6 Vegan Pasta Recipes: How to Make Vegan Pasta Dishes

Vegan pasta is any type of pasta dish without any dairy or animal byproducts in its ingredients. Vegan pasta can entail traditional bread-based pasta without the use of any eggs or vegetable substitutes for noodles, as well as additional vegan ingredients as mix-ins or toppings (like plant-based meat alternatives, cheese substitutes, and sauces).

Vegan pasta must exclusively contain ingredients that have no dairy, meat, or other animal byproducts. Here are six common ingredients you can use in vegan pasta dishes:

1. 1. Cheese substitutes: You can still mimic the taste of Parmesan or ricotta on your pasta when making a vegan meal. Seek out vegan cheese sauce recipes or purchase crumbled cheese alternatives for your next vegan lasagna or pasta. Try making vegan cheese with cashews for a dairy-free alternative.
2. 2. Spices: Italian foods like pasta can be spicy and flavorful. Use plenty of salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes, fresh herbs, or whatever other spices strike your fancy to zest up the taste of your vegan pasta. Spritz it with lemon juice for extra flavor.
3. 3. Meat alternatives: Whether you plan to make vegan bolognese sauce or meatballs, a meat substitute can give your pasta dish a savory, umami flavor profile. There are many meat alternatives now available in grocery stores and supermarkets.
4. 4. Pasta noodles: Whether your favorite pasta noodles are fettuccine, penne, rigatoni, or something else entirely, you can make your own or purchase them without any eggs as ingredients. Gluten-free pasta—like lentil-based or quinoa-based pasta alternatives—are also readily available.
5. 5. Tomatoes: Tomato sauce, which is already vegan, is a mainstay for many types of pasta dishes. Use full-sized or cherry tomatoes, olive oil, fresh basil, and garlic to whip up an herbaceous and garlicky marinara sauce.
6. 6. Veggies: Lean into the vegan nature of your pasta dish by adding more vegetables. Leafy greens like arugula fit in just as well as diced bell peppers, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash. You can even shred and sauté zucchini or pumpkin pasta noodles as a gluten-free alternative to traditional bready types of pasta.

There are countless ways to make vegan pasta dishes. Skim these six ideas for easy vegan pasta recipes:

1. 1. Carbonara: This is a traditional pasta dish that includes cheese, eggs, and pork, but you can make it vegan. By using a cheese alternative, a veggie or egg-free pasta, and a plant-based “sausage,” you can enjoy carbonara as a vegan pasta dish. Top it with your favorite vegan pasta sauce recipe. Try using only vegan ingredients in this carbonara sauce recipe.
2. 2. Fettuccine alfredo: Craft a creamy vegan pasta sauce to mimic the smooth and silky taste of this comfort food. Use a dairy alternative like cashew or almond milk for a vegan alfredo sauce.
3. 3. Hummus pasta: Use chickpeas to make hummus that will give a thick, creamy taste to your vegan pasta. Cook your noodles al dente in the pasta water to give them a crispy contrast to the ground-up garbanzo beans. Try this recipe for easy homemade hummus.
4. 4. Mac and cheese: You can make this pasta dish with a vegan twist. With a cook time of around half an hour, this dish results in ample portions. This vegan mac and cheese recipe relies on nutritional yeast and other vegan ingredients to create a decadent texture.
5. 5. Pasta dough: Though it requires some additional prep time before a meal, you can create your own vegan pasta dough by using semolina flour and skipping the addition of an egg. Try this vegan pasta dough recipe to suit your needs.
6. 6. Pesto pasta: This creamy sauce has an herby taste, and it can be completely vegan. Combine nutritional yeast, garlic cloves, basil, and other ingredients to make this quick and easy vegan pesto recipe.

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