The vegan diet rejects all kinds of animal products like meat, fish, dairy and eggs. Instead, they choose to eat only plant-based meals. If you have ever wondered “What do vegans even eat?”, then take a look at some of these simple and delicious vegan pasta recipes!
Veganism is steadily gaining more and more popularity with each year. People choose to adopt the vegan lifestyle for different reasons. The main reason why people go vegan is for animal rights. Other reasons include environmental benefits and improving health problems.
One-Pot pasta in tomato sauce
This one-pot pasta is a crowd pleaser. It is cheap and easy to make. And most of its ingredients consist of spices most people would already have at home. This recipe will feed 3 people or 2 very hungry people.
For the ingredients you will need
- 340g dry pasta (best choice would be spaghetti, linguine or rotini)
- 800g canned tomatoes
- 750-800ml water
- 3 pieces of garlic, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 250g white button mushrooms, chopped
- 25 black olives (can skip this if you hate olives)
- 3 teaspoon dry vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
How to prepare it
Take a large pot, add few tablespoons of oil in it and leave it on medium heat. Boil the water separately in a kettle or another pot. Make sure to measure the right water amount.
Chop the onions and garlic in whatever size you see fit. Chop the mushrooms in smaller pieces. When the oil in the pot has heated up, drop in the onions.
When the onions start to smell good, add garlic, stir a little and then add mushrooms. Throw in the veggie broth powder and all the other spices. At this point, make sure to stir regularly. When the mushrooms have shrunk in size, carefully add in the canned tomatoes. Slowly stir the sauce. Now you can add in the sugar and all the boiled water. Stir again and then put in the pasta.
You can leave it to cook on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes or until the pasta is soft enough, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, you can chop the olives. Add the olives near the end of the cooking time. After the cooking has finished, you should add another tablespoon of olive oil to add creaminess to the sauce.
Enjoy!
Vegan Pesto Pasta
For this pesto pasta recipe you need a food processor or a mini blender. Of course, you can also use a mortar and pestle if you have them. This recipe will feed 2 to 3 people.
There are two parts of this recipe. Check out the ingredient list below!
For the pasta you will need
- 225g of dry pasta (best choice would be spaghetti or linguine)
- 200g cherry tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons pasta water
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the pesto you will need
- 70g cashew nuts
- 2 medium size garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 handfuls of packed fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional)
- A pinch of salt
How to prepare it
Heat salted water in a pot, bring it to a boil and then add in the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, you can prepare the pesto. To make the pesto, combine cashews, garlic, basil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and salt together in a food processor.
Nutritional yeast might be a new ingredient for people who are new to vegan cooking. Its role in recipes is to add a slightly cheesy flavor. However, this ingredient is optional. Pulse-blend all your pesto ingredients until a thick paste forms. Leave it aside for now.
When the pasta is done cooking, drain it, but make sure to reserve some pasta water in a separate bowl. Put the pasta back into the pot. Add in olive oil, sliced cherry tomatoes, pesto and some of the leftover pasta water. Mix it well. Adjust the salt and pasta water if needed. Serve it with some olive oil drizzled on top.
Enjoy!
Vegan pasta salad
Another delicious recipe that is full of colorful veggies! This pasta salad uses a simple Italian style dressing. This recipe can feed up to 4 people.
Make sure you’ve got all the necessary ingredients!
For the pasta you will need
- 450g of dry pasta (best to choose short types like fusilli, macaroni or penne)
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 200g cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 small bell pepper (orange), chopped
- 100g black olives
- 1 handful of chopped fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the dressing you will need
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- A pinch of sugar
How to prepare it
Heat salted water in a pot, bring it to a boil and then add in the pasta. When the pasta is done, you can choose to rinse it in cold water if you want to serve the salad cold.
While the pasta is cooking, chop all the vegetables and make your dressing. To make the dressing, combine olive oil, vinegar, herbs, spices and sugar. Whisk it well and set aside. In a large bowl, add in your pasta, chopped vegetables and the dressing. Mix it well. Make some adjustments with salt and pepper to your taste. Enjoy your pasta salad!
Hopefully you test some of these vegan pasta recipes by yourself and enjoy them too.
Let me know if you have any other yummy vegan pasta recipes I should add!
You can check out more recipe ideas in my other articles such as Solyanka soup recipe or Easy dinner in 20 minutes: pasta salad.