Vegan Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce (creamy, cheesy)

This vegan sweet potato pasta sauce is a great way to get the creaminess of a classic alfredo sauce but in a lighter and vegan cheese sauce! The recipe is easy to make, dairy-free, gluten-free, and so healthy!

This easy and creamy pasta sauce tastes absolutely delicious you guys! It’s only made with sweet potatoes, cashews (coconut cream will do too), and some spices. That’s it! Actually, it’s the result of combining my favorite vegan cheese sauce recipes – Vegan Mac and Cheese, Pumpkin Mac and Cheese and my Vegan Alfredo Pasta sauce. Also, I opted to use sweet potatoes instead of using regular potatoes. Not only because I still had some left over from the Sweet Potato Gnocchi I made a while ago, but also because they have such a soft texture and such a delicious flavor with a delightful sweetness. And the best is, they’ll make your pasta sauce super creamy and yummy!

A creamy vegan sweet potato pasta sauce

If you’ve never tried to make a creamy sauce from sweet potatoes, it’s definitely time to give it a try. I‘m pretty sure you’ll love it! Not only the taste and creaminess is amazing but you’ll also love the simplicity. You only need 3 simple basic ingredients and the rest is up to you, because you can add any add-ins and seasonings you like. I also like to add other veggies, such as pumpkin or squash, cauliflower, regular potatoes, carrots etc. So, let your creativity flow based on your current mood and what you have on hand.

It’s so easy & quick to make

To make this vegan sweet potato pasta sauce, start with baking or cooking your sweet potato until the flesh is soft. The easiest and quickest way is to microwave it. Simply pierce the potato several times with a fork, then put it in the microwave and heat for about 7-10 minutes until fork-tender. Anyways, if you’re not short on time, I recommend you bake your sweet potato because it gets more flavorful when it’s oven roasted. To save time I usually roast it ahead, for example in the morning or the day before, so it’s ready to use when I want to make the sauce. After baking the sweet potato you can start making the sauce immediately. Peel the sweet potato, add to a blender along with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. If you don’t have a blender, you can also use a simple immersion blender. But please take note that the stronger your blender is, the creamier the sauce gets. Anyways, I always use a high-speed blender, and I assure you that it makes the best and creamiest sauces, soups, smoothies, ice cream, etc. ever!

Use coconut cream instead of Cashews

The classic vegan Alfredo sauce and vegan Mac and cheese sauce is usually made with cashew nuts but for this sauce, there are no cashews required. I personally like it more when it’s made with cashews, but you can simply substitute with coconut cream which makes the sauce creamy and delicious as well. Actually, coconut cream is the solid part of coconut milk that you get after chilling a can of coconut milk untouched for at least 24 hours. But if you don’t have it on hand or don’t like the coconut flavor that much, you can, of course, also use any other plant-based cream you like.

I hope you’ll like this creamy vegan sweet potato pasta sauce as much as I do. It is:

• Vegan
• Plant-based
• Healthy
• Creamy
• Cheesy
• Flavorful
• Easy and quick to make
• So Delicious!
• Perfect for any kind of meals!

The perfect Vegan Cheese sauce

You can serve this sweet potato sauce with any kind of meals you like. It not only tastes delicious with pasta but also with rice or other grains. It also makes a great vegan cheese sauce for snacks, such as Burrito Samosas, Quesadillas, Wedges, French Fries, Empanadas and much more. To me, the taste and color reminds of vegan nacho cheese sauce. So GOOD! Have fun trying this simple recipe and let me know if you liked it! 😊

5 from 3 votes

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Vegan Sweet Potato Pasta Sauce (creamy, cheesy)

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

10 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

This vegan sweet potato pasta sauce is a great way to still get the creaminess of the classic alfredo but in a lighter and vegan cheese sauce! The recipe is easy to make, dairy-free, gluten-free, and SO healthy!

Course: Lunch & Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish

Servings: 4 Servings

Author: Bianca Zapatka

Ingredients

Pasta:

• 12 oz any pasta (340 g) (gluten-free, if desired)
• chopped herbs (for garnish)

Vegan Sweet Potato Sauce:

• 1 sweet potato (approx. 12 oz)
• ½ tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• ½ cup soaked cashews (75 g) or cashew butter (or sub coconut cream)
• 2/3 cup water (160 ml)
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
• ½ tsp sea salt or more to taste
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional)

Garlic Mushrooms:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 9 oz mushrooms (250 g) sliced
• 2 cloves garlic chopped (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Soak the cashews for at least 3-4 hours. Otherwise, you can cover them with boiling water and soak for only approx. 15 minutes to speed up the process, or simply use cashew butter.

2. Prick the sweet potato a few times with a fork and microwave until soft, for 6-7 minutes. (Optionally, bake the sweet potato in the oven at 425°F for about 50-60 minutes). Afterwards, peel it and scoop out the flesh.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions in a salted pot of water.
4. While the pasta is boiling, in a pan over medium high heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, stir and let cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and roast for one minute longer.

5. Remove the onions and garlic from the pan and add it to a blender along with the soft sweet potato, cashews, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.

6. Blend it all together for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth and creamy. Add more water and seasonings until desired consistency and taste if necessary.
7. Pour the sauce into a large skillet or pan. Heat over medium heat while stirring for 2-3 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
8. When the pasta is al dente, drain, add to the sauce and toss to combine. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until sauce sticks well to the pasta. (If the sauce gets too thick, add more water or plantbased milk to thin. For more creaminess, you can also add a little coconut cream).

9. Pan-fry mushrooms in a pan with some oil for 6-8 minutes until golden browned. Add garlic and roast for one minute longer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

10. Serve your creamy pasta with roasted mushrooms and fresh chopped herbs to garnish and more yeast flakes/ vegan parmesan cheese if you like.

11. Enjoy! 😊

Notes

• You can fill the sauce into a sealed jar and store it in the fridge if you want to serve it later. It will last for up to 5 days in the fridge, or you can freeze for even longer.
• Please make sure to store leftover sauce apart from the pasta. Otherwise it gets sticky. It’s always best served with new cooked pasta.
• Read the text above for more information.

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