Enjoy the perfect blend of marinara and creamy white sauce with this rich and creamy dairy-free Vegan Pink Pasta Sauce!
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If you can't decided whether to have lighter, red marinara sauce or creamy, rich white sauce with your pasta, why not combine them to make this delicious Vegan Pink Pasta Sauce?!
We love pink pasta sauce in our house and, if you've never heard of pink pasta sauce or rose pasta sauce, you're in for a real treat!
This beautiful and creamy pasta sauce is easy to make and tastes amazing over any shape or size of pasta.
Let me tell you more about it and show you how to make it!
What is Pink Pasta Sauce?
Pink pasta sauce is basically a mix of marinara sauce and creamy Alfredo sauce.
It's the perfect blend of light and refreshing marinara and rich and decadent white sauce.
However, today I'm going to show you how to make a dairy-free version of pink pasta sauce!
Is Pink Pasta Sauce and Rose Pasta Sauce the Same?
Yes, in general, pink sauce and rose sauce are similar!
In both sauces, onions, garlic and tomatoes are sauteed in olive oil until soft and tender. Then different kinds of dairy are added to turn the red sauce pink, or rose!
Sometimes just cream is added. Other times both heavy cream and cheese are added.
Different kinds of cheese can also be used to create the white component of the sauce depending on your preference. Some people use parmesan. Some use cream cheese. Others use mozzarella. Sometimes a combination of these cheeses are used!
Below, I'll show you how to make a dairy-free version of pink/rose pasta sauce!
Ingredients for Vegan Pink Pasta Sauce
This sauce doesn't require too many ingredients and I bet you have most of them on hand in your pantry already!
To make vegan this pink pasta sauce, you'll need the following ingredients.
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Diced tomatoes (or 2 large/3 medium chopped)
- Tomato paste
- Dried Italian herbs
- Sugar
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Cashews
All of the ingredients, except for the cashews, are used to make the marinara sauce portion of this sauce. Then the raw cashews are blended with water to make a dairy-free cream which, when stirred into the marinara, creates a beautiful pink sauce!
Optional: Top your recipe with my Vegan Parmesan Cheese!
How to Make Dairy-Free Pink Pasta Sauce
Let me walk you through how to make this vegan pink pasta sauce with some step-by-step instructions.
- Start by soaking your cashews in a hot water for 30 minutes or in room temperature water overnight.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion is transparent.
- To the onion add in the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasonings, sugar, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook everything for about 5-10 minutes until the tomatoes cook down.
- While your tomatoes are cooking, drain and rinse your soaked cashews and prepare your cashew cream by blending the cashews with 1 cup of water. Pour the cream into a separate cup and rinse out your blender.
- Next add the tomato mixture into your rinsed out blender and blend until fairly smooth.
- Pour to tomato sauce back into your saucepan pot and pour in ¾ cup cashew cream.
- Heat the sauce back up, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more salt for saltiness, sugar for sweetness and chili flakes for kick.
- Pour the sauce over cooked pasta, garnish and serve.
How Long Does Homemade Pasta Sauce Last?
This homemade pink pasta sauce should last 3-4 days in the fridge.
If you desire, you can make a big batch of sauce at the start of your week and serve it over freshly boiled pasta for a quick and delicious meal.
Alternatively, you can freeze this pink pasta sauce for 3-4 months!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Pink Pasta Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes or 2 large/3 medium chopped
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
- ¾ teaspoon sugar*
- Salt black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste
- ¾ cup cashew cream see below
CASHEW CREAM:
- ¾ cup cashews soaked
- 1 cup water
TO SERVE:
- Cooked pasta
- Nutritional yeast flakes
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Start by soaking ¾ cup of cashews. You can do this in hot water for about 30 minutes or in room temperature water overnight.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Once hot, sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until the onion is transparent.
- To the onion add in the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasonings, sugar, salt, pepper and and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until tomatoes cook down.
- While your tomatoes are cooking, drain and rinse your soaked cashews and prepare your cashew cream by blending the cashews with 1 cup of water until completely smooth. Pour the cashew cream into a separate cup and rinse out your blender.
- Next, pour the tomato mixture into your rinsed out blender and blend until fairly smooth.
- Pour the blended tomato sauce back into your saucepan pot and add in ¾ cup of cashew cream.
- Heat the sauce back up and taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Pour the sauce over cooked pasta, garnish and serve.
Angela says
haha, love your post! And My Answer: Yes, I love Being Sore & I have jelly legs today after a hilly 25 mile bike ride yesterday, so I can relate 🙂 This pasta sauce sounds amazing & my "pink-loving" daughter will certainly love it! Thank you so much for sharing at the Sunday Fitness & Food Link-Up. Have a Great Week!!
Faith says
Thanks Angela! And wow, a 25 mile hill ride?! I don't think I could do that and I would definitely have jelly legs:) I hope you can make this for you daughter!
Miss Polkadot says
Food is great but I like bloggers sharing random thoughts and experiences as well so keep it up! Especially since Kayla's workouts sound like something I'd enjoy, too. Fellow fan of feeling sore ...
This sauce sounds really delicious, too, and when it's pink at that?! It also reminds me to prepare cashew cream again soon.
Faith says
Yay for soreness lovers! 🙂 glad you like the thought of this sauce too! Thanks miss Polkadot:)
Erin says
Love the color of this sauce! The addition of cashew cream is simply brilliant! I sit here wondering why I have never thought of it 😉 Thanks for the recipe xx
Faith says
Thanks so much Erin! Glad you like the recipe and I hope you can give it a try!
Thomas Watt says
Just looking at it makes me drool. Yum!
Faith says
My job here is done;) Thanks Thomas!
Lee says
Let's hear it for jelly legs! Also, I live under a rock too apparently, because I've never heard of Kayla Itsines. 😉 I've also never tried HIIT, so I'm going to check out Kayla's workout plans! I definitely need to kick it up from walking and lifting for my arms a couple of times a week. (Side note: I can totally relate to having whole seasons where I'm too injured to do much of anything--that's where swimming comes in for me.)
Anyhow, I'm so glad you stopped by Veggie Quest, because I followed you back here and I love your blog!! Can't wait to check out some of your other posts.
Oh, and the pasta sauce looks divine!
Faith says
Hey Lee! Thanks so much for your kind words! I'm so glad you commented so I could meet you. Yes, definitely check out her workouts and give them a try! Her workouts start "easier" (although I was still so sore after a week 1 workout) and get harder and harder. But they're so quick and effective so I love them! Let me know if you try one out and what you think!
Liz says
Loving this sauce! Cashew cream making everything ten times better!
Faith says
Thanks Liz! And I agree completely!
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
All this time I've been eating tomato sauce when this pretty pink pasta dish was just a little cashew cream away! This is beautiful, very spring-y 🙂
Faith says
Haha!! Me to Natalie:) thanks!!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
O this looks lovely!! A pretty creamy sauce <3
I've never checked out her workouts, but I'm a longer workout person. I do HIIT things for cardio, but I really like longer workouts much better!
Faith says
Thanks Rebecca!! And I'm so glad you've found exercise you enjoy! I love long workouts too when I have time!
Alyssa @ renaissancerunnergirl says
I love everything pink, but not the typically heavy creamy pasta sauces. This looks like a perfect solution!
Faith says
Me too Alyssa! Thanks!
Leah M @ love me, feed me says
I've been considering doing the Kayla Itsines workout program, but haven't taken the plunge yet. I did the free week of workouts you can get from subscribing to her mailing list and I seriously underestimated those workouts, I was DYING after one round!! I love how quick they are too. Do you think her workouts would be worth doing even without any weights??
Okay now this food <3 <3 rosé pasta sauce used to be my favourite and this reminds me so much of that, but 432743982 times better!!
Faith says
I guess I haven't technically taken the plunge yet either (financially) cause I just look for her workouts on line. And definitely!! I still do her workouts when I travel and just adapt the exercises when I need to. Weights definitely heighten the challenge, but I think both are good:) and so glad you like this pasta sauce!!