Creamy Vegan Vodka Sauce Pasta

This creamy vegan vodka sauce pasta is rich, silky, and packed with protein from silken tofu and chickpea pasta. An easy dairy-free weeknight dinner ready in about 30 minutes.

Penne alla vodka is not only my favorite pasta dish, but one of my favorite foods, period. So when developing this recipe, I had two main goals:

1. I wanted it to taste as delicious and comforting as a traditional vodka sauce.

2. I wanted it to feel nourishing, not heavy.

It took many rounds of testing over the years, but I finally landed on this Vegan Vodka Sauce Pasta. Creamy, rich, and surprisingly high in protein, it delivers everything I love about classic vodka sauce without the dairy.

The secret is my go-to silken tofu cream sauce, blended with cashews, nutritional yeast, miso, and lemon juice. It creates a creamy sauce that rivals traditional heavy cream while adding extra protein and nutrients.

Paired with chickpea or protein pasta, this recipe transforms my comfort-food favorite into a satisfying weeknight meal that's completely vegan, dairy-free, and ready in about 30 minutes.

Whether you're cooking for plant-based eaters or just looking for a lighter twist on a classic, this is a recipe I come back to again and again.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

This vodka sauce is:

• Vegan and dairy-free

• Easily made gluten-free with chickpea or lentil pasta

• High in protein

• Ready in about 30 minutes

• Rich and creamy without heavy cream

• Crowd-pleasing comfort food

• Great for meal prep

Notes on Ingredients

Pasta

I love using chickpea pasta for extra protein and fiber, or Barilla Protein+ for a more traditional pasta texture with an added protein boost. Regular pasta works great too. Choose whatever makes you feel best!

Silken Tofu

Silken tofu creates an incredibly smooth, creamy sauce without any dairy while also making this recipe sneakily high in protein. I've only tested this recipe with refrigerated silken tofu, but shelf-stable silken tofu should work just as well.

White Miso and Lemon Juice

iso adds savory depth, while lemon juice adds brightness and acidity. Together, they help balance the flavor of the silken tofu and create a more complex, well-rounded sauce.

Nutritional Yeast

Truly vegan gold. Nutritional yeast adds a subtle cheesy flavor while increasing both the protein and nutritional content of the sauce.

Cashews

I'm not afraid of cooking with oil, and you'll notice this recipe includes olive oil for flavor and richness. But rather than relying entirely on oil, I like incorporating more whole-food fat sources when possible to add nutrients and satiety.

Here, a small amount of cashews helps create a rich, luxurious texture while reducing the need for additional oil. No soaking is required if you're using a high-speed blender.

Need this recipe to be nut-free? Simply replace the cashews with an additional tablespoon of olive oil in the blended sauce.

How to Store and Freeze

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or non-dairy milk to restore the creamy texture.

I've also frozen this pasta successfully. While the sauce holds up well, wheat-based pasta tends to freeze and reheat better than chickpea pasta, which can become a bit softer after thawing. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

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Creamy Vegan Vodka Sauce Pasta (High-Protein & Dairy-Free)

Yield: 4-6 Servings

Author: Megan Breakenridge

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

This creamy vegan vodka sauce pasta is rich, silky, and packed with protein from silken tofu and chickpea pasta. An easy dairy-free weeknight dinner ready in about 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Pasta

• 14-16 ounces penne pasta (chickpea pasta or Barilla Protein+ recommended)
• Fresh basil, vegan parmesan, and freshly cracked black pepper, for serving

Vodka Sauce Base

• 2 tablespoons (30g) olive oil
• 2 medium shallots, finely minced (about 60g)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (about 6g)
• ⅓ cup (80ml) vodka
• 1 (6-ounce / 170g) can tomato paste
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Silken Tofu Cream Sauce

• 1 block (484g) silken tofu
• ⅓ cup (30g) nutritional yeast
• 2 garlic cloves (about 6g)
• 2 tablespoons (34g) white miso paste
• ½ teaspoon (1g) onion powder
• ¼ heaping cup (45g) cashews
• Juice from ½ lemon (2-3 tablespoons / 30-45g)
• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.
2. While the pasta cooks, add the silken tofu, nutritional yeast, garlic, miso, onion powder, cashews, lemon juice, and salt to a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth. Set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced shallots and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened and lightly golden. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
4. Pour in the vodka and let it simmer for about 30 seconds to cook off some of the alcohol.
5. Add the tomato paste and stir until smooth and fully incorporated.
6. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in the tofu cream sauce. Stir until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Let the sauce gently warm through for 2-3 minutes. It will thicken quickly. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
7. Before draining the pasta, reserve ½ cup of pasta water. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss until evenly coated. If needed, add a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
8. Serve immediately with additional black pepper, fresh basil, and vegan parmesan if desired.

Notes

• If you don't have a high-speed blender, soak the cashews in hot water for 20-30 minutes first.
• Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• The sauce will thicken as it cools; add a splash of water or non-dairy milk when reheating.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

416

Fat

11 g

Carbs

62 g

Protein

20 g

Per one 260g serving

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