This vegan white pasta sauce has it all: it is silky, creamy, garlicky, savory and versatile. And it's made with good-for-you beans. Serve it over any pasta of your choice - my favorites are spaghetti, fettuccine or linguine.
An epic white pasta sauce that's healthy and easy
My vegan white pasta sauce recipe made with white beans has been a reader favorite since 2017. This is truly a fantastic sauce: there's no cream or butter here but also zero deprivation. The sauce coats the pasta silkily and wraps your tastebuds in the warmth of garlic and oregano. And it helps to know, as you lick the bowl clean, that it's so, so good for you.
This is an easy, weeknight-friendly recipe. Most of the sauce is made in a blender and you cook it for a short time after. You need just nine pantry-friendly ingredients and you can have dinner on the table in 30 short minutes.
One of the problems I encountered when I first created this recipe all those years ago was that the sauce had a tendency to thicken up as it stood: that's because beans suck up liquid. To get over that hurdle, and for more richness, I added cashews to the recipe. Of late I've also bumped up the olive oil a tad bit. These tweaks do a marvelous job of keeping the sauce silky and creamy over time so you can enjoy your leftovers just as much.
I use some nutritional yeast to give this vegan white pasta sauce a cheesy flavor, but it's optional. I've made this sauce just as often without it - as have many readers - and it still tastes great. The sauce is gluten-free, soy-free and you can make it nut-free.
Recipe card
Best vegan white pasta sauce recipe
Ingredients
For blending
- 3 cups canned or cooked white beans (approximately 26 ounces. If cooking beans from scratch, use 1 cup dried beans.)
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup water
Other ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8-10 cloves garlic (minced or put through a garlic press)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups water
- Juice and zest of one lemon (juiced and zested)
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
- Salt to taste
For serving
- 16 oz pasta (cooked to al dente texture)
Instructions
Blend the sauce ingredients
- Place the beans in a blender with the cashews, optional nutritional yeast and oregano. Add 1 cup water.
- Blend until very smooth. Set aside.
Make the sauce
- Place olive oil in a sauté pan with the garlic. Turn heat to medium low and sauté the garlic 2-3 minutes until very aromatic and just beginning to turn color. Add the red pepper flakes and dried oregano and sauté for a few seconds.
- Pour the blended bean puree into the pan. Add two cups water and mix well.
- Turn heat up to medium and cook the sauce, stirring it frequently to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce warm through until steam rises. You don't have to wait for the sauce to boil. Add salt to taste, stir in the lemon zest and juice, fresh oregano, if using, and parsley. Turn off heat and mix into pasta.
Notes
- Nutrition information is for sauce with pasta. One serving of the sauce alone is 139 calories with six grams of protein.
- Using a total of three cups of water in this recipe yields the perfect texture. But if you want a thinner sauce add more water.
Nutrition Information
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White pasta sauce FAQs
Most white beans will work, including cannellini, great northern beans, navy beans or lima beans. All white beans are nourishing and loaded with protein and fiber.
Yes, use either canned beans in this recipe (rinse them under running water to get rid of the brine), or cook 1 cup of dried beans from scratch.
You can skip the cashews but in that case increase olive oil to ¼ cup to keep the sauce flavorful and rich-tasting. You might also need to add more water when you reheat the sauce.
Serve this white sauce with any pasta of your choice. I like it with long pasta shapes like spaghetti or fettuccine but short pastas like penne, farfalle, orecchiette and rotini work just as well. Serve a fresh salad on the side, like vegan Caesar salad or grilled corn salad.
Store the vegan white pasta sauce either by itself or mixed into the pasta for up to four days in the fridge. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through.
More delicious vegan pasta sauce recipes
Recipe posted on March 3, 2017. Updated and republished on May 9, 2025.
Liam says
I'm looking very forward to making this! If using canned beans do I include the liquid? If using dried, do I use the cooking water? I see to add 1 cup of water if it's too dry but I can't figure out how it will boil with no water initially. Thanks.
Vaishali says
Hi Liam, add a cup of water and bring to a boil. The sauce tends to thicken as it stands so fine to add more water or stock as needed!
Anonymous says
Thanks for asking. Was my question too
Briana says
This was fantastic! I am sensitive to spicy and this was just enough, so 10/10 here!
I didn't use the cashew water in the blender, but I wish I did. The sauce was a little thick for what I was hoping for. I know for next time, along with adding the nutritional yeast...
Ate this with butternut squash ravioli.... soooooo good!
Vaishali says
Hi Briana, thanks for letting me know and for the feedback. You can definitely thin it out because the cashews make this sauce thicken as it stands.
Isamar says
Hi! I’m not a vegan yet, but am working on transitioning. I can’t wait to try this recipe. I do have a question though: what temp should the cashew soak in?
I know the answer might seem obvious but i just wanted to know because I have seen recipes where the cashew is boiled instead of soaked.
Briana says
I used lukewarm water and the cashew mixed fine for me!
Alynn says
Currently distancing ourselves. I have pinto beans or garbanzo beans. Which would be a better substitute for the white beans?
Vaishali says
The pintos!
Jo says
Soooo spicy. I added 1/4 tsp of the red pepper flakes. Definitely not able to serve. I see someone else has commented on this so I am guessing there may be some varieties of red pepper flakes that are super hot.
I noticed there is no liquid mentioned in the ingredients, yet is says to bring it to a boil and and add some water if too dry. Yes, definitely needed some water, the beans weren’t going to boil on their own!
I may try making an adjusted version and use some vegetable stock.
Thanks!
Carrie says
Instead of cashews, I would use mushrooms for a nice smoky flavor. We have nut allergies so cashews are out.
Asha says
My 3 year old said this was “delicious!” And my 10 year old also enjoyed it, although he was suspicious while I was making it, lol. Great healthy recipe- thank you! I just discovered your site yesterday and already spent over an hour browsing and pinning recipes. Great work!!
Vaishali says
Aww, that's so nice to hear. Happy your kids loved it! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Anonymous says
Can we use roasted cashews? What’s the difference?
Thank you
Whitney Wilson says
Roasted cashews won't give the same creamy texture.
Christine says
Can you suggest a substitute for the cashews? Allergy to nuts. Thanks!
Marc says
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.
Nikki says
Wow that isn’t spicy at all. You have very sensitive taste buds.
Marsha says
Can you think of a substitute for cashews? I'm allergic.? Thanks!
Venus says
Try smoked pumpkin or sunflower seeds or fav non dairy milk thickened with arrowroot
Venus says
Try soaked pumpkin or sunflower seeds or fav non dairy milk thickened with arrowroot
Damon says
Could I use cashew flour in place of the whole raw cashews? If so, how much do you think?
Vaishali says
It should be fine. Use the same amount, and blend with the water, before adding.
Hannah says
I was wondering if I could leave out the cashews? Could I simply add more beans?
Vaishali says
Hannah, you can, but the cashews provide the richness and creaminess to the sauce which would be missing.
Ana says
How much nutritional yeast would you suggest to add?
Vaishali says
1/4 cup would be great.
deepika singh says
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
Chris says
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!
Sylvia says
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!
Lah says
Do you add the cashew soaking water when you blend the cashews with the bean mixture? Sounds like a great Meatless Monday recipe!
Vaishali says
Yes you definitely can!
koolmom says
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?
Vaishali says
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.
Koolmom says
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 !
Becky says
Hi Koolmom,
All nuts are actually bad for the heart and so is any form of coconut milk. Dr. Esselstyn is a famous retired heart surgeon and is Whole foods plant based. Read his book How to prevent and reverse heart disease. It has all the information about heart disease along with some recipes. His wife Ann and daughter Jane have a cookbook also...How to prevent and reverse heart disease cookbook. I have both. It has saved my life. I wish I would have followed his program so I could have prevented my major heart attack.
Good luck on reversing your heart disease 🙂
Brenda says
The sauce sounds healthfully decadent! Is there a substitute for cashews? Can it be made nut free?
Todd says
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.
Nancy says
Am I missing something? It says to bring to a boil. With what? There is no liquid. I love your recipes!
Vaishali says
Hey Nancy, it's in step 3 of the instructions. Cheers!
Anonymous says
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.
?
Vaishali says
If there's not enough cooking liquid from the beans, add a cup of water. It's in step 3.
Anna says
Slightly confused as well because the (canned) beans are supposed to be drained according to directions. Should I leave the liquid? Thank you for the recipe!
Nicola says
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?)
Vaishali says
🙂 🙂 Glad you found it, Nicola.
Alamelu says
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.
Vaishali says
Yes, navy beans would work just fine!
Namrata says
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
Vaishali says
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!) 🙂
Mary Jo Morris says
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!
Vaishali says
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.
Barbara Haley says
Any way to can this ????? It would be great to make a large batch and can and use when needed. Thank you
Vaishali says
Hi Barbara, I think it should freeze well. Thaw thoroughly before use, and warm through. Cheers.
Driti says
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?
Vaishali says
Hi Driti, you can try freezing it-- and thaw thoroughly before use and warm through.
Nandini says
A vegan pasta dish, protein included? You are the most creative vegan cook. Ever. Seriously. must try this weekend.
Vaishali says
Thanks, Nandini! 🙂
Valerie says
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.
Vaishali says
Hey Valerie, hope you try!