By Lisa Esile, MS,
Looking for a scrumptious vegan pasta or noodle dish you can whip up in 30 minutes or less? We’ve got you covered! A lifesaver for busy whole-food, plant-based eaters, whole grain pasta is comforting, kid-friendly, and minimally processed, and its mild flavor goes with just about anything. In this collection of our favorite vegan pasta and noodle recipes you’ll find everything from spaghetti bolognese to mac and cheese, pesto pasta, stir-fried noodles, spring roll bowls, vegan pad thai, chilled peanut noodles, and more. Pasta-tively delicious!
Most dishes can be made gluten-free by substituting gluten-free pasta such as lentil, quinoa, brown rice, or chickpea pasta.
Creamy Avocado-Kale Pasta
Perfect for spring, this comforting gluten-free pasta features a tantalizing combination of tender asparagus, juicy cherry tomatoes, earthy chickpea rotini, and a lemon-infused avocado-kale sauce. Fresh dill lends a warm, grassy flavor and the sweet, earthy tang of aleppo pepper ties it all together.
White Bean Fettuccine Alfredo with Peas and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Four plant-based pantry staples—almond butter, canned white beans, garlic, and nutritional yeast—blend into a rich, creamy dairy-free alfredo sauce for this healthy pasta dish. Sun-dried tomatoes add a pop of tang to this cozy dish, while sugar snap peas lend green color and crunch. “This is one of those FOK recipes I make over and over again, because it’s so simple and yummy,” writes one fan.
Chinese Noodles in Ginger Garlic Sauce
Made with pantry staples and featuring a full-of-flavor, ginger-garlic brown sauce, Chef Darshana Thacker Wendel’s noodle stir-fry is a winning meal, any day of the week. Feel free to use vegetables you have on hand, including frozen veggies for an even quicker cooking time. “Perfect,” writes one reviewer. Another shares: “It’s a really easy recipe, but I think the best takeaway is the sauce.”
Root-to-Leaf Radish Pasta
This affordable five-ingredient pasta showcases the sweet starchiness of cooked radish root as well as the tender, kale-like flavor of the radish tops. A light, velvety sauce comes together quickly and is made with cooking water seasoned with nutritional yeast, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Pro tip: Your local farmers market is a good place to find radishes with tops. Shares one reviewer: “Doesn’t get easier than this, when it comes to healthy cooking.”
Easy Thai Noodles
A tasty sauce featuring lime juice, maple syrup, and soy sauce gives a divine sweet-sour-salty Thai flavor to brown rice noodles. Frozen Asian-style veggies make this a cinch to prepare; a handful of chopped roasted peanuts add nuttiness, and fresh cilantro lends a cohesive brightness to the dish. “This is a super easy and delicious recipe that’s definitely going in the rotation,” notes a commenter.
Vegan Pimiento Cheesy Mac
In this nut-free vegan macaroni and cheese, blended chickpeas provide a creamy base for the sauce while jarred pimientos, nutritional yeast, and garlic give it a cheesy kick. “First plant-based ‘mac-n-cheese’ that I have enjoyed,” writes one commenter. Also check out our 30-minute Vegan Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with Seasoned Bread Crumbs.
Quick Chickpea Bolognese
You’ll leave the table feeling satisfied, not sunk, after this meat-free, oil-free, dairy-free bolognese. Along with classic bolognese ingredients such as onion, garlic, tomato, and carrot, this vegan version also includes mushrooms for rich savory flavor and chopped chickpeas to thicken the sauce. Serve over whole grain pasta.
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese with Broccoli
You’ll be amazed at how quickly butternut squash turns into one of the tastiest nut-free vegan mac and cheese dishes around. All you need is fresh thyme, plant-based milk, and a few basic seasonings. Add broccoli to the pasta pot in the last five minutes of cooking and save the hassle of dirtying another pot! A reviewer notes, “We will be having this again and again. I have also shared it with others, even if they are not plant-based.”
Creamy Celeriac Pasta Alfredo
No cream required in this vegan pasta alfredo; instead, steamed celeriac (aka celery root) combines with pine nuts, nutritional yeast, garlic, and onion for a creamy sauce oozing with subtle celery flavor. One fan writes, “I’m always on the lookout for a new pasta recipe, and this one didn’t disappoint. Love that it’s kid-friendly.
Creamy One-Pot Pasta with Broccolini
In this veggielicious pasta, tender Broccolini, sweet red bell pepper, earthy mushrooms, and juicy zucchini bring contrasting color and texture to earthy whole grain rotini. To finish, stir through a creamy blend-and-pour cashew sauce, which uses a little cooking water for added silkiness. Notes one writer, “So easy and yummy!! Creamy sauce is very tasty.”
Lemon Hummus Pasta
In this time-saving hack that yields tasty results, oil-free hummus is seasoned with fresh oregano and lemon zest and juice for a citrusy pasta sauce. Add pasta and sautéed veggies, and pat yourself on the back for a cafe-quality meal that tastes like you spent far longer in the kitchen than you did! Notes a reviewer, “This is delicious. Using the hummus to make things creamy is genius.”
Pesto Pasta with White Beans
Pesto pasta is up there with mac and cheese when it comes to a cozy, kid-friendly meal! The recipe calls for white beans but feel free to get creative and include veggies such as asparagus, broccoli, and green beans. Also check out Green Bean Pasta with Cashew Pesto, which takes a tad longer to prepare but only because you have to soak the cashews for 30 minutes.
Spring Roll Bowls
This fresh-tasting noodle bowl achieves complex flavors simply by serving crispy salad ingredients atop brown rice noodles, with a drizzle of ginger- and lime-infused peanut sauce to round things out. Garnish with Thai or jalapeño peppers, scallions, cilantro, crushed peanuts, and/or lime wedges. Writes a reviewer, “Love, love, love this. Made it for the first time today and I’ll definitely be making it again.
Confetti Corn and Pasta Bowl
Fresh corn plays a dual role in this hearty veggielicious pasta salad: Some of the juicy golden kernels get tossed into the pasta salad with a medley of other summer veggies, some are blended to form the base of a light and creamy dressing. Don’t have fresh corn? No problem. One reviewer writes, “I used frozen sweet corn for the dressing and frozen roasted corn for the salad since I didn’t have fresh. It was still amazing!”
Budget-Friendly Lentil Bolognese
In this standout vegan bolognese dried lentils add a delectable depth of flavor to the tomato sauce. Featuring tomato paste, canned tomatoes, and dried herbs, this is a great recipe for when time is tight and/or you’re getting low on fresh supplies. The recipe gives both stovetop and pressure-cooker instructions.
Stir-Fried Noodles with Veggies
Loaded with colorful quick-cook veggies and a delectable Chinese brown sauce, these fan-favorite stir-fry noodles have a restaurant-quality vibe that will have you reaching for seconds in no time. “Awesomely good,” shares one reader. “A family favorite,” writes another.
Lemon Broccoli Rotini
In this true one-pot recipe, mushrooms, onion, and garlic are added to the saucepan first and sautéed for a few minutes to release their flavors; then pasta and broth are added to the pan. Red bell pepper and broccoli are added in the last minutes of cooking, lending sweet flavor and bright color. Lemon zest and juice and fresh tarragon ties everything together. Delish! “The lemon and tarragon flavor was yum,” writes one reviewer.
Vegan Pad Thai with Tofu
Being able to make your own vegan pad thai in less time than it takes to drive to the store is a skill worth having! Packed with tender-crisp veggies, a light peanut sauce, soft tofu cubes, and wide brown rice noodles, this fabulous family-friendly meal is one you’ll enjoy again and again.
Chilled Peanut Noodles
In these luscious chilled noodles, whole grain spaghetti is tossed with Almost Instant Peanut Sauce, while a generous garnish of chopped scallion adds a delightful contrasting sharpness. Sometimes it’s just that simple! “Instant favorite,” writes one commenter. Note: To make this even lower in fat, use less peanut sauce.
Penne with Tomato-Mushroom Sauce
Mushrooms, dried thyme, and fresh basil give this tomato sauce a deliciously robust flavor, while plant-based milk softens the acidity and adds a subtle creaminess. Notes a reader, “Very good sauce. I would serve it to anyone. Easy to make and healthy.”
Orzo Pasta Bowl with Kidney Beans and Sauteed Veggies
The rice-size grains of orzo pasta soak up a velvety cashew sauce in this toothsome pasta bowl. Mushrooms give a woody, umami flavor, kidney beans lend a satisfying heft, and the aromatic onion and garlic ensure that every bite is one to savor. Top with raw spinach for an enticing textural contrast. As one reader puts it: “This was really good. Not too difficult to put together. Lots of flavor and I feel good after eating it.“
Butternut Cream Farfalle with Black Beans and Pumpkin Seeds
Frozen cubes of butternut squash make quick work of this gold-hued pasta sauce, with tomato paste adding tang and a dollop of almond butter lending richness. This is ready in as much time as it takes to cook the pasta! Note: Any variety of pasta works here; however, the bow tie pasta is a fun change. Note: If you prefer to use fresh butternut squash, simply double the cooking time
Linguine with Root Vegetable Ribbons
With a triple dose of root-veggie goodness, curly ribbons of carrot and parsnip combine with finely sliced radishes and whole grain linguine for an ultra-comforting pasta dish that’s ready in just 20 minutes. To punch up the flavor, add currants, fresh basil, and scallions. Pro tip: You can make the veggie ribbons using a potato peeler.
Roasted Tomato and Cannellini Bean Pasta
With just a handful of ingredients, this mouthwatering tomato pasta from Heather McDougall has a surprising depth of flavor thanks to fire-roasted tomatoes and plenty of garlic. Cannellini beans add heft and creaminess to the tomato sauce. If you like things spicy, sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Serve as it is or with sautéed kale, spinach, or another green.
Penne with Swiss Chard, Olives, and Currants
Salty olives, sweet currants, and earthy Swiss chard come together in this primo penne swirling with complementary flavors. Serve for lunch or dinner. Note: The recipe calls for cooked pasta, so be sure to get that started first.
Vegan Pancit with Vegetables
In this delectable Filipino-style noodle dish, thin-thread rice noodles are topped with colorful, just-cooked veggies coated in a semi-sweet soy sauce. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges for extra flavor. To make it spicy, just add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to the sauce. One reviewer writes, “I grew up eating pancit and decided to try this recipe. My family and I really enjoyed it. Will definitely make this again!”
Penne with Butternut Squash and Fresh Fennel
Fennel fans will love this delectable five-ingredient pasta, which also features sweet butternut squash and a garnish of walnuts.
About the Author
About the Author
Lisa Esile, MS
As an author, Do Nothing meditation instructor, and wellness coach, Lisa Esile combines her love for food and nutrition with her mental health background and delights in helping people find a stress-free way to make lasting lifestyle changes. Esile has a master’s degree in human nutrition and is the co-author/illustrator of Whose Mind Is It Anyway? Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life. Learn more at lisaesile.com.
See More from this AuthorMORE FROM FORKS OVER KNIVES
Join our mailing list
Get free recipes and the latest info on living a happy, healthy plant-based lifestyle.
By providing your email address, you consent to receive newsletter emails from Forks Over Knives. We value your privacy and will keep your email address safe. You may unsubscribe from our emails at any time.
Comments (0)
(0 from 0 votes)