Vegan Pasta with Roasted Tomato & Cashew Cream Sauce
A sauce built from roasted tomatoes, garlic and soaked cashews, blended until it clings. Rich in the way dairy is rich, without any of it.
By Vegan Cook — published 28 July 2026
Ingredients
Serves 4.
- 600 gripe tomatoes, halved
- 1 whole headgarlic, top sliced off
- 120 graw cashews, soaked 30 min in hot water
- 2 tbspnutritional yeast
- 1 tbspolive oil, plus more for roasting
- 400 gdried pasta
- 1 handfulbasil leaves
- to tastesalt, black pepper, chilli flakes
Cookware
- Roasting tray
- Large pasta pot
- Blender
- Wide sauté pan
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Roast
Toss tomatoes and the garlic head in oil and salt. Roast at 200°C / 400°F for 30 minutes until collapsed and lightly scorched at the edges.
- 02
Blend the sauce
Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the blender with the tomatoes, drained cashews and nutritional yeast. Blend until completely smooth and glossy.
- 03
Cook the pasta
Boil the pasta in well-salted water until one minute short of the packet time. Reserve a mug of the cooking water.
- 04
Bring it together
Warm the sauce in the sauté pan, add the pasta and a splash of pasta water, and toss hard for a minute until the sauce coats every piece. Finish with basil and chilli.
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen — check all packaging.
Swap note
Cashews carry the sauce. For a nut-free version use 200 g silken tofu (contains soy) or blended white beans. Use gluten-free pasta to drop the gluten.