Creamy Vegan "Beef" Pasta with Peppers

5 from 1 vote

Creamy Vegan "Beef" Pasta with Peppers

This family favorite pasta with peppers is creamy, meaty, and quick and easy. It tastes like indulgent comfort food, but it's ready in just 30 minutes, making it perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Inspired by this Creamy Sausage and Peppers Pasta by Salt & Lavender.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Dish, Pasta

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 481kcal

Author: Jenn Sebestyen

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
16 ounces medium pasta shells or medium pasta shape of choice; use gluten-free pasta if desired
2 tablespoons olive oil divided
12 ounces vegan ground beef I used Impossible
1 small yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 bell peppers any color, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
½ teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Instructions

Add the cashews to a bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside to soak.
Cook the pasta in well-salted water according to package directions for al dente. SAVE 2 cups of the pasta cooking water before draining.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add the vegan ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until crumbled and browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, and peppers until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the oregano, paprika, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
When the peppers are almost done, drain and rinse the soaked cashews. Add them to a high-speed blender with 1 cup of fresh water. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Add the cashew cream and nutritional yeast to the skillet with the peppers. Stir well to combine.
Add the cooked vegan ground beef back to the skillet. Stir to combine. Add some of the pasta cooking water until the desired consistency is reached. If it's too thin, continue to cook on medium heat until thickened.
Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. Serve immediately.

Notes

~ If you don't have a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix or Blendtec, you may need to strain the sauce so it's not gritty.

~ Cook the pasta in well-salted water!

~ Save 2 cups of the pasta cooking water to thin to the sauce. You may not use all of it, but it's better to have it just in case.

~ To make this recipe gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free pasta.

~ To make this recipe nut-free, use sunflower seeds instead of cashews.

Nutrition