Best Vegan Vodka Pasta

This vegan vodka pasta recipe is incredible! It’s rich and creamy, EXTRA flavorful, comforting, and indulgent! Super easy to make from scratch in just 20 minutes with only a handful of pantry ingredients, it's the perfect weeknight meal destined to become a family favorite!

I love ALL pasta dishes everything from vegan lasagna, creamy mushroom pasta, lentil bolognese and everything in between. But for me there's something extra special about creamy vodka pasta. I'm totally obsessed with the luxurious vodka sauce!

Homemade spicy vodka pasta comes together quickly. Start the pasta water, sauté the onions and garlic, make the cashew cream, then stir in the tomato paste. Add the vodka, vegan cream, fresh basil, and a pinch of red pepper flakes finish it with a glob of butter to make everything silky and decadent. Voilá everything is ready together!

This recipe is the best vegan take on restaurant quality, penne alla vodka that's quick enough for busy weeknight meals, but indulgent enough for company.

Ingredients for Vegan Vodka Sauce

This vodka sauce packs a big punch of flavor with only a handful of ingredients. Here's what you'll need:

• Onions and garlic: White or yellow onion and fresh garlic.
• Tomato paste: For super concentrated, vibrant tomato flavor - it's divine! Use a can or tube of tomato paste.
• Vegan heavy cream: Luxuriously creamy but dairy free, cashew cream is the perfect alternative to dairy cream! It adds a subtle sweetness and richness that balances the tomato acidity.
• Vodka: The signature flavor for vodka sauce. Don't worry, the sauce doesn't taste like alcohol, it cooks off.
• Olive oil and dairy free butter: Adds richness and flavor.
• Seasonings: Salt, coarse ground black pepper, and red chili pepper flakes.
• Fresh basil and Italian parsley: The perfect complement to tomato based sauces.
• Pasta: Penne and rotini are my favorite pasta shapes for this recipe. Use regular, whole wheat or gluten free pasta.
• Pasta water: Starchy, salty pasta water is perfect for loosening up pasta sauce plus it helps to thicken and bind the sauce.

Ingredient Substitutions & Options

This easy vodka tomato cream sauce is garlicky, rich and flavorful as is; however, here's a few substitutions that work well too!:

• Coconut milk: Sub cashew cream for full fat coconut milk (the canned version) if you prefer (but I don't).
• Can I use different pasta?: Absolutely, I love penne and rotini for this recipe because the sauce clings to the grooves and curves, but any pasta shape will work! Use whole wheat or gluten free pasta if desired.
• Finishing options: Freshly grated parmesan cheese, glob of butter, more red pepper flakes to make your vodka sauce spicy.
• Vodka sauce without vodka?: Yes, of course that's an option. Just follow the same recipe below, skip the vodka, and enjoy the best tasting, dairy free tomato cream pasta sauce. It's up to you!

How to Make Vegan Vodka Pasta

This recipe is ridiculously easy to make - by the time the pasta is cooked, the vodka sauce is ready to go. So grab all your ingredients and let's start cooking!:

1. Cook pasta: Start the salted water for the pasta. Cook per package directions. When draining the pasta, save some of the starchy pasta water (~2 cups) for later.

2. Sauté the aromatics: Heat the olive oil and dairy free butter over medium heat. Add the onions cooking for 4-6 minutes until fragrant and turning golden. Stir in the minced garlic and cook another minute or two.
3. Make the vegan heavy cream: While the onions are cooking, place the cashews and water in a high power blender like a Vitamix and blitz until creamy and smooth.
4. Tomato flavor: Add the tomato paste to the onion-garlic mixture and stir to incorporate for a few minutes (the tomato paste will start to turn a darker brownish-red as it cooks out).

5. Add the vodka: Add the vodka to deglaze the pan stirring to scrap the bottom bits.
6. Make it creamy: Add ¾ cup of the cashew cream and ½ a cup of reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Let the sauce simmer for 3-5 minutes over low heat. Taste and season with salt, pepper, and hot chili pepper flakes to taste.

7. Add the pasta: When ready to serve, toss the drained hot pasta with the vodka sauce to thoroughly coat each piece. Add more reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
8. Finish the pasta: Add a blob of butter then garnish with fresh basil ribbons, chopped parsley, and a pinch or two more of hot chili pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Tips for Success

This is a quick, last minute, no need to plan ahead, weeknight meal that I make ALL the time. I typically serve it with broccoli or a big green salad. Here's a few tips and FAQ:

• Managing your time: If you're a new cook, prep the onions, garlic, basil, and parsley before getting starting. As well blend the heavy cashew cream and set it aside. It can be made several days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
• A word about cashew cream: Cashew cream is an amazing, vegan heavy cream substitute. But it thickens up really fast! So you don't need to cook the sauce for very long before it starts to thicken.
• Sauce consistency: Pasta soaks up sauce like a boss so wait to toss them together until you are ready to serve. If the pasta sauce is thickening up too quickly, add enough reserve pasta water to loosen the sauce to suit your taste. You decide - thick or loose.
• Fair warning!: I'm telling you now that this vegan vodka sauce is the best (like seriously the best, best) and it's totally addictive. You will crave it for days and EVERYONE loves it - vegan or not! Now you know . . .

What to Serve with Vegan Vodka Pasta?

• Broccoli: My family loves broccoli with this pasta dish. It's simple to make too. Prep the broccoli and cut into bite size florets. Then about 5-6 minutes before the pasta is ready, throw the broccoli into the pasta water. Pull it out when tender, then strain the pasta.
• Meal prep salad: I like to serve a big green salad with my pasta dishes. So it's lucky that I always have at least the start of a huge salad in my fridge (we eat them every night). Plus I always have one or two bottles of homemade vegan dressing on hand. I don't do a lot of meal prep, but I do this, and I highly recommend it! If you're making salad anyway, just double up the chopping.
• Homemade bread: Mopping up the vodka pasta sauce with bread is a must! I like soft dinner rolls, homemade garlic breadsticks or a wedge of crusty, no knead bread for said mopping.

How to Store Vegan Vodka Pasta

• Leftovers (ha ha ha ha): Leftover vodka pasta doesn't exist at my house, but if you are lucky enough to have some, it will keep in the refrigerator in a covered container for 3 or 4 days.
• Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove over low heat.

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