This vegan lemon pasta is the perfect way to get a healthy, delicious meal on the table in a flash. In 15 minutes, you’ll have a rich, healthy pasta dish full of bright, citrus flavor, a touch of heat, and a creamy texture. It’s a healthy take on creamy pasta that everyone will love.
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When people think of vegan pasta recipes, the last thing that comes to mind is creamy sauces. Though, there’s a secret to making rich, creamy sauces without using dairy. It’s silken tofu. Blended silken tofu makes a rich, creamy base for pasta dishes without using cream, and it adds protein, as well. You have to try it!
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Why You’ll Love This Vegan Lemon Pasta
- Simple Ingredients: Everything you need to make this dish is readily available at any grocery store. Even the silken tofu is commonplace these days.
- Easy to Make: It only takes about 15 minutes to make this recipe from start to finish.
- Rich, Creamy Texture: The silken tofu gives the sauce a rich, creamy texture.
- Bright, Complex Flavor: The lemon juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes combine to create a complex blend of bright, bold, and spicy flavors.
Ingredients
- Spaghetti: Long noodles like spaghetti are the classic choice for lemon pasta.
- Silken Tofu: Blended silken tofu is the rich, creamy base for the sauce. Its mild flavor appeals to everyone.
- Lemon Juice and Zest: Lemon juice and zest add a bright, citrus flavor to the dish.
- Seasonings: Garlic, black pepper, parsley, and red pepper add a pop of flavor to the sauce.
- Vegan Parmesan: Vegan Parmesan as a topper adds more classic flavor.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Substitutions and Variations
- Any long noodle variety like spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine works well in this recipe. Use gluten-free noodles if needed.
- For a mild version of this recipe, omit the red pepper flakes.
- Nutritional yeast can be used instead of vegan parmesan for a cheesy finish.
- Try adding spinach, cherry tomatoes, or arugula for flavor, color, and health benefits.
How to Make Vegan Lemon Pasta
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente. Drain it and set it aside, reserving ¼ cup of the pasta water. While the pasta is cooking, follow the remaining steps.
- Blend the silken tofu, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Saute the garlic in olive oil over medium heat until fragrant.
- Add the blended tofu mixture to the skillet and stir well. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to heat it through, then season with salt and black pepper to taste. If the lemon pasta sauce seems too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water.
- Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Then, add red pepper flakes for a little spice.
- Stir in the chopped parsley and toss again. Serve garnished with extra parsley and lemon zest, and enjoy!
FAQ
Lemon pasta is a dish made with spaghetti or similar noodles tossed in a rich, creamy lemon sauce.
Silken tofu is a type of tofu made without curdling the soy milk base. It has a soft and light texture and a mild, neutral flavor.
Silken tofu has a mild flavor, often described as a subtle beany or nutty taste. Its neutral flavor makes it the perfect vehicle for other flavors to shine through and adds a thick and creamy texture to vegan sauces and desserts.
Unfortunately, these tofu varieties are not interchangeable in recipes. Both varieties are distinctly different in both flavor and texture.
You can use bottled lemon juice in place of fresh, but only as a last resort. While fresh lemon juice is bright with notes of sweetness under its tart flavor, bottled lemon juice tends to have a dull, acidic taste. In this recipe, you also want to use the zest of the lemon to give it a robust lemon flavor.
Expert Tips
- Be sure you cook your noodles to al dente and no further. You don’t want the heat from the sauce to make the noodles too soft.
- DO NOT use regular tofu in place of silken tofu for this recipe. Both of these tofu variations have very different flavors and textures, and your sauce will not turn out creamy if you use regular tofu.
- Add a very small amount of pasta water at a time to adjust the thickness of your sauce. You can always add more, but you can never remove it.
- Be sure to toss the pasta to coat it rather than stirring it. This reduces the chances of breaking up the pasta.
Serving Suggestions
As mentioned earlier, a sprinkling of vegan parmesan cheese makes a nice finish to this recipe. You can also serve simple sides like soy-glaze Brussels sprouts or stuffed mushroom caps on the side for more flavor and texture.
For dessert, try pairing fruity recipes with the lemon flavor of the main course. Dishes like vegan apple galette, vegan strawberry shortcake, or vegan glazed lemon cookies.
Video
Storage
Refrigerator: Store for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Reheat: Place the pasta in a large skillet or pot and cook over medium-low heat until heated through.
Recipe
Vegan Lemon Pasta (15 Minutes)
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 12 oz spaghetti
- ¼ cup reserved pasta water
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 12 oounces silken tofu
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- red pepper flakes optional, for heat
- vegan parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
- Blend the silken tofu, lemon juice, and zest in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.
- Add the blended tofu mixture to the skillet with the garlic. Stir well and let it heat through for 1-2 minutes—season with salt and black pepper to taste. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss until evenly coated. Adjust seasoning if needed, and add red pepper flakes if you’d like a little spice.
- Stir in chopped parsley and toss again.
- Divide the pasta into bowls and garnish with extra parsley and lemon zest if desired.
Video
Notes
- Sprinkle with nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan for a cheesy finish.
- Stir in leaf spinach, cherry tomatoes, or arugula for added color.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
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