This skinny Creamy Garlic Sauce with Penne Pasta is a wholesome, non-dairy alternative to a classic pasta dish. The creamy base is made with sautéed garlic and cauliflower and seasoned with hemp plant-based beverage and nutritional yeast for an easy and satisfying meal the whole family will love.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
Who could go for a big bowl of pasta right about now?
I know summer is typically the season for dinner salads and barbecues, but today I’m craving something warm and creamy.
However, don’t be fooled by this big bowl of penne pasta with creamy garlic sauce. This pasta dish is a healthy spin on a classic favorite. The creamy base is made with one of my favorite, most versatile vegetables (cauliflower), and the sauce is packed with beneficial foods like nutritional yeast, garlic, and hemp. This creamy garlic sauce is finger-licking good AND good for you.
Let’s take a closer look, shall we?
How to make Pasta with Creamy Garlic Sauce {Video}
Recommended Ingredients & Equipment
Even if you’ve never made a vegan meal before, this pasta dish is super simple to make! Let’s take a look at how to make this vegan penne pasta.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This Creamy Garlic Sauce is made with just 6 wholesome ingredients. Those ingredients are:
- Garlic
- Cauliflower
- Vegetable Broth
- Non-Dairy Milk – I recommend Pacific Foods’ Unsweetened Hemp Plant-Based Beverage. Their hemp beverage is thick and creamy and relatively neutral in flavor making it perfect for this recipe.
- Nutritional Yeast
- Lemon Juice
- Pasta – I recommend penne pasta but feel free to use any kind of pasta you have on hand.
Recommended Equipment
For this recipe, you will need a high powdered blender. I recommend a Vitamix. These blenders can be pricy, but my Vitamix is, by far, the most used gadget in my kitchen.
You will need a saucepot, skillet, basic kitchen utensils, and a colander. (<<affiliate links)
Check out the full list of my recommended kitchen tools and gadgets.
Best Non-Dairy Milk
To make this Creamy Garlic Sauce extra nourishing, I used my favorite brand of plant-based beverages, local to Oregon, Pacific Foods.
I’ve been a fan of Pacific Foods for a long time. They carry a huge array of plant-based beverages including Almond, Coconut, Hazelnut, Soy, Cashew, Rice, Oat, and of course, Hemp.
Beyond providing delicious plant-based beverages, Pacific Foods is a company that takes great care in offering good products while choosing carefully sourced ingredients that not only nourish people but also the communities and environment we live in. Through volunteering, sustainable practices, local sourcing, and much more, Pacific Foods strives to improve the quality of our lives around the world.
This is the kind of company I love to support.
How to Make Creamy Vegan Pasta
Step One – Make the Pasta
Make the pasta according to package instructions. Cook the pasta until it is al dente, about 12 minutes. Once it’s done, strain it through a colander and set aside.
Step Two – Make the Sauce
Sauté minced garlic stirring occasionally, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add cauliflower florets and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Once the cauliflower is tender, add vegetable broth, cover, and cook until cauliflower is cooked all the way through.
Transfer the cooked cauliflower mixture to a high-speed blender. Add non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt and blend until completely smooth.
Serving and Storing
Toss the pasta to the Creamy Garlic Sauce. Sprinkle a fresh parsley and red pepper flakes and serve.
Serve pasta immediately with artisan bread and a side salad.
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Gently reheat the pasta over the stove with 1-2 tablespoons of water.
Tips and Tricks
- Immediately mix the cooked pasta with your creamy garlic sauce to avoid clumping.
- For a gluten-free meal, try this Gluten-Free Penne Pasta(<<affiliate links)
- Looking for a cauliflower free vegan alfredo sauce? Try this White Wine Alfredo Pasta.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
- Vegan Pesto Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta with Bechamel Sauce
- Penne Pasta with Vegan Vodka Sauce
- Pumpkin Alfredo with Roasted Hazelnuts
- Skinny Fettuccine Alfredo
Skinny Creamy Garlic Sauce with Penne Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 head small cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized florets
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup Pacific Foods Hemp Unsweetened Original Non-Dairy Beverage
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2-1 tsp salt
- 12 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
Instructions
- Make the penne pasta according to package instructions. While the pasta is boiling, make your Creamy Garlic Sauce
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until garlic is fragrant. About 2 minutes.
- Add cauliflower florets and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Once slightly tender, add vegetable broth, cover, and cook until cauliflower is soft all the way through, about 10 more minutes.
- Transfer to a high-speed blender. Add hemp beverage, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt. Blend until completely smooth.
- Strain cooked pasta, rinse with cool water, and transfer it in a large bowl. Add Creamy Garlic Sauce and stir to coat. Serve with fresh parsley or red pepper flakes.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Melissa says
Have also sautéed a small onion and added pepper and smoked paprika powder.
Thanks for the great recipe and kind regards from Germany 🙂
NatashaM says
Delicious!! I made it for my family tonight and it was a big hit. However, the sauce seemed quite runny, so I would record adding more cauliflower and/or less liquid
Erin says
Do you have to use hemp milk or is there another option?
Sarah McMinn says
You can use any non-dairy milk
Lydia says
I have never cooked with cauliflower before and was a little skeptical, but it was delicious! I didn’t tell my kids what was in it and they never guessed it was anything but regular sauce. I topped with fresh parsley, which added a super fresh kick to the sauce 🙂
Cassie says
I could eat an entire pot of this ? ? SO yummy!
Sarah Smith says
This looks amazing!! Cant wait to try!
Sarah says
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it.
Ginua says
Read this today and immediately tried it. Fantastic!! Can’t wait to the sauce on other vehicles besides pasta. Pizza? Potatoes?
Sarah says
So glad you liked it. Here’s a recipe that uses a similar sauce on a pizza: https://www.mydarlingvegan.com/roasted-vegetable-pizza-cauliflower-alfredo-sauce/