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Directions for Your Creamy Vegan Pasta Sauce
Start by slicing and dicing your onion. I used a mixture to promote a variety of texture. Next, prepare your spinach or kale by roughly chopping it, then set aside. If you plan to serve your sauce with a dry boxed pasta, now’s a good time to get that going so it finishes around the same time as your sauce.
Heat a large pan (I use a non-stick pan) on high heat (8/10 for me) and add your oil. Once hot, add your onions with 1 teaspoon of salt and cook for 5 minutes. Stir as needed to prevent burning, but not so much that you disrupt the browning.
Next, add your spinach/kale along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and mix everything together. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Now add your milk and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir well and cook the mix for 7 minutes, then turn the heat off.
Whilst your meal is cooking, prepare your slurry (this is the key to making this recipe work). Combine 60mL/2 ounces of milk and 2 Tablespoons of arrowroot into a small bowl or measuring cup. Mix well with a fork until the arrowroot has dissolved. When you turn the heat off, pour your slurry into the pan and mix rapidly. You should feel resistance forming, which is your sauce thickening. The end result should be a smooth and creamy sauce.
That’s it! Now you can add pasta or serve this over veggie noodles (great if you want extra veggies in your diet). Should you choose to mix in cooked pasta like I did, don’t be afraid to add a little more salt, smoke, and black pepper to create a fuller flavour.
Want to see a recipe video? Click here and there’s a recipe video on the page for this vegan pasta sauce recipe.
For extra flavour, when you add your pasta, you can also add:
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Salt (or swap all of the salt in the recipe for smoked salt exclusively)
- Black Pepper to Taste
- 4 drops Liquid Smoke (this is the brand I use and LOVE)
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Squeeze of Lemon Juice
Storage & Reheating
Leftover sauce can be stored in two different ways. First, you can store it with the pasta, in the fridge. Second, you can store standalone leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge. Thee are the airtight containers I like to use for leftovers that go into the fridge (I have a different system for the freezer). In fact, I love these so much I bought two sets at Costco.
Either way, you’ll need to reheat the sauce before eating it again. Leftover sauce can thicken even more once it’s in the fridge, so you’ll need to thin it out with more of your milk of choice until it’s where you’d like it.
My kids to reheat sauce with a little extra dairy free milk on medium heat until it’s hot, then add fresh cooked gluten-free pasta.
More Delicious Vegan Recipes to Enjoy
If you’re on the hunt for gluten free, allergy friendly, plant-based meals, I’ve got you covered.
- Easy Creamy Eggplant and Rice (this is a fantastic quick meal for busy weeknights)
- Pumpkin Vegan Mac (another example of how you can transform basic ingredients into an amazing vegan pasta recipe)
- Gluten & Dairy Free Creamy Mushroom & Peas Pasta (a perfect weeknight meal for busy families)
- Hearty Vegan Soup (a great way to warm up in the winter)
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Answering Your Vegan Pasta Sauce Recipe Questions
Could I add nutritional yeast to make it taste more cheesy?
You can, but I can’t tell you how much to add. If you want to add nutritional yeast, add it when you add the 900mL of milk. I will say this, some of my dairy free friends say nutritional yeast isn’t one bit cheesy, so your mileage may vary. Only add it if you already know you really enjoy it.
Do I need an immersion blender to make this recipe?
The good news is that no, you don’t need an immersion blender to make this creamy vegan pasta sauce. You can use a regular cooking spoon (or whisk) and it will come together beautifully. The reason is because I have you use the slurry method to thicken, so you won’t have to worry about clumps of flour.
Can I swap the onions for onion powder?
You can, but I couldn’t tell you the exact amount of onion powder to use. I’d suggest starting with 3 – 4 tsp of onion powder, taste, and adjust as needed. If you know you don’t love LOVE onion, start with 2 tsp.
Could I use this recipe as a base for a creamy tomato sauce?
You could totally use this to make a tomato-based sauce. To convert this creamy sauce recipe, I’d suggest adding 5 – 7 ounces of organic tomato paste to start. Whisk that in, taste, and adjust as you see fit.
Could I use this sauce as part of a vegan lasagna?
I don’t suggest it, as the sauce isn’t thick enough (in my opinion). Could you do it? Sure, I just think you’ll enjoy the experience more with a sauce that’s been designed (where thickness is concerned) for a vegan lasagna.
Can I swap some of the milk for a cup of vegetable broth?
This recipe calls for 32 ounces of milk of choice. If you were to swap 8 of those ounces for a cup of vegetable broth, you’ll be OK. You’ll want to avoid swapping more than half the milk, as this will create something else entirely.
Will this recipe be good with vegan Parmesan cheese?
Yes, you can add vegan Parmesan cheese when you add the 900mL of milk. That will essentially turn this into a tasty cheese sauce. It’s important that the cheese melt completely and that you whisk your sauce well to ensure it’s fully combined.
Should my pasta be cooked al dente?
Only if that’s how you like to eat it. Here’s the thing, we’re always told “do it like X” when in reality is should be “do it the way you like it”. If you like super soft, borderline mushy pasta, that’s how you should cook it. If you love al dente, then go with that. It’s your food and as long as you aren’t feeding others with distinct food preferences, I vote you eat what you love.
Is this the same thing as an Alfredo sauce?
Not exactly. A traditional Alfredo sauce includes butter, cream, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Now, you could add vegan butter, garlic, and Parmesan to make this essentially a vegan version of an Alfredo and I’m sure it would be delicious.
Should you choose to do that, cook the onion in vegan butter, and add a little melted vegan butter when you add the 900mL of milk. You’ll add the dairy free) vegan cheese and 1 tsp of garlic granules at the same time. Whilst I haven’t tested this out, this concept should get you started. Taste and adjust as needed.
