Vegan Lemon Pasta

This yummy vegan lemon pasta features tender noodles smothered in a cashew lemon sauce and topped with fresh basil and almond flour parmesan. It’s a perfect weeknight plant-based meal for you and your people!

This plant-based lemon pasta has quickly turned into a go-to favorite at our house. You can serve it with any noodles you like, but you can’t go wrong with angel hair pasta!

Key Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

• Cashews — We’ll use a cup of raw cashews to make this sauce nice and creamy. If you prefer the sauce without cashews, check out my plant-based bechamel sauce recipe.
• Garlic — You’ll need 5 cloves for the ultimate garlic flavor.
• Lemons — Two fresh lemons are a must to get the most lemon flavor possible!
• Olive oil — There’s no doubt that olive oil is the way to go. If you prefer oil-free pasta, a bit of white wine is a good substitution. For vegan lemon butter pasta, substitute vegan butter.
• Nooch — We’ll be using nutritional yeast flakes to add cheesy flavor.
• Miso paste — I prefer the umami flavor that mild miso paste adds, but you can substitute soy sauce.
• Pasta — Whatever pasta. you use, whether thick spaghetti, angel hair, fettuccine, or linguine, cook it according to the package instructions.
• Salt & Pepper to Taste — Add freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste.

How to Make Vegan Lemon Pasta

1. To make the vegan lemon cream sauce, cook cashews in water until tender.
2. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
3. While the pasta cooks, drain the cashews and transfer them to a food processor. Immediately add chopped garlic to allow the heat from the hot cashews to tenderize them. Add the nutritional yeast flakes and miso (or whatever substitution you use).
4. Zest one lemon and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of lemon zest to the blender. Cut the lemon in half and juice both halves. Add 4 tablespoons of lemon juice to the food processor.
5. After the pasta has cooked, add 1 cup of pasta water to the cashews in the blender. Pulse in short bursts to break up the cashews into small pieces. Use a spatula to wipe down the sides of the blender. Then pulse again until creamy. 
6. Cook the pasta in a pot with salted water. Use the package as a guide, cooking the pasta until it’s al dente (tender, but with a bit of a bite).
7. When the pasta is nearly finished, remove two cups of the cooking water and transfer it to a heat-resistant bowl, such as a Pyrex measuring bowl.
8. Cut the other lemon into slices.
9. Drain the pasta, then transfer it immediately back into the pan or a skillet. Add the olive oil, 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water, and lemon slices. Toss to coat.
10. Pour the creamy lemon sauce into the pan with the pasta and toss to combine.
11. Place the pasta on a plate and garnish with additional vegan parmesan, freshly ground black pepper, and some chopped parsley or basil.

Vegan Pasta

If you love this vegan lemon pasta recipe, here are more vegan pasta favorites to try:

Garlic Confit Pasta

30 mins total

Vegan Baked Ziti

50 mins total

Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

60 mins total

Vegan Lasagna Soup

30 mins total