This vegan white pasta sauce has it all: it is silky, creamy, garlicky, savory, delicious, and versatile. And it’s made with good-for-you beans. Serve it warm over a ribbon pasta like fettuccine, pappardelle or linguine.
When it comes to vegan white pasta sauces, I’ve tried them all. I love this creamy alfredo cashew sauce, and I’ve tried a version with cauliflower. The cashew sauce, although delicious, is not an everyday indulgence because it is higher in fat than most sauces I would cook (although it has nowhere near the amount of calories in an authentic cream-and-butter-and-cheese alfredo). The cauliflower version, well, isn’t bad, but honestly, I can never get past the cauliflower smell which doesn’t quite go away. And I sometimes make a healthy, protein-rich chickpea sauce, but delicious though it is, it seems to dry up on me rather quickly which means it is best consumed the day it’s made.
This version of a vegan white pasta sauce I have for you today is a clear winner on every front. It’s really healthy, for one, because it’s made with white beans: great northern beans, to be exact. All it needs, besides the beans, are six ingredients that I am willing to bet are already in your pantry.
The payoff is spectacular: this is a rich, luscious sauce, so there’s no deprivation here. Not an ounce of. The sauce coats the pasta silkily and wraps your tastebuds in the warmth of garlic and oregano. I can eat it by the bowlful, just as it is, and not feel a bit guilty: it’s just beans, guys, and food doesn’t get any more nutritious than beans.
I added some cashews to the sauce and they not only help add some richness, but they also do a magnificent job of keeping the sauce from drying out over time: something bean-puree sauces often tend to do. I brown-bagged the pasta to lunch the day after I made it, and the sauce was still velvety and smooth and quite perfect.
Great northern beans have a nutty, delicious flavor which makes them perfect for this sauce, but you can use another white bean, like cannellini, navy or lima. You can cook the beans from scratch, which I prefer to do, or you can use canned, but white beans do not usually take as long to cook as some other types of legumes, so start with the dry beans if you can for the purest flavor.
You can make this sauce cheesy, if you wish, by adding some nutritional yeast — perfect if you’re subbing this for an alfredo sauce. I didn’t add any this time because it was already so good, I didn’t want to gild the lily. If you do add nutritional yeast, add no more than a couple of tablespoons because you don’t want to overwhelm the savory, garlicky flavor.
I was a little nervous serving this to Jay because, like every child, he has an inner radar that uncannily tells him when a food is healthy and therefore not edible. This time, I had that radar fooled. He ate it up, beans and all, and licked up every last bit of the sauce of his plate. 🙂
Winner.
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- 1 cup dry great northern beans, soaked overnight and cooked until tender. If using canned, substitute with 2 15 oz cans, drained
- 6-8 cloves garlic, crushed and sliced
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- 1/4 cup raw cashews , soaked for at least 30 minutes
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and stir-fry until it begins to turn blonde.
Add the red pepper flakes and oregano and stir-fry for a minute.
Add the beans and salt to taste. Let the mixture come to a boil. Add a cup of water if too dry. Lower heat to a simmer and let the beans cook with the garlic and oregano for about 10 minutes.
Remove the beans to a blender, add the cashews, and blend into a very smooth, creamy sauce. You can add some water if needed, but add a little at a time to get just the consistency you want.
Add the sauce back to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Keep stirring the sauce to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom -- don't use more than medium heat. When the sauce begins to boil, turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and zest and stir in. Check salt and serve hot with pasta.
*Add some baby spinach to the sauce just before it's ready, and bring to a boil. Let the spinach cook about a minute until wilted. Serve.
*Stir in a couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast after turning of the heat, for a cheesier flavor.
*I like to serve this on top of pasta with some minced parsley.
***
More tasty pasta sauces:
Basil Pesto with miso
Marinara Sauce
No-cook Tomato Sauce
Leolove:
Very excited for this recipe! I will try to make this week and post back here. I am hoping this will please my 2 year old. Fingers crossed.
Hey Valerie, hope you try!
A vegan pasta dish, protein included? You are the most creative vegan cook. Ever. Seriously. must try this weekend.
Thanks, Nandini! 🙂
This awesome!! Thanks so much for a vegan version. I used to dread buying it from the store and then didn’t know how to make it at home without the milk and cheese and flour!! Your version is SO healthy. Can I ask a question though? Have you tried storing it? I would like to make this in a large batch and store some for a second time the next to be used in a week or two . Do you know if I can do that?
Hi Driti, you can try freezing it– and thaw thoroughly before use and warm through.
Any way to can this ????? It would be great to make a large batch and can and use when needed. Thank you
Hi Barbara, I think it should freeze well. Thaw thoroughly before use, and warm through. Cheers.
I made this for dinner tonight. It was the best! Can I say “sublime” without going over the top? Delicious, delicious, delicious. Do you think it will freeze well? I freeze beans regularly without any ill effect. Maybe freeze it before adding the lemon? I also freeze lemon juice, though, come to think a out it.
Kudos — this was great!
Hi Mary Jo, how lovely you liked the sauce! I haven’t tried freezing it, but it should freeze well– thaw thoroughly before use and then warm, and great idea to add lemon later.
Interesting! But I don’t get we get this type of beans in India or maybe I’m not aware of its Hindi name. Any idea?
Leo is such a darling baby, give him a kissy from my side <3
Hey Namrata, I don’t think I ever saw great northern beans in India, but you might find lima beans and they would work very well in this recipe. Otherwise, try with chickpeas– the sauce will be more beige than white, but will taste great.
Leo says hello (woof!) 🙂
Hi
Can I use small white navy beans for this recipe? I found in the Bulk Barn in Richmond, BC, Canada
Your recipes are great and easy to follow with simple Indian spices.
Yes, navy beans would work just fine!
I have a second pan of cut-up veggies (potatoes, sweet and white, Brussels sprouts and carrots) in the oven now – the first was roasted on a sheet pan the other day. This will be added to some cooked pasta with your sauce, IF I still have those white beans hiding on the shelf!
I find it amazing that I actually found this about a week after you posted it; usually I do a search and find something that people have been enjoying since, like, 2004! (Maybe it was fate?)
🙂 🙂 Glad you found it, Nicola.
Am I missing something? It says to bring to a boil. With what? There is no liquid. I love your recipes!
Hey Nancy, it’s in step 3 of the instructions. Cheers!
I’m with Nancy, I don’t understand – 1.Fry the garlic, 2. add red pepper flakes & oregano; then step 3 says Add the beans and bring to a boil….
This is a dry mixture. There’s nothing to boil at this stage.
?
If there’s not enough cooking liquid from the beans, add a cup of water. It’s in step 3.
Made this sauce today and it is wonderful. I placed it on top of high protein pasta. The lemon flavor was a little strong, so next time I’ll lessen it a bit… and the red pepper just a touch. I also added some nutritional yeast at the end. I love having an option of a high protein sauce for pasta! Another “go to” recipe for me. Thank you.
The sauce sounds healthfully decadent! Is there a substitute for cashews? Can it be made nut free?
Hi Vaishali., I enjoy reading your vegan recipes, I also noticed you use cashews mostly to replace the dairy.
are too much cashews bad for health specially for heart disease?
Hi Koolmom, The fat in cashews is great for the heart– cashews, like other nuts, actually help reduce cardiovascular disease. That said, moderation is a good idea because any fat will lead to other issues like weight gain.
Vegans tend to use coconut milk or cashews to replace dairy. I lean toward cashews because as much as I love coconut milk, and I think it goes quite naturally with Indian foods, I have never been able to love the strong flavor of coconut in western dishes and sweets. Cashew is far more neutral tasting, and emulates dairy cream far better, in my opinion.
Thank you for your quick response and detailed information, I agree that moderation is the key 🙂
Have to try the cheesy sauce and white sauce recipes, will keep you posted on the outcome.
Have a wonderful day !
Do you add the cashew soaking water when you blend the cashews with the bean mixture? Sounds like a great Meatless Monday recipe!
Yes you definitely can!
I was looking for something tastier than store-bought marinara to put on my pasta, and this is perfect! I already had all the ingredients too. My sauce came out a little more beige than white – maybe because I used canned beans? But still delicious!
This was fantastic. Used only half of the lemon. Loved the garlic and texture. We added coli/brocc florets and sauteed mushrooms and will be making this FREQUENLY. Thank you very much for the recipe!
seeing it,water is coming in my mouth. I’m very excited to make this pasta. i’ll make it tonight and serve my family. i hope they will like it.
thank you
How much nutritional yeast would you suggest to add?
1/4 cup would be great.
I was wondering if I could leave out the cashews? Could I simply add more beans?
Hannah, you can, but the cashews provide the richness and creaminess to the sauce which would be missing.
Could I use cashew flour in place of the whole raw cashews? If so, how much do you think?
It should be fine. Use the same amount, and blend with the water, before adding.
Can you think of a substitute for cashews? I’m allergic.😣 Thanks!
My 14 year old and I found that it was to spicy. I actually cut the recipe in half but still found 1/2 tsp of chili flakes was to much. I am going to try it again but she might not be up for trying it after the burn. Maybe mention that even a little chili can be a bit much. Thank you.
Wow that isn’t spicy at all. You have very sensitive taste buds.
Can you suggest a substitute for the cashews? Allergy to nuts. Thanks!