Healthy comfort food alert! This creamy vegan ranch pasta is tangy, herbaceous, and made from whole-food ingredients. With gluten-free penne, sweet corn, broccoli, and any other seasonal veggies you'd like to add. It's pantry-friendly and tastes amazing hot or cold!
Dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free.
This unassuming looking dish is actually one of my favorite things I've eaten recently. Think of it like a creamy, dreamy blank slate that's ready for any veggies, beans, and/or vegan meats you want to throw at it.
The flavor of the sauce gets even better overnight, so it makes a great addition to weekly meal prep. Basically, everything about this dish is exactly what I've been craving recently!
What we loved about it
This creamy ranch pasta VERY pantry-friendly. Since we're all still trying to limit our grocery trips, I love that the recipe relies on dried herbs, cashews, and frozen veggies. In fact, every single ingredient either has a long shelf life or can be replaced by a version that does.
It's oil-free and pretty darn nutritious but still satisfies a comfort food craving like nobody's business!
Serve it hot or cold. I prefer it warm, sort of like a ranch-flavored alfredo (yum!), but you can also treat it like pasta salad. Add fresh summer veggies like tomatoes, zucchini, and cucumber, and carry it to your next potluck!
Prep is ridiculously easy. All you need are a large pot, a blender, and a colander.
How to Prepare
Here's a quick summary to show you exactly how simple it is:
- First, cook the pasta in salted water. With a few minutes left on the timer, add the frozen corn and broccoli. Drain in a colander.
- Blend the sauce ingredients (not including the herbs).
- Pour the sauce into the empty pot, and stir in the herbs. Cook the sauce until thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Return the pasta, corn, and broccoli to the pot, and stir to coat with sauce.
- Taste and adjust salt and acidity, and dig in!
Variations and Additions
In addition to corn and broccoli, try this Vegan Ranch Pasta with:
peas
spinach
kale
carrot
zucchini
chickpeas
vegan chicken strips
cubed tofu
and vegan bacon crumbles!
For a pop of cheesy flavor, try it with homemade vegan parmesan sprinkled on top.
You might also like:
Nut-Free Vegan Ranch Dressing
Classic Vegan Pasta Salad
Creamy Lemon Pasta
Vegan Pasta Frittata
Pasta Salad With Parsley-Dill Pesto
Vegan Pimento Macaroni Salad
Vegan Ranch Pasta (Oil-Free)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 ounces gluten-free penne or pasta of choice - I like Trader Joe's brown rice penne.
- 1 ½ cups corn, frozen is fine
- 3 cups small broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable broth
- 1 ¼ cups unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk - I used soy milk.
- 1 cup raw cashews - See Notes.
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, divided
- 1 clove garlic or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons mellow white or chickpea miso
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional
- ⅛ teaspoon mustard powder, optional
- 4 teaspoons dried parsley
- 4 teaspoons dried chives
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
- salt, to taste
Optional garnish:
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. With about 4 minutes left on the timer, add about half of the frozen corn. Stir and increase the heat slightly so the water quickly returns to a simmer, then add the rest of the corn. Add the broccoli. Adjust heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Once veggies are hot and pasta is al dente, drain in a colander.
- In a blender combine the broth, milk, cashews, lemon juice, 1 Tbsp of rice vinegar, garlic, onion powder, miso, nutritional yeast, and mustard powder. Blend until completely smooth.
- While the pasta drains in a colander, pour the sauce into the pot, and add the parsley, chives, and dill. Stirring frequently, cook over medium heat until just bubbling and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Pour the pasta and veggies back into the pot, and stir to coat with sauce. Taste and adjust salt, herbs, and acidity as desired. I like to drizzle in a bit more rice vinegar and add a generous pinch of salt. Serve immediately or allow to cool before refrigerating.
Notes
To soak the cashews
If not using a high-speed blender, it's helpful to soak the cashews first. Either soak in cold water overnight or quick-soak in hot water for 1 to 2 hours. Drain well, then proceed with the recipe.Storage
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freezing not recommended.Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used. We calculate this information using the online calculator cronometer.com.
Liana Lacatus
This recipe was absolutely delicious and easy to make. I followed everything as in the recipe, the same quantities too. It ended up being our favorite 'cheese-like' sauce that we tried until now.
The idea to bring the sauce to a boil, is genius. It ended up having the same thickness and texture as the sauces with a roux-base, except that this version is significantly healthier than the roux!
At first I was afraid to use 1/4 cup of lemon juice. I thought it was going to taste too sour, but it ended up being the right amount. There is something about broccoli and lemon juice, they go so well together!
Give it a try, no need to tweak it, enjoy simplicity.
Lori
What lovely feedback, Liana! Thank you so much. I'm happy you enjoyed it. 😀