Vegan White Sauce Pasta (Nut-Free)

A delicious creamy pasta dish with a garlicky lemon vegan white sauce served alongside roasted asparagus. It comes together easily and is ready in under 30 minutes! Perfect for a weeknight dinner. 

Creamy pasta dishes are a favorite among adults and kids alike. This easy vegan white sauce is paired with ziti and roasted asparagus for a delicious weeknight dinner the whole family will love.

Bonus: it’s nut-free and comes together easily in just 30 minutes!

Ingredients you need

Ingredient notes and substitutions

This velvety sauce is thick and creamy and full of lemon and garlic flavors. It’s also soy-free, nut-free, and can be made oil-free if you wish. It only takes 7 ingredients, all of which you likely already have in your pantry and fridge, and less than 10 minutes to make.

Beans ~ Maybe creamy vegan sauces use cashews or tofu as a base, but this recipes uses white beans instead. Cannellini beans, in particular, get super creamy when blended.

Broth ~ Use a low-sodium vegetable broth to better control the seasoning in this recipe. If you only have regular broth, taste the finished sauce first and add salt as needed to taste.

Garlic ~ Fresh garlic is best for optimal flavor. Bottled minced garlic can work in a pinch. Do not use garlic powder.

Lemon ~ Fresh squeezed lemon juice is going to give the best flavor. 100% bottled juice will work in a pinch if you must, but never use imitation lemon juice.

Pasta ~ I like medium size pasta shapes for this dish. I used ziti here, but rotini, medium shells, and penne would all be great.

To keep this recipe gluten-free, be sure to choose a certified gluten-free pasta, if needed.

Asparagus ~ If you don’t care for asparagus or don’t have any, pair this pasta with roasted broccoli or green beans instead. Green peas mixed into the creamy sauce would also be great!

How to make the recipe

Spread out the asparagus in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and roast until tender and lightly browned.

If you really like lemon, try my Roasted Asparagus with Lemon for double the lemon flavor!

While the asparagus is roasting, cook the noodles according to package directions and start the sauce.

Heat oil (or veggie broth for an oil-free option) over medium heat in a small skillet. Add the diced onions (1) and sauté until soft and translucent (2).

Add the minced garlic (3) and sauté another 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant (4).

Place all the ingredients for the vegan white sauce, including the sautéed onions and garlic in a high speed blender and purée until smooth.

Pour the vegan white sauce over the cooked noodles and mix well.

Serve the pasta with a side of roasted asparagus. Sprinkle chopped parsley and lemon zest over the top. Squeeze extra lemon juice over everything, if desired.

Storage and freezing

Fridge: Leftovers will keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Ideally, store the pasta, sauce, and asparagus all separately.

If the pasta and sauce are combined, the pasta will continue to soak up the sauce and you may need to add a splash of veggie broth upon reheating.

Freezer: Leftover sauce can also be frozen in an air-tight container or freezer-safe plastic bag up to 3 months. Again, you may need a splash of veggie broth upon reheating and whisk it well.

I do not recommend freezing the pasta with the sauce combined.

Pro tips and tricks

~ Salt the pasta water! Salting pasta water is an important step is seasoning the dish.

~ Spread the asparagus out into one single layer on a rimmed baking sheet to ensure they get browned. Overlapping the spears will result in steaming instead of roasting and they will come out soft and mushy.

~ Sauté the onion and garlic before adding it to blender to make the sauce. This will create a deeper, richer flavor in the sauce.

~ Drain and rinse the canned beans!

~ Use fresh squeezed lemon juice for best flavor, not bottled.

~ Save some of the pasta cooking water (about ¼ cup or so) to add to the sauce to make it even creamier.

~ If the sauce is too thick, add some of the pasta cooking water or a splash of vegetable broth to thin it out.

~ Don’t like asparagus? Try serving the pasta and vegan white sauce with a side of roasted broccoli or green beans instead. Or simply throw some frozen peas in with the pasta before draining it and mix it all with the sauce.

~ This recipe is vegan and nut-free.

~ For a gluten-free option, choose certified gluten-free noodles.

~ For an oil-free option, use vegetable broth instead of oil for sautéing and roasting.

More creamy vegan pasta recipes