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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.
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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/fridge, and less than 10 minutes to make.
Beans ~ White beans are high in protein, fiber, potassium, folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, calcium and iron. [source] 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 ~ Asparagus is incredibly high in Vitamin K and folate. It also boasts B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin A, potassium, zinc, iron, protein, and calcium, among others. [source]
If you don’t care for asparagus or don’t have any, this lemony vegan white sauce and pasta would also be delicious with roasted broccoli or green beans. Green peas mixed into the creamy pasta 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.
FAQs
Typically, no. Most white sauces are made with lots of dairy, including butter and milk. This vegan version is made with white beans instead!
Unlike typical dairy white sauce, which is typically high in calories, fat and cholesterol, this vegan white sauce is healthy! Made from protein and fiber packed white beans, you can feel good about serving this dish!
Most vegan white sauces start with a base of cashews. While those recipes are delicious, they can be time consuming since you need to soak the nuts for several hours first. Some are made with non-dairy milk and cauliflower. In this recipe, I use canned white beans instead of cashews for the same thick, creamy texture. It comes together quickly and easily and is a great alternative for those allergic to nuts.
More creamy vegan pasta recipes
- Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta
- Easy Hummus Pasta
- Creamy Sweet Corn Pasta
- Vegan Mushroom Pasta
- Creamy Balsamic Summer Pasta Salad
- Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Creamy Vegan White Sauce Pasta
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
For the Asparagus:
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- salt/pepper to taste
For the Pasta:
- 16 ounces ziti or pasta of choice (use gluten free noodles if desired)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil or 2 tablespoons vegetable broth
- ½ of a yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans rinsed and drained (or 1 ⅕ cups cooked white beans)
- ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth plus extra to thin, if needed
- juice of ½ lemon or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper optional
- fresh parsley to garnish
- zest of 1 lemon to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F and bring a big pot of water to a boil.
- Trim off the woody bottoms of the asparagus. Toss the asparagus with oil, salt and pepper.
- Spread the asparagus out on a rimmed baking sheet in one even layer. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes until tender and starting to brown.
- Meanwhile, cook the ziti (or pasta of choice) according to package directions in well salted water.
- While the pasta is cooking and the asparagus is roasting, make the sauce.
- In a small skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of oil (or 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth) over medium-high heat. Sauté the diced onion for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Combine the beans, onion/garlic mixture, vegetable broth, lemon juice, and salt in a high speed blender and purée until smooth. Add a little more broth (or some of the pasta water) to thin if needed.
- To serve, combine the ziti and sauce and serve the asparagus either on the side or mixed in with the noodles.
- Garnish with extra lemon zest, parsley, and an extra squeeze of fresh lemon, if desired.
Notes
Storage/Freezing 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. Leftover sauce can also be frozen in an air-tight container or freezer-safe plastic bag up to 3 months. I do not recommend freezing the pasta with the sauce combined.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Alisa Fleming
Lemon pasta has been on my bucket list for a while! I tried one recipe ages ago and it was a fail. Your recipe looks so much more promising!
Jenn S.
Now you’re making me nervous. LOL! We like it and it’s so easy!
Alisa Fleming
You’re too funny! You always nail the flavors so I know this will be great.
Jenn S.
Fingers crossed. Let me know if you try it! 🙂 Thanks, Alisa!
Stephanie
I’m loving spring flavors like asparagus and lemon right now. And you can never go wrong with pasta. Sounds like the perfect meal!
Jenn S.
Thanks, Stephanie! Hooray for spring!
Whitney E, R.D.
This ziti looks so creamy + full of flavor! I am loving the lemon twist and that roasted asparagus sounds delicious 🙂
Jenn S.
I’m obsessed with roasted asparagus! Thanks, Whitney!
Deryn
What a yummy dish for spring. I love that you used beans in the sauce, that’s so smart!! Looks fresh and filling!
Jenn S.
Thanks, Deryn! So much cheaper than cashews too! 🙂
Elle klein
It was pretty good! But I think the said would’ve gone better on cold pasta as it seized up a bit when it got hot. Will try that next time!
Elle klein
****sauce
Jenn S.
Thanks for your feedback Elle. Cold pasta salad sounds good too!
Hiroko
It was so easy and quick to make and SOOOO Delicious!!!!! Perfect for week day. Thank you!
Jenn S.
I’m so glad to hear that, Hiroko! Thank you so much! Have a great weekend!
Sarah
I thought this dish turned out pretty good! I really liked the flavour of the sauce but found mine did turn out a bit more thick than I’d prefer so I just added a bit more soy milk to thin it out. I think I even preferred it as leftovers the next day. I ended up cutting up the asparagus and fried up some “chicken” strips and added it to the dish and it really hit the spot. Thanks!
Jenn S.
Hi, Sarah! Thank you so much for your comment. I’m glad to hear you liked it. Have a great week!
Tam
Can you use coconut milk?
Jenn S.
Hi, Tam. That would probably work. I haven’t tried it and full fat coconut milk might change the flavor just a bit…Lite coconut milk is usually less flavorful. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Kelly
Made this for dinner last night and loved it! Will definitely make again.
Jenn S.
Yay!! I’m so glad you liked it, Kelly!! Thank you so much for your comment! Enjoy your evening!
Lynn
I made your creamy lemon ziti with roasted asparagus for dinner tonight and it was delicious. Plus, it icomes together so quickly, so it’s perfect for a quick, healthy, satisfying week night dinner. Will definitely make it again!
Jenn S.
I’m so glad you liked it! It really doesn’t take any longer than boiling the noodles. Perfect for a weeknight and so kid friendly too!
Linda @ Veganosity
Lemon and asparagus makes everything better! This looks delicious Jenn. 🙂
Jenn S.
Totally agree, Linda! Thanks!
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen
My mouth is watering!! I can’t wait to try this 🙂
Jenn S.
Thanks, Ceara! Let me know if you do!
Audrey @ Unconventional Baker
What a stunning recipe, Jenn! I love asparagus and lemon, and I love pasta with creamy sauce, but I seldom have all those things together and I have no idea why. Beautiful photos too <3
Jenn S.
Asparagus and lemon were pretty much made to go together, right? 🙂 And I like the bright lemon flavor to cut the heaviness of the sauce. It’s so good!
Lynn Thurman
This looks so good and easy. Great for a quick weekday dinner. Will definitely try it.
Jenn S.
Thanks! Let me know if you do try it and how you like it! You could even add a balsamic drizzle just before serving for Dad!
Natalie
This looks so savory!! And I think pretty much all pasta dishes are better with a little lemon 🙂
Jenn S.
I agree, Natalie! Lemon makes everything taste brighter! Love it!