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A bowl of creamy, spicy penne pasta with spinach and tomatoes, sprinkled with black pepper. A fork rests on a patterned napkin beside the dish. A bottle of white wine is partially visible.
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5 from 1 vote

Creamy Spicy Vegan Pasta (gluten-free)

Incredibly delicious Creamy Spicy Vegan Pasta is made with fresh spinach, and chickpea pasta, and it's garlicky too. Taste it and believe it!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time18 minutes
Total Time28 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Nisha Kapur

Ingredients

for the sauce

  • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp almond milk jalapeno cream cheese I used Kite Hill
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt

for the pasta

  • 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes use 1/2 tsp for less spice
  • 3 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 shallot chopped
  • 8 ounces cherry tomatoes sliced in half
  • 1/2 cup white wine I used sauvignon blanc, or any type you like
  • 4 cups baby spinach
  • 8 ounces chickpea pasta I used Banza
  • 2 tsp tomato paste
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning

Instructions

  • Boil a pot of water for the pasta.
  • While the water boils, make the sauce. Just blend up all the sauce ingredients and set aside. This makes 2 cups of sauce.
  • Chop the garlic, shallots and slice the cherry tomatoes.
  • Heat a pan on medium heat, once hot, add oil, and after about 15 seconds, add the crushed red pepper flakes. Let the chili flakes sizzle for about 5 seconds.
  • Add the garlic, shallots, and tomatoes. Saute for 10 minutes.
  • In the meantime, add the pasta to the boiling hot water, season water with salt.
  • Once done, season with salt, smash the cherry tomatoes slightly, be careful it doesn't squirt on you.
  • Now add the white wine. Stir and let the wine cook down for about 3 minutes, there should be a little liquid left over.
  • Now add the fresh spinach.
  • Stir to combine for about 2 minutes, the spinach will wilt.
  • This is what you should have. I love this sauce right here.
  • Lower the heat to low heat. Add the cooked and drained pasta to the sauce.
  • Add 1 cup of sauce.
  • Stir. If you need to add more sauce you can. I added another 1/2 cup since I prefer a creamy sauce.
  • Add 2 tsp of tomato paste. Make sure you use tomato paste and NOT tomato sauce. Stir. Turn off the stove.
  • Top with a sprinkle of black pepper and Italian seasoning. Stir and serve immediately.

Notes

* For gluten-free, use a gluten-free pasta. I used Banza which is a chickpea pasta that is high in protein and fiber.
** For the cream cheese, I used Kite Hill which can be found at Whole Foods, if you don't have access to Whole Foods, you can use regular or Neufchatel cream cheese (this is dairy). For a vegan option, you can try Nutritional Yeast, but I haven't tried this so I'm not sure how it will turn out.
 

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Nutrition

Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 518mg | Potassium: 401mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3295IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 265mg | Iron: 7mg