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Sun-Dried Tomato Vegan Pasta

Sun-dried tomato vegan pasta with rigatoni in a creamy dairy-free coconut sauce. Chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, spinach, and nutritional yeast create a thick, clingy coating.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rigatoni or penne
  • 1 lb rigatoni or penne Use as written for best ridged sauce cling.
Sun-dried tomatoes in oil
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil Chop so they distribute evenly.
Baby spinach
  • 3 cup baby spinach Add at the end to wilt while keeping bright color.
Garlic
  • 4 garlic Minced cloves.
Full-fat coconut cream
  • 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut cream
Pasta water
  • 0.5 cup pasta water Reserve at least 1 cup when cooking pasta.
Nutritional yeast
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast Also use extra for serving.
Tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes Adjust heat to taste.
Sun-dried tomato oil
  • 2 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil Use from the jar.
Fresh basil
  • 1 fresh basil For topping (plus extra if you like).
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook pasta and reserve water
  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, cook rigatoni or penne until al dente, and reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining. Visual cue: pasta should still feel firm in the center.
Build the sun-dried tomato sauce
  1. Heat sun-dried tomato oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat, then sauté minced garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes for 2 minutes. Visual cue: garlic becomes fragrant but not browned.
  2. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Visual cue: paste darkens slightly and smells deeper.
  3. Add full-fat coconut cream, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and nutritional yeast, then simmer for 5 minutes. Visual cue: sauce thickens to a creamy consistency.
Toss and finish
  1. Add drained pasta to the sauce and toss, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen and coat. Visual cue: sauce clings to the rigatoni or penne.
  2. Add baby spinach and toss until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Visual cue: spinach turns bright green and soft.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then top with fresh basil and extra nutritional yeast. Visual cue: finish looks speckled and creamy with visible herbs.

Notes

To keep the sauce silky, add pasta water a splash at a time until the coating looks glossy. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen. Freezing is not recommended because coconut cream can separate. For a lower-fat option, use light coconut milk and expect a slightly thinner sauce that may need more nutritional yeast and extra simmer time.