In this recipe:
Vegan One Pot Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce
This Vegan One Pot Pasta comes together quickly and leaves very little mess to clean up! A gluten free pasta simmers in a delicious creamy tomato pasta sauce, that is perfectly complemented by sautéed peppers, onions, garlic and sun dried tomatoes.
Michelle from Sunkissed Kitchen is here today with a delicious vegan recipe. Be sure to check out her other healthy, gluten free dishes by hopping over to her blog!
Creamy Tomato Pasta Sauce
Does anyone else feel like healthy eating means an endless pile of dishes in the kitchen? I am seriously a pro at using way too many dishes, cutting boards, pots and appliances in my recipes. It’s something I have been trying to be more conscious of, and I have been working on turning my recipes into one pot or one bowl whenever possible.
This pasta (like many things I make) only really needs 1 pot, a blender, a knife and a cutting board to make. If I hadn’t intentionally set out to make it a one pot recipe, you can bet I would have used 3! I’m complicated like that.
I adore using soaked cashews in place of dairy in my recipes. There are so many people who have dairy allergies or are lactose intolerant, and also a lot of people who just want to incorporate more plant foods into their diet. I’ve found that even people without restrictions from dairy enjoy my cashew based cream sauces.
I knew a creamy tomato pasta sauce would elevate this one pot pasta to special occasion status – and since Chickapea cooks so quickly, I knew it would work perfectly in a one pot dish.
After trying this combination, my husband had a second plate. The next day he polished off the leftovers at lunch and declared this his new favorite pasta dish. (The only reason there were leftovers is because I made two batches that day to photograph!).
Make Vegan One Pot Pasta Magic
A lot of one pot pasta recipes call for throwing the pasta and the veggies into the pot all at once. You can certainly try that with this recipe — I couldn’t bring myself to do it (<– see, I told you I’m complicated). I have a thing about perfectly sautéed veggies, and that’s what I wanted here.
I wanted onions and garlic that had started to brown, and that were salty and and just a little bit crunchy in places.
If you want to make this creamy tomato pasta sauce, but don’t want to deal with cutting the veggies, I strongly urge you to use at least the garlic and the sundried tomatoes. They add so much flavor to this sauce. The peppers and green beans add the extra veggie goodness I crave in my meals.
If you still haven’t tried Chickapea , you’re in for a treat. This pasta has become a favorite because it makes it so easy to prepare dinners that are high in protein and fiber. The pasta itself has all the fiber and protein needed in a dinner– 27 grams of protein, and 13 grams of fiber in 1 serving. The rest of the ingredients are just icing on the cake.
Chickapea is made with only two ingredients – chickpeas and lentils. No junk added to it, as so many gluten free products have.
That was what originally attracted me to this company. What has made me a true believer in it after a year is it’s wonderful texture. I love the pasta on the al dente side of al dente. It’s chewy and has a light nutty flavor, and is everything I want in a healthy gluten free pasta.
This delicious spring pasta dinner is a healthy meal and a real time saver! The veggies, gluten free pasta, and creamy vegan tomato cream sauce simmer in one pot, and turn into healthy dinner magic.
- 8 ounces Chickapea Pasta Shells
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 red onion finely sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bell pepper sliced, red, orange or yellow
- 2 cups green beans ends trimmed
- 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes chopped roughly
- fresh herbs basil, thyme, or green onions, to garnish
- sea salt and black pepper to taste, optional
- 1/3 cup cashews soaked, drained
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt more or less, to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- black pepper to taste
- 2 cups water do not add to the blender
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Soak cashews in cold water for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. If you don't have time for this step, soak cashews in boiling water for 20 minutes.
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Add soaked and drained cashews and diced tomatoes to a blender with all the seasonings for the sauce. Blend until very smooth, about 1-2 minutes in a high speed blender, or a bit longer in a standard blender. Set aside.
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In a saucepan, add olive oil, and onions and garlic. Saute on medium high heat until the onions and garlic have begun to brown.
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Add the sliced peppers and green beans, and saute until done to your liking. Remove all veggies from the pan and set aside.
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In the same pot (really, there's no need to even wash it!), bring 2 cups of water to a boil, and then add Chickapea Pasta and the creamy tomato sauce. Allow to simmer on a low boil for 5-7 minutes, until the pasta is still al dente, but the sauce has begun to thicken. The sauce will seem like a lot, but will also cover the veggies.
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Add the veggies and sun dried tomatoes in, and toss to coat. Garnish with fresh thyme, parsley, or basil.
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This pasta is just as delicious the next day. The leftovers keep very well.
Other delicious Chickapea pasta recipes:
- Warm Caprese Pesto Pasta
- Lemon Chicken Pasta with Asparagus and Green Beans
- Chicken Penne with Sundried Tomato Sauce
- Baked Eggplant Parmesan Pasta
