This vegan lemon pasta is full of bright and fresh lemon flavor. I love that it's quick and easy enough for a weeknight but feels a little special, too! It's creamy, garlicky, gluten-free, and ready in 30 minutes.
If you love the creaminess of vegan mac and cheese and the fresh zip of lemon, you are going to LOVE this vegan lemon pasta! Even better, all you need are 6 ingredients and 30 minutes to make it.
Serve with chopped fresh parsley or basil and a sprinkle of Vegan Parm (or check out my grated cashew trick below).
The pasta is pretty filling on its own, or you can toss in your favorite plant-based proteins like crispy baked tofu, seitan chicken, or some chickpeas or cannellini beans.
Round out the meal with a side salad or some broccoli or asparagus, and you're all set!
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Ingredients
- Pasta - the creamy lemon sauce works well with any pasta shape. Choose whatever works for you - regular, whole-grain, or gluten-free.
- Raw Cashews - cashews create an ultra creamy sauce, but raw sunflower seeds are an option for a cashew-free recipe.
- Lemons - you'll need ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice and the zest of one lemon. One lemon might be enough, but just in case, it's a good idea to have two on hand.
- Arrowroot Starch - along with the starch in the cashews, this thickens our creamy lemon sauce. Corn starch is another option.
- Oil - olive oil or another neutral cooking oil enhances the garlic. Feel free to omit if you follow an oil-free diet.
- Garlic - adds nice savoriness to balance the lemon.
See recipe card below for quantities and complete instructions.
How to Make Vegan Lemon Pasta
- Sauté the garlic for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. You can do this in a tablespoon of olive oil or a splash of water or vegetable broth.
- Zest 1 lemon and blend the sauce. Combine the sauteed garlic, lemon zest, water, cashews, starch, and salt in a high speed blender.
Tip: If you don’t own a high speed blender, a scant ½ cup raw cashew butter may be substituted for the whole cashews. Or soak the raw cashews in hot water for about 1 hour first (or overnight) to help with blending.
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- Cook your pasta of choice. Drain in a colander and set aside.
- Pour the blended sauce into the pasta pot. Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice.
- Add the cooked and drained pasta to the pot, stir to combine, and serve. Garnish with vegan Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs, if desired.
Recommended Equipment
High Speed Blender
I've been using this Vitamix for 12 years, and mine is still going strong! It’s perfect for making extra creamy vegan sauces, dressings, dips, and smoothies.
Substitutions
- Cashews - I often use raw sunflower seeds to replace the cashews in my other cheesy and creamy recipes. And though I haven't tested them yet in this particular sauce, a reader (thanks, Nina!) reported that she successfully used a combination of raw sunflower seeds and garbanzo beans for a lighter sauce. Cannellini beans would also work.
- Gluten-Free - The vegan lemon sauce is naturally gluten-free - woohoo! Pair it with any gluten-free pasta you love. Brown rice pasta is one of our favorites.
- Oil-Free - simply omit the oil used to saute the garlic and use a splash of water or broth to prevent burning and help it soften.
- Arrowroot Starch - I used arrowroot because it tends to handle acidity better than cornstarch, but I'm sure cornstarch will be fine. The natural starches in the cashews also thicken when heated and contribute to the consistency of the sauce.
Recipe FAQs
A fresh side salad dressed with oil-free Italian dressing is a nice way to lighten up the meal. Vegan lemon pasta is fairly filling on its own thanks to the creamy sauce. If you'd like, make it even heartier by tossing in some seitan, baked tofu or tempeh, or chopped tofu chicken patties. It's also great with peas, broccoli, or asparagus.
Let the pasta cool completely then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Final Tip
While you have your microplane out, go ahead and grate a few cashews. Can you believe how much that looks like grated cheese? Since the nuts are small, just be careful not to grate your fingers!
You'll be amazed how much you get from just 2 or 3 cashews. Mix in a pinch of sea salt, maybe even a pinch of nutritional yeast, and sprinkle this on the pasta before serving.
More Vegan Pasta Dinners
I hope you enjoy this comforting Vegan Lemon Pasta. If you make the recipe be sure to comment below to let us know!
Recipe
Vegan Lemon Pasta - Ready in 30!
Ingredients
- 6 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil, optional - For oil-free sub water or vegetable broth.
- 2 medium lemons
- 3¼ cups water
- ¾ cup raw cashews - See Notes.
- 2 Tablespoons arrowroot starch - or cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- black pepper
- 16 ounces dry pasta - any variety you like
Optional garnish:
- Homemade Vegan Parmesan
- fresh basil or parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Heat a pot of salted water for cooking the pasta. Cook according to package directions, then drain in a colander.
- Heat a small saute pan over medium-low heat. Add oil or water/broth, and saute the garlic for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn't burn. Transfer the garlic to a blender.
- Zest one of the lemons (avoid the bitter white pith), and add the zest to the blender along with the water, cashews, starch, and salt. Blend until completely smooth.
- Cut and squeeze the lemon(s) to get ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice. Set aside.
- Pour the blended sauce into the pasta pot. Whisking, cook over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and whisk in the lemon juice. Add the pasta, and stir to combine.
- Taste for seasoning. Serve with fresh parsley or basil, vegan Parmesan, and freshly cracked black pepper, if desired.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Julie says
When you whisk this sauce on the stove then add the lemon juice, oh my gosh! It is heavenly! Light like a fluffy cloud(: I coated chopped veggies with gluten free panko, cooked on high heat, then had a feast dipping them. . Soooo good! My daughter who has down syndrome cooked it first( I’ve taught her to be a good cook). She nailed it!
Lori Rasmussen says
Ooh, I love the panko veggie idea. Thanks for sharing, Julie. I'm so glad you both enjoyed it!
Kim says
OMG this is so good!! So creamy, so lemony - totally hit the spot! Thanks, Lori, for the great recipe 😁
Meg says
This is a go to recipe for an easy, elegant meal.
Lori says
So glad you enjoy it, Meg!
Nina says
Made this recipe for the first time tonight and we loved it! To cut down on cost and fat, instead of all cashews, I used 50% chickpeas, 25% sunflower seeds and 25% cashews. Still very creamy and rich! I will definitely make it again and again.
Lori says
Fantastic idea incorporating chickpeas and seeds! I'll try that next time, too. Glad you all enjoyed it, Nina.
Valerie says
Absolutely loved this dish! I had an old standby vegan lemon pasta but this topped it. I stirred in some chopped fresh spinach just before serving. This is a keeper.
Lori says
Wonderful, Valerie! Thanks so much for the feedback. 🙂