Creamy Vegan Broccoli Pasta
Get ready to have your socks knocked right off your feet with this easy creamy vegan broccoli pasta recipe – with an alfredo type sauce that’s made nut free with silken tofu, NOT cashews! It’s one of our favorite quick weeknight dinner recipes and also makes for the best impressive date night pasta. If you love crispy roasted broccoli and creamy dairy free pastas, you’re going to love this meal!
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How many people do you know who are afraid to go vegan because they “could never live without dairy”? I’m betting you know at least one if not several dozen.
And hey, maybe you’re not yet vegan and dairy is what’s holding you back from making the leap. In any case, I hear you. I was that person who was afraid to let go of dairy. I was afraid I would never again taste the decadent comfort from a big bowl of mac and cheese after a long day or a rich creamy alfredo sauce so amazing, you can’t help but eat it with a spoon!
Then, I met a new friend – silken tofu. And suddenly, my vegan life was FILLED with creamy comforting pasta dishes once again. Not to mention – creamy salad dressings, a spicy queso sauce, and even homemade vegan mozzarella.
The dish I present to you today is a super easy creamy vegan broccoli pasta using this magical ingredient.
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Creamy Vegan Broccoli Pasta Ingredients
You’ll need some fettuccine pasta to start. If you don’t have fettuccine, linguine or even spaghetti would work!
For the roasted broccoli, you’ll need:
- Broccoli
- Olive oil – Optional. If you’re oil-free, try spritzing the broccoli with a little water before seasoning and roasting it.
- Spices – garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and ground black pepper
For the creamy vegan pasta sauce, you’ll need:
- Silken tofu – Soft tofu also works!
- Unsweetened plain non-dairy milk – Make sure you use a milk that’s both unsweetened AND plain (also called “original”). You want as neutral flavored milk as possible for a savory pasta dish like this. Unsweetened canned coconut milk can also work!
- Nutritional yeast – This is a staple ingredient in vegan cooking! It’s a deactivated yeast that is NOT interchangeable with other yeasts (like Brewer’s). It adds a nutty cheesy flavor to our creamy pasta sauce. If you don’t have it, try subbing 1 Tbsp ground mustard.
- Fresh garlic and onion
- Lemon Juice – To add a fresh, bright zippy flavor.
- Tapioca Starch – This adds a thick gooey quality to the sauce that is decadent AF.
- Tahini – To add rich undertones to the flavor of our sauce.
- Vegan chicken-style bouillon powder – We always use and highly recommend our homemade vegan bouillon powder. You can also sub the same amount of bouillon “paste” or dissolve 1/2 bouillon cube in the water before blending.
- SPICES – Salt + pepper!
How to Make Vegan Alfredo with Broccoli
It’s so easy to make this vegan creamy broccoli pasta!
Step 1: Prep the pasta and broccoli.
First, cook your pasta according to the directions on the package.
While the pasta is cooking, preheat your oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the broccoli florets with the oil and spices. Roast at 400F for 13-15 minutes.
Step 2: Make the creamy vegan sauce.
Next, while the broccoli is roasting, add all sauce ingredients to a small blender and blend until smooth.
Then, add the contents of the blender to a medium sauce and turn the heat to medium high. Cook the sauce for about 5-7 minutes to let it thicken.
Step 3: Assemble the dish.
Remove sauce from heat and stir in the pasta. If your pasta has been sitting for a while, you may want to splash it with some hot water before adding it to the sauce.
Then, stir in half of the roasted broccoli.
How to Serve Creamy Vegan Pasta with Broccoli
Serve this creamy pasta hot in a bowl topped with the rest of the roasted broccoli and some freshly ground black pepper. It would be great served with a green side salad or batch of vegan parmesan breadsticks!
Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge in an air-tight container, and we would not recommend freezing this sauce. Silken tofu doesn’t hold up well in the freezer!
Vegan Broccoli Alfredo + Wine Pairing
We like to pair this creamy vegan broccoli pasta with the crisp acidity of a classic Italian Pinot Grigio! Our favorite vegan-friendly pinot grigio is from Ziobaffa!
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
- Creamy Roasted Garlic Pasta
- Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Broccoli Rabe
- Vegan Baked Feta Pasta
- Vegan Vodka Pasta
- Dairy-Free Stuffed Shells
If you try this creamy vegan broccoli pasta, let us know! You can rate the recipe and leave a comment below or tag us in your splenderific photos on Instagram. We’re @theplantpowercouple with the “the”.
We are rather confident you’ll fall head over heels for it as easily as we did. Cheers!
Creamy Vegan Broccoli Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
For the roasted broccoli:
- 1 large head broccoli cut into small florets + stems removed (about 2 cups)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
For the creamy vegan pasta sauce:
- 6 oz silken tofu
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsweetened plain non-dairy milk
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 2 Tbsp diced white onion
- 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp tapioca starch
- 1 Tbsp tahini
- 1/2 Tbsp vegan chicken bouillon powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- COOK THE PASTA: Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package. Set aside.
- ROAST THE BROCCOLI: Preheat your oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the broccoli florets with the oil and spices. Roast at 400F for 13-15 minutes.
- BRING IT TOGETHER: Remove sauce from heat and stir in the pasta. If your pasta has been sitting for a while, you may want to splash it with some hot water before adding it to the sauce. Then, stir in half of the broccoli.
- SERVE: Serve this creamy pasta in a bowl topped with more roasted broccoli and some freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy!
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