Vegan cajun garlic pasta is a healthy and yummy alternative to dishes made with alfredo sauce. When bored in the kitchen, I start playing around with what we have in the pantry. Luckily I stumbled upon a recipe by Minimalist Baker for creamy garlic vegan pasta because this was something I could play around with. And honestly, the end result was SO great, I had to share. And make it a few more times, so here we are with this delicious creamy vegan cajun garlic pasta recipe. 🙂

Some things that I struggle with on trying to eat plant-based is dairy and oil. Though I never liked milk growing up, I definitely was addicted to ice cream, drank cream in my coffee, and used cheese in a lot of dishes. This would have been a prime candidate for cheese and cream. But it’s pretty crazy, since really restricting my dairy intake, my daughter’s infant eczema has almost cleared up completely. I also have lost about 5 pounds without trying. If you are on the fence about it, I’d highly recommend trying it. 

What you’ll love about this vegan cajun garlic pasta?

1. It’s vegan. You can make this stuff for anyone and not have to worry about dietary restrictions.
2. It’s dairy-free. If you know of someone that’s lactose intolerant, here’s a creamy dairy-free option.
3. If you like a little spice, but don’t want a lot of heat this dish is great. The bit of ‘creaminess’ that this dish provides slightly masks the heat that you get from the cayenne pepper. 
4. Garlic is delicious. If you love garlic, you should enjoy this dish.
5. Sun dried tomatoes are also super yummy. I love throwing these in recipes so here’s a good one for ya!
6. Use up those wilting greens. If you want to eliminate food waste, here’s a great chance. Toss in some baby kale, spinach, arugula (or other mild greens). 

How to make the vegan creamy cajun garlic sauce?

1. In a saucepan or large skillet, heat the oil. Then add the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Sauté until the onion starts to turn translucent or browned.
2. Whisk in the flour to coat the onion and garlic mixture. Try to break up any clumps that form.
3. Stir in the almond milk and continue to whisk to prevent any clumping. If you have clumping occur, use a fork or something to break them up along the side of the pan.
4. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken. Then stir in the cayenne pepper.
5. Using an immersion blender or a blender, blend the sauce until it is smooth. Return to the pan if it was blended in a blender and add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Mix and heat until the spinach wilts.
6. Stir in the cooked pasta and serve warm.
7. Be sure to salt and pepper to taste, and if you prefer a little extra heat you can sprinkle some additional cayenne pepper over the top.
8. Or a blender, blend the sauce until it is smooth. Return to the pan if it was blended in a blender and add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Mix and heat until the spinach wilts.
9. Stir in the cooked pasta and serve warm.
10. Be sure to salt and pepper to taste, and if you prefer a little extra heat you can sprinkle some additional cayenne pepper over the top.

Creamy Vegan Cajun Garlic Pasta

This creamy cajun garlic vegan pasta is so delicious and uses sun dried tomatoes and spinach to up the vegetable servings a bit. It’s delicious and filling!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Servings 5 bowls

Calories 471 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 16 oz pasta (shells or penne work well)
• 4 oz sun dried tomatoes (soaked and chopped)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2.5 cup almond milk
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or more to taste)
• salt and peper to taste

Instructions

 

• Cook pasta to package directions.
• Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion browns.
• With a whisk, stir in the flour to coat the onion and garlic. Quickly after stir in the almond milk in parts. Take care to stir to prevent clumping.
• Cook for 5 minutes until the sauce start to thicken. If it doesn’t thicken, add a little extra flour or try adding a half tablespoon of cornstarch. Be careful to prevent chunks, and if you have clumping, break them up on the side of the pan. Stir in the cayenne pepper.
• Using an immersion blender or transfer the sauce to a blender, blend it to get a smooth sauce.
• Place back in the pan (if a blender was used), and stir in the chopped tomatoes.
• Once desired thickness is achieved, stir in the pasta. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the pasta and mix well.
• Serve warm! If you store leftovers in the fridge, prior to reheating, stir in a splash of almond milk.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 471kcalCarbohydrates: 88gProtein: 17gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 226mgPotassium: 1046mgFiber: 7gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 198IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 207mgIron: 4mg

Keyword creamy cajun garlic pasta, vegan cajun garlic pasta, vegan creamy garlic cajun pasta, vegan pasta

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

This recipe is great for meal prep. For other meal prep ideas, check out this post for a full list of recipes, grocery list, and pantry staples! Let me know what you thought of this recipe in the comments below!

-Cassie 🙂