Vegan One Pot Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pasta

Delicious, filling, warm pasta. There’s something so comforting about it. This vegan one pot creamy garlic parmesan pasta is everything that is perfect about pasta.

When first going vegan, you may wonder how to not go over your budget or how you can reduce the cost of your grocery bill. When you add a lot of processed versions of non-traditional food, the price can add up quickly.

However, if you stick to meals that were traditionally inexpensive, like pasta, then you can continue to keep your bill low also.

This meal costs around $5 total and it’s enough to feed an entire family or it can be halved to have a smaller portion for 2.

This easy vegan dinner idea is also great for meal prepping and to feed both vegan and non-vegans alike. Seriously, who doesn’t like pasta!

We’ll give tips in the post for additions to make it go even further and as always, we’ll give tips on making it allergen friendly!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this vegan creamy garlic Parmesan pasta Top 8 Allergen Free?

The ingredients that we need to look at here are the pasta, vegan butter, coconut milk, and vegan parmesan.

To start, you want to use a gluten free pasta.  There are so many choices available now, so just use the one that you like the best. 

For the vegan butter, ensure that it is soy free.  We prefer earth balance soy free when it comes to this. It comes in a red tub. 

Then, we have coconut milk. While it makes the dish creamier, you can swap it with other dairy free milks. We’d suggest oat milk for this because it’s creamier.

And then we have the vegan parmesan cheese. We are use Violife in this recipe, which does contain coconut oil, but no other allergens.  If you have a coconut allergen, you can use Follow Your Heart parmesan. 

We also have a vegan parmesan on our site that you can make with sunflower seeds; however, it doesn’t melt well which is why we recommend using one of the store bought brands. 

What can I substitute for canned coconut milk?

Canned coconut milk is thick and makes the pasta sauce extra creamy; however if you don’t have that on hand, you can still make this pasta recipe.

If you don’t have canned coconut milk, you can use any dairy free milk. We would suggest oat or soy milk because they tend to be creamier.

What can I substitute for vegan parmesan cheese?

If you don’t have any store bought vegan parmesan on hand, you can make our homemade vegan parmesan on our site that you can make with sunflower seeds.

We would recommend sprinkling this on top once the dish is already plated as it doesn’t melt well.

Alternatively, you could use another vegan cheese that melts; however it will change the texture and flavor of the dish.

Can I replace the vegan butter with another oil?

Yes you could. Coconut oil would be the best replacement and then another like olive or avocado oil. It will not have the same creaminess though.

How can I make this oil free?

You can just add more vegetable stock in the beginning. It will drastically change the taste and not be as rich, but if you are used to being oil free then you will likely not mind.

DOES IT MATTER WHAT TYPE OF PASTA THAT I USE?

We are using fettuccine in the photos and we’ve also made with linguine; however, you don’t only have to use either in this recipe.

It does do well with tubular shaped pasta, like penne, and even ones like rotini or shells that can pick up and hold onto all the sauce. Whatever you have on hand will work perfectly.

Can I add anything else to the dish besides the pasta and sauce?

Absolutely. Here’s some ideas:

• vegan chicken strips
• crispy chickpeas
• crispy tofu pieces
• sautéed mushrooms
• broccoli
• asparagus

For the mushrooms, broccoli and asparagus, you could add in once your noodles start to soften.

For the remaining, you can either cook those in the skillet first and then set aside and add back in at the end or cook in another skillet while making the pasta.

Can I prep this vegan pasta ahead of time?

Yes! We’d recommend letting this cool completely and then storing in an air tight container for up to 5 days. If you meal prep you can split this up into individual containers.

You may want to or feel like you need a splash or two of dairy free milk when reheating.

Can this be frozen?

We don’t recommend freezing this dish.

What size skillet should I use for this vegan pasta dish?

You want a large skillet, approximately 12 inches; however, you don’t want it so large that the sauce is too spread out.

The larger the skillet the more quickly the liquid will reduce. So you want it large enough that it will evenly cook the pasta, but not so large you cook down your sauce too fast.

You could also use a large pot or dutch oven, but try to keep the size the same.

WHAT SIDES TO SERVE WITH THIS VEGAN CREAMY PASTA DISH?

There are endless possibilities but a side salad and some bread are great starting points.

Here’s some bread ideas:

• Vegan Italian Cheesy Bread Rolls (photo shown above)
• Vegan Garlic Bread
• Easy Vegan Dinner Rolls

What other vegan pasta ideas could I make?

Who doesn’t love pasta?  Especially in colder months, it can be a total comfort food.  Here’s some more delicious vegan pasta dishes: 

• Vegan Mac and Cheese Pasta
• Vegan Pumpkin Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes and Spinach
• The Best Vegan Lasagna
• Vegan Alfredo 
• Vegan Cheesy Hamburger Helper Skillet
• The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese
• Spinach and Walnut Pesto Pasta
• Vegan Carbonara
• Vegan Creamy Broccoli and Chickpea Pasta 

And if you are looking for some cold pasta ideas, try out: 

• Italian Vegan Pasta Salad
• Vegan Macaroni Salad

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