Creamy Cherry Tomato Sauce Pasta (Vegan)

Creamy Cherry Tomato Sauce Pasta (Vegan)

Last Updated on September 17, 2022

[濃厚ミニトマトクリームソースパスタ(ヴィーガン)]

Creamy Cherry Tomato Sauce Pasta (Vegan) would be a perfect comfort food to make when sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes are in season. This vegan creamy tomato sauce has no dairy or cream at all (not even plant-based milk or nut milk) but it’s very rich and creamy.

Vegan Creamy Cherry Tomato Sauce

I love pasta of all kind but I have to say tomato sauce is my least favorite. I’ve eaten and made a lot of different types of pasta dishes in my life but I wouldn’t have found any tomato sauce that makes me crave for more…until I tired this creamy cherry tomato sauce!

Ever since then, I truly look forward to the season of sweet cherry tomatoes just to make this pasta.

Actually, I’m not really a big fan of acidic taste in tomatoes so, cherry tomatoes are the perfect choice of tomatoes for me. It’s sweet, juicy, less acidic and the best of all, it makes great tomato sauce.

I use heirloom black cherry tomatoes in this recipe.

The sauce tastes:

  • Sweet
  • Aromatic (from garlic and herbs)
  • Rich
  • Creamy

It’s one of my favorite kinds of pasta sauce…CREAMY sauce!

How Is It So Creamy?

Believe of not, this luscious cherry tomato sauce has zero dairy, nut-based cream nor any plant-based milk. The combination of the naturally sweet juice from the tomatoes and a generous amount of olive oil makes this rich creamy sauce when puréed.

When you start cooking the sweet cherry tomatoes in the oil, you’ll immediately notice that it starts to thicken on their own as the they burst and release the juice. Once you purée the sauce using an immersion blender, that’s when all the magic happens.

The color of the sauce will change to a pink-ish creamy orange color similar to the color of  a cream of tomato soup. Just by looking at it, you’ll know it’s going to be one rich and delicious tomato sauce!

Choice of Pasta

Creamy sauce works better with wide and/or flat pasta such as:

  • fettucine
  • linguine
  • tagliatelle
  • pappardelle

I use fettucine for this recipe but I’ve also made one with tagliatelle and pappardelle and they all are excellent choice for this creamy cherry tomato sauce. If you’re a fan of short pasta, a flat-surface short pasta such as farfalle holds the creamy sauce nicely, too.

In general, the pasta with more flat area picks up the creamy consistency sauce better than the other types.

As a side note, many tagliatelle and pappardelle are made with eggs. Be sure to check the label!

Would You Like Some Vegan Cheese?

This vegan creamy cherry tomato sauce pasta is great on its own but as an option, you can sprinkle some vegan parmesan-style cheese. I’d highly recommend using homemade nut cheese rather than store bought overly processed vegan cheese.

I use my vegan Brazil nut parmesan.

Fresh Basil & Variation

I use fresh basil leaves as a flavor accent. It’s a classic Italian pair, tomato and basil, which cannot compliment each other any better than that!

I sometimes use Japanese green shiso perilla leaves instead of using basil leaves. Green shiso is sometimes referred as “Japanese basil leaves” which has a similar flavor profile as the Italian basil but a lot more greener, earthy, and more refreshing.

I use shiso in my Japanese cooking but also use it often in Italian dishes and salads. It adds a unique flavor accent like no other so I highly recommend trying it with this pasta!

I purchase shiso online from Suzuki Farm but if you have a major Japanese grocery store in your area, most likely they carry it in the produce isle.

Whether you use basil or shiso, you’d fall in love with this recipe for sure!

 

Be sure to check out the “Step-by-Step Instructions (w/ Photos)” after the Printable Recipe!

 

Print Recipe
5 from 6 votes

Creamy Cherry Tomato Sauce Pasta (Vegan)

Creamy Cherry Tomato Sauce Pasta (Vegan) would be a perfect comfort food to make when sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes are in season. This vegan creamy tomato sauce has no dairy or cream at all (not even plant-based milk or nut milk) but it's very rich and creamy.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian Inspired
Servings: 2
Author: Plant-Based Matters

Ingredients

Cooking Pasta

  • 3 qt water
  • 2 tbsp sea salt
  • 8 oz dried fettucine or any pasta of your choice

The Rest

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for serving
  • 3 large cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 tsp dried red chili pepper flakes adjust to taste
  • 12 oz cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 3/4 tsp sea salt plus more for adjusting seasoning
  • 1/4 cup white or rose wine
  • 1/4 cup pasta cooking water
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 4-6 fresh basil leaves teared or chiffonade
  • vegan parmesan-style cheese optional

Instructions

  • Start boiling water in a medium to large pot for cooking pasta.
  • Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a cold large frying pan, add extra virgin olive oil and then add garlic. Turn the heat on at medium heat and cook the garlic for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Then, add dried red chili pepper flakes. Cook for a minute or less until fragrant.
  • Next, add tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes then add oregano and sea salt. Stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes until tomatoes are softened.
  • Once tomatoes are softened, add wine and cook off the alcohol. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes until the consistency becomes reduced and thick.
  • Remove the sauce from the heat and transfer the sauce to a glass measuring cup or other tall heat-resistant bowl. Use an immersion blender to purée the sauce until creamy and smooth. Transfer the sauce back to the same pan and keep it warm over low heat.
  • At this point, add sea salt to the boiling pasta water and start cooking fettucine for 10 minutes or any pasta of your choice according to the instructions on the package.
  • A few minutes before the pasta is done, add 1/4 cup / 60 ml pasta cooking water to the sauce. Stir well.
  • Drain the pasta and transfer to the sauce. Add black pepper then give a quick toss.
  • Serve with basil leaves, vegan parmesan cheese (optional), and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil for the finishing touch.

Notes

Choice of Pasta

  • Any pasta of your choice should work with this recipe but wide and/or flat pasta such as fettucine, linguine, tagliatelle or pappardelle would be my recommendations.
  • For tagliatelle and pappardelle, check the label to make sure they are eggless as they are traditionally made with eggs.
  • I use fettucine in the recipe.
 

Choice of Cherry Tomatoes

  • Any cherry tomatoes of your choice would work for this recipe. The sweetness for cherry tomatoes makes rich & creamy pasta sauce (without using any cream) after being puréed.
  • I use heirloom black cherry tomatoes.
 

To Purée Tomato Sauce

  • Using an immersion blender (hand blender) would be the most convenient way to purée the sauce.
  • If you don’t have an immersion blender, you could use a smaller size stand blender.
 

Cheese (optional)

    • Vegan parmesan-style cheese would be a great choice of optional topping for this pasta.
    • I use my Brazil Nut Parmesan as the topping.
 

Variation

  • Instead of fresh basil, try using Japanese shiso perilla leaves. Shiso is very fragrant which adds a nice accent to a dish.
  • There are two different types of shiso leaves, green and red, which in this recipe, green shiso is used.
  • Major Japanese grocery stores should carry shiso leaves. I buy (online) shiso leaves from Suzuki Farm (the availability may be seasonal.) They have extensive selections of authentic Japanese produce.
  • Find out more about Green Shiso (Perilla Leaves) on Vegan Japanese Pantry Guide.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @plantbased_matters or tag #plantbased_matters!

Step-by-Step Instructions (w/ Photos)

First, prep tomatoes, garlic, and basil before starting — For the basil, you can wash, dry, leave as a whole and set it aside or you can slice until right before serving to avoid discoloration!

1. Start boiling water in a medium to large pot for cooking pasta.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a cold large frying pan, add extra virgin olive oil and then add garlic.

Turn the heat on at medium heat and cook the garlic for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Then, add dried red chili pepper flakes. Cook for a minute or less until fragrant.

3. Next, add tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes then add oregano and sea salt.

Stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes until tomatoes are softened.

4. Once tomatoes are softened, add wine and cook off the alcohol.

Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes until the consistency becomes reduced and thick.

5. Remove the sauce from the heat and transfer the sauce to a glass measuring cup or other tall heat-resistant bowl.

Use an immersion blender to purée the sauce until creamy and smooth.

Transfer the sauce back to the same pan and keep it warm over low heat.

6. At this point, add sea salt to the boiling pasta water and start cooking fettucine for 10 minutes or any pasta of your choice according to the instructions on the package.

7. A few minutes before the pasta is done, add 1/4 cup / 60 ml pasta cooking water to the sauce. Stir well.

8. Drain the pasta and transfer to the sauce.

Add black pepper then give a quick toss.

9. Serve with basil leaves, vegan parmesan cheese (optional— not shown in the photo), and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil for the finishing touch.

 

If you enjoy the recipe, please share, leave a comment below and tag us @plantbased_matters on Instagram! We appreciate your kind support 🙂

 


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