Are you craving a big, comforting bowl of the richest, creamiest pasta, but looking for a healthy, dairy-free, and completely vegan version that doesn’t compromise on flavor? Get ready to fall in love with this incredible, from-scratch Creamy Vegan Pasta with Broccoli. The secret to its luscious, velvety sauce is a brilliant, wholesome, and magical ingredient—puréed white beans!
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a guide to your new favorite healthy comfort food. We’ll show you how to transform a humble can of beans into a silky-smooth sauce that is so unbelievably creamy and delicious, you won’t believe it’s packed with protein and fiber. This is a stunning, family-friendly meal that is perfect for a busy weeknight and is guaranteed to satisfy any pasta craving.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Healthy Comfort Food
What makes this Creamy Vegan Pasta so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, rich texture and its bright, fresh flavor, all derived from wholesome, plant-based ingredients. The star of the show is the from-scratch vegan cream sauce. The brilliant, secret base is a purée of creamy white beans, which creates a naturally thick and velvety texture. This beautiful sauce is then flavored with savory nutritional yeast for a “cheesy” flavor, and a bright, tangy finish from fresh lemon juice. Tender pasta shells and crisp-tender broccoli are the perfect vehicles for this luscious sauce, creating a complete and satisfying one-pan (mostly!) meal.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 30 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
The Essential Ingredients for This “Magic” Vegan Pasta
This recipe uses a handful of simple, wholesome ingredients to create its signature comforting and cheesy flavor.
- The Creamy White Bean Sauce (The Secret to Creaminess!):
- Cooked White Beans: This is the genius, healthy hack for a creamy sauce! A can of your favorite white beans, like cannellini or Great Northern beans, when blended, breaks down into an impossibly smooth, creamy, and neutral-flavored base that is packed with protein and fiber.
- Nutritional Yeast: This is the non-negotiable secret weapon for any great vegan cheese sauce! Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that is sold as a yellow, flaky powder. It has a wonderfully savory, nutty, and distinctly “cheesy” umami flavor. It’s also a fantastic source of B vitamins. You can find it in the health food aisle of most grocery stores.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: The bright, acidic kick of fresh lemon juice is essential for cutting through the richness of the sauce and providing that slight, sharp “tang” that is characteristic of a good cheese sauce.
- The Vegetables:
- Fresh Broccoli: This recipe cleverly uses the entire broccoli! The tougher stems are chopped and sautéed first to make them tender, while the delicate florets are gently steamed at the end to keep them perfectly crisp-tender and vibrant green.
- The Pasta: A classic, medium-sized pasta shape is perfect for catching all that glorious sauce. Small shells are a fantastic choice, but other great options include elbow macaroni, cavatappi, or rotini.
Step-by-Step to the Best Creamy Vegan Pasta
This delicious meal comes together in just a few simple stages.
Step 1: Make the Creamy White Bean Sauce
In a blender, combine the 1 1/2 cups of rinsed and drained cooked white beans, the 1/4 cup of vegetable broth, the 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, the 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, the 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast, the 1 minced garlic clove, the 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder, and the 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and a few grinds of pepper.
Blend the mixture until it is completely and totally smooth, creamy, and velvety. If the sauce seems too thick, you can add another splash of vegetable broth. Set the sauce aside.
Pro Tip: Using a high-powered blender will give you the absolute silkiest and smoothest result. If you are using a standard blender, just be sure to let it run for a little bit longer and scrape down the sides a few times.
Part 2: Cook the Pasta and Sauté the Vegetables
Step 1: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Prepare your 2 1/2 cups of small shell pasta according to the package instructions, cooking until it is al dente. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
Step 2: While the pasta is cooking, heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the 1 chopped small yellow onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until it is soft.
Step 3: Stir in your chopped broccoli stems and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until they are tender.
Step 4: Add the broccoli florets and leaves to the skillet, along with a small splash of water or vegetable broth. Cover the skillet and turn off the heat.
Step 5: Allow the broccoli to steam in the residual heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the florets are tender but still a vibrant, beautiful green color.
Part 3: Combine and Serve
Step 1: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the broccoli.
Step 2: Stir in about 3/4 of your prepared white bean sauce. If the sauce seems too dry, you can add another splash of vegetable broth. Toss everything together until the pasta and the vegetables are beautifully and generously coated in the luscious, creamy sauce.
Give the dish a final taste and season with any more salt, pepper, or lemon juice, as you desire.
Portion the pasta into warm bowls and divide the remaining sauce among each bowl. Top with the 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts and serve with extra lemon wedges on the side.
The Best Dreamy & Creamy Vegan Pasta (Easy Recipe!)
A healthy and easy recipe for a creamy vegan pasta dish. The rich, dairy-free sauce is cleverly made from a base of pureed white beans, blended with nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor, fresh lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil. This smooth sauce is then tossed with cooked small shell pasta and a mix of tender-crisp broccoli florets and stems that have been sautéed with onion. The dish is finished with a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts for a crunchy texture.
Ingredients
- For the Creamy Vegan Pasta Sauce:
- 1 ½ cups cooked white beans, drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup vegetable broth, plus more as needed
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- For the Pasta:
- 2 ½ cups small shell pasta
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 5 cups broccoli (florets, chopped stems, and leaves)
- ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Make the Sauce: In a blender, combine the white beans, vegetable broth, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, nutritional yeast, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Blend until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Cook the Vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft.
- Stir in the chopped broccoli stems and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, until tender.
- Add the broccoli florets and leaves to the skillet, along with a splash of water or vegetable broth. Cover the pan, turn off the heat, and let the broccoli steam for 2 to 3 minutes until tender but still bright green.
- Combine: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the vegetables. Stir in three-quarters of the prepared sauce, adding more broth if the sauce is too thick.
- Season to taste with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice as desired.
- Portion the pasta into bowls, top with the remaining sauce and a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- This recipe creates a creamy, protein-rich pasta sauce without any dairy by using pureed white beans as the base.
- Nutritional yeast is a key ingredient that provides a savory, cheesy flavor to the vegan sauce.
- Cooking the tougher broccoli stems for a few minutes before adding the delicate florets ensures that all the broccoli is perfectly cooked.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This is a fantastic make-ahead sauce for a week of delicious and easy lunches or dinners.
- Make-Ahead: The creamy white bean sauce is the perfect make-ahead component! You can prepare the entire sauce, let it cool completely, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Storage: Store any leftover pasta and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat this dish is in a skillet on the stovetop over a low heat. You will likely need to add a generous splash of water or vegetable broth to loosen the sauce and bring back its creamy consistency, as the pasta will have absorbed much of the sauce as it sat.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Add a Smoky Flavor: For a classic, smoky “mac and cheese” flavor, you can add about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika to the blender along with the other sauce ingredients.
- Use a Different Vegetable: This recipe is wonderfully versatile! Feel free to substitute the broccoli with an equal amount of roasted cauliflower, sautéed mushrooms, or some steamed asparagus. You could also wilt in a few large handfuls of fresh baby spinach at the very end.
- Use a Different Bean or Nut: If you don’t have white beans on hand, you can create a similarly creamy sauce by blending about 1 cup of raw cashews that have been soaked in hot water for at least 30 minutes.
Enjoy The Ultimate Guilt-Free Comfort Food!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, fresh ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. This classic Creamy Vegan Pasta is a testament to the power of a simple, creative idea to transform a classic comfort food into something that is both incredibly delicious and wonderfully healthy. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new family favorite.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an easy and impressive meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute secret to a creamy, not pasty, vegan pasta sauce?
The secret is the brilliant use of blended white beans! Unlike a traditional flour-based roux, which can sometimes become heavy or pasty, puréed white beans create a sauce that is naturally creamy, light in texture, and packed with protein and fiber.
Q2: What is nutritional yeast, and does this pasta sauce really taste “cheesy”?
Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that is a very popular ingredient in vegan cooking. It is sold as a yellow, flaky powder and has a wonderfully savory, nutty, and distinctly “cheesy” umami flavor. It is the absolute key ingredient that gives this sauce its authentic, savory, and cheesy taste without any dairy.
Q3: Can I make the white bean sauce ahead of time?
Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead sauce! You can prepare the entire sauce and store it in an airtight container or a jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When you are ready to eat, you can simply reheat it gently in a saucepan on the stovetop while you cook your pasta and vegetables.
Q4: Can I freeze this pasta dish?
The white bean sauce on its own freezes beautifully! Let it cool completely, and then you can store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. It is best to freeze the sauce separately from the pasta and the vegetables for the best final texture.
Q5: What are cannellini beans?
Cannellini beans are a type of white kidney bean that is very popular in Italian cuisine, particularly in Tuscany. They have a wonderful, nutty, and earthy flavor and a creamy, tender texture when cooked, which makes them a perfect, hearty base for this creamy sauce