Vegan Creamy Cajun Pasta. A rich, luscious, spicy pasta filled with colorful peppers, meaty mushrooms, and tons of cajun flavor! This 30-minute pasta dish is super easy to make and can be made gluten-free by using your pasta of choice!
If you love creamy vegan dishes, you’ll definitely want to try my Hidden Veggie Pasta Sauce, Cashew Cream Veggie Pasta, or my Creamy Wild Mushroom Rice Soup next!
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It doesn’t get any better than this! Who doesn’t love a creamy, mouthwatering pasta dish loaded with colorful veggies and delicious cajun spices!? This Vegan Creamy Cajun Pasta comes together quickly and easily for a filling, healthy meal.
What You Need To Make This Vegan Creamy Cajun Pasta
- Pasta: I use Gluten-Free Penne Pasta. Here’s a link to the pasta I used for this recipe: Jovial Grain-Free Cassava Pasta. Feel free to use your favorite pasta!
- Mushrooms: Portobello mushrooms and crimini mushrooms serve as the “meat” in this recipe. You can also add any extra protein to this dish. Just cook the recipe as directed and add your protein of choice on top!
- Peppers: It would not be cajun pasta without the vibrant peppers! Use any color you like!
- Cashew Cream Sauce:
- Cajun Seasoning: Cajun seasoning is a blend of spices you can easily make home! You’ll need smoked paprika, thyme, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. This pasta is not spicy and only packs a little bit of heat. For a milder version, omit the cayenne pepper. For an extra spicy version, use extra cayenne and/or hot sauce.
- Aromatics: The mushrooms and peppers will be cooked with garlic, onions, and thyme for an added layer of flavor.
Cajun Cashew Cream Sauce
Cashew Cream Sauce is the base for this flavorful pasta! It is a luscious sauce made from soaked cashews, broth, and a few other simple ingredients. You can use cashew cream sauce as a tasty dairy-free/vegan alternative to traditional white sauces (like alfredo). It’s a versatile sauce that can be used for anything from pasta to tacos to pastries!
Not only is cashew cream sauce savory and velvety, but it also has wonderful health benefits! It’s:
- Filled with heart-healthy essential fatty acids, which help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Packed with Protein: 5 grams of protein per ounce!
- Good source of copper and magnesium–important for bone health and maintenance of collagen and elastin in our bodies
- Antioxidant-rich with tons of Vitamin E and K
How to make Cashew Cream Sauce:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Pour the hot water over the cashews and allow the cashews to soak for 15-20 minutes.
- Drain the cashews. Add the cashews to a blender with broth, seasonings, and garlic. Blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
How To Make Vegan Creamy Cajun Pasta
Making this creamy cajun pasta dish is easy and can be done in less than 30 minutes! Here are a couple of tips to making this recipe seamlessly:
- Start by boiling the water to soak the cashews. The raw cashews will need to soak in boiled water for at least 15 minutes so they can be used to make the creamy cajun sauce. (The longer you can soak your cashews, the better. I like to soak my cashews for 30 minutes.)
- Prepare the pasta according to package instructions. While the cashews are soaking, make the pasta. Then, start by preparing the veggies for the pasta.
- Saute the onions and mushrooms first. I slice my mushrooms large, which makes them take a bit longer to cook (about 5-7 minutes). Then, the peppers are added and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the Cashew Cream Sauce. Once the cashews are done soaking, add the drained cashews to a blender along with broth garlic, and few seasonings. Blend for 1-2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy!
- Add the cajun seasonings and cooked pasta. Mix everything together and you’re all done! If you would like your pasta to be a bit creamier, stir in a bit of vegetable broth (about 1/4 cup).
- Garnish with parsley, lemon, and red crushed peppers. Enjoy!
I hope you enjoy this Vegan Creamy Cajun Pasta!
If you try the recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments. Leave a quick review & star rating ★ below! Take pictures, tag #goodfoodbaddie, and share them with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchen.
More Vegan Pasta Dishes
- Vegan Eggplant Meatballs
- Cashew Cream Veggie Pasta
- Vegan Eggplant Lasagna with Butternut Squash Puree
- Creamy Pistacho Pesto
Vegan Creamy Cajun Pasta
Ingredients
Cajun Seasoning
- 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Thyme
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
Cajun Pasta
- 8 oz Gluten-Free Dried Penne Pasta, or pasta of choice
- 1 Medium red pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 Medium green pepper, roughly chopped
- 1/2 Medium orange pepper, roughly chopped
- 2 cups Sliced Mushrooms
- 1/2 Small onion, roughly chopped
- 3 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp Fresh Thyme
- 2 tbsp Vegan Butter (or cooking oil)
Cashew Cream Sauce
- 1.5 cups Raw Cashews
- 2 cups Vegetable Broth
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
Instructions
Making the Cashew Cream Sauce
- Place the raw cashews in a small bowl. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Pour the boiled water over the raw cashews and let the cashews soak for at least 15 minnutes.
- After soaking, drain and transfer the cashews to a food processor or blender. Add the broth, garlic, and salt to the food processor. Blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Set Aside
Making the Cajun Pasta
- Cook the pasta according to instructions on package and set aside.
- Combine the ingredients for the Cajun Seasoning in a smal b
- Heat the vegan butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic add onion, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme, and a pinch of salt. Cook the mushrooms for 5-7 minutes, or until golden brown. Add pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the cashew cream sauce and the seasonings to the pan and mix well.
- Fold in the cooked pasta. Toss to coat with the sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, slowly stir in vegetable broth (up to 1/4 cup.
- Remove the pasta from the heat. Garnish with parsley, lemon wedges, and red crushed pepper.
Very easy and tasty meal. Even my picky 5 year enjoyed it. The only thing I did differently was used actual canjun seasoning since we already had it. I’m not a vegan but am trying to broaden my horizons. Thanks for the recipe.
I am glad you liked the recipe. I have other vegan recipes on my site that are easy and tasty like this one. My avocado pesto with gnocchi is one of my favs. I hope you discover more tasty recipes as you explore vegan cooking! 🙂
Yum! This pasta was so delicious! I love adding Cajun seasoning to food it always adds
So much flavour.
The flavors are on point in this pasta recipe. We will be making it again for dinner next week!
Yay! I am glad to hear it! Thanks for leaving a review!
I had a couple friends over for dinner last night and I made this pasta for them. My vegan friend said it was one of the most flavorful pastas she has ever had! I’m definitely going to be making this again!
So good, so rich, so creamy! I enjoyed every bite of this pasta dish. I have since used your cashew cream in other recipes. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Shanna! I am glad to hear that you enjoy the cashew cream! It is most certainly my favorite! Thanks for leaving a review!
This pasta was SO good! The cashew cream sauce was my favorite part — I could eat that all by itself!!
It’s my favorite part too! I am glad you liked!
love the creamy consistency achieved with the cashews. My vegan friends loved this when I made it for a lunch party this weekend!
Hi! I am glad to hear it! Thanks for leaving a review!
This is one of those perfect “use up the produce” meals that comes together quickly for the perfect weeknight meal. I had all of the ingredients on hand so decided to try it and I’m so glad I did. Next time I will try with gluten free pasta!
I couldn’t agree more! The more veggies the better! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
I added some vegan Italian Sausage to the recipe and we all gobbled it up – it was that good!
Yumm! What a great addition! I am glad you like the recipe! 🙂
I’ve been adding more vegan recipes to our dinners as a way to help us eat healthier. This dish was so good, we forgot there was no meat in it. Winner!
Yay! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe 🙂