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    Home / Recipes / Vegan Entrees

    Creamy Garlic Pasta

    Published: Sep 24, 2022 by Kathy Carmichael · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Creamy garlic pasta is savory comfort at its best! This nut-free garlic pasta recipe is a one-pot wonder in under 20 minutes. Quick, easy, and oh so delicious!

    Creamy garlic pasta on a platter with parsley and thyme

    I love creamy, garlic anything, so I whipped up a creamy garlic pasta this evening with ingredients in my pantry and refrigerator. For some reason, the beginning of the week is more stressful, so I appreciate any meal I make in one pot in under 20 minutes. So, give this creamy garlic pasta recipe a try if you want a quick and easy meal.

    Jump to:
    • Recipe Ingredients
    • Recipe Ingredient Substitutions
    • How to Make the Garlic Cream Sauce
    • Making the Pasta
    • Servings Recommendations
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Tips
    • More Pasta Recipes to Try!
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Sometimes, the simplest recipes deliver the most profound flavors. For example, people often claim that plant-based foods lack flavor, but in reality, whole foods, herbs, and spices taste phenomenal when combined correctly.

    And creamy sauces don't have to be made with nuts! So, with that being said, let's make some creamy garlic pasta recipe to die for!

    Recipe Ingredients

    Creamy garlic pasta recipe ingredients: spaghetti, kale, garlic, plant milk, white wine, vegetable broth, poultry seasoning, shallots, parsley, thyme, salt/pepper, oat flour, nutritional yeast, and mushrooms
    • Whole Grain Spaghetti: Whole-grain pasta is typically high in fiber, manganese, selenium, copper, and phosphorus, while refined, enriched pasta tends to be higher in iron and B vitamins. Whole-grain pasta is also lower in calories and higher in fiber and certain micronutrients than refined pasta.
    • Fresh Garlic: I used fresh garlic cloves for the best overall flavor.
    • Unsweetened, Unflavored Plan Milk: The plant milk provides the creaminess of the garlic pasta.
    • White Wine: I like an easy-to-drink, dry white wine like chardonnay, but you can also use Sauvignon Blanc. I buy tiny bottles to use for cooking.
    • Vegetable Broth: I always buy organic vegetable broth at Costco in bulk.
    • Poultry Seasoning: I buy Vegan Chicken Salt, but all poultry seasoning is vegan. Dried sage and thyme make up the bulk of the flavor with their highly aromatic aroma and woodsy overtones. Most often, poultry seasoning includes nutmeg, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, and black pepper.
    • Shallot: Shallots are a little sweeter than regular onions and have a more subtle flavor. They are great used in raw applications where you want an oniony flavor without too much punch and cooked; they have a savory and fresh taste.
    • Parsley: Parsley's vitamin K is essential because it helps blood clot and improves bone health. Parsley is rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants, which help reduce the risk of severe health conditions like diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and cancer.
    • Thyme: Thyme has a delightful flavor balance that dances between earthy and minty, minty and citrus-laced, savory but sweet, and slightly woodsy but also flowery, with traces of lavender or toned-down rosemary.
    • Salt/Pepper: Salt and pepper is added to taste and enhance the flavors already in the pasta recipe.
    • Oat Flour: Oatmeal and oat flour are identical in nutritional makeup and flavor because they're made from the same initial ingredient: whole oat groats.
    • Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast is a highly nutritious vegan food product with many potential health benefits. With it, you can easily add extra protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to meals. It's commonly used as a vegan cheese sauce flavoring.
    • Baby Portobello Mushrooms: Baby Bellas are low-fat, cholesterol-free, and a rich source of essential vitamins and minerals that can enhance your health and help prevent disease. These nutrients include selenium, niacin, copper, and pantothenic acid. In season between December and March, baby Bellas have an intense, meat-like flavor when cooked.
    • Baby Kale: Baby kale is small, light leaves of regular kale. Because the leaves are much smaller than regular kale leaves, baby kale is softer than larger kale varieties.

    Recipe Ingredient Substitutions

    • For the best poultry seasoning substitute, swap 1 Tablespoon of poultry seasoning for 2 teaspoons of sage and 1 teaspoon of either dried thyme or marjoram. You can swap in any number of dried or fresh herbs you have on hand, plus mix and match spices. An essential blend of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme will do the trick.
    • Yellow onions are the best substitute for shallots since sweet onions are too sweet, and white or red is a little too sharp.
    • Although cilantro is in the same family as parsley, I prefer basil with creamy garlic pasta when parsley isn't available.
    • Fresh or dried, oregano makes an excellent thyme substitute. The flavors are very similar in the mint family, and it's an almost imperceptible switch.
    • You replace the "regular" flour with an equal amount of oat flour by weight, not volume. This is when a kitchen scale comes in handy. Oat flour is significantly lighter than all-purpose and whole wheat flour. I suggest chickpea flour or another light gluten-free option.
    • In recipes, soy sauce, liquid aminos, or Tamari are used as a substitute for nutritional yeast.
    • Choose any mushroom to replace baby Bellas.
    • Baby spinach is similar to baby kale in size, taste, and texture.

    How to Make the Garlic Cream Sauce

    Making the garlic cream sauce in a large blender cup.

    As said before, not all vegan cream sauces are made from nuts. This garlic cream sauce, for instance, is made with ingredients blended together to create both flavor and thickness.

    Sautéing the shallots, and garlic in white wine on the stove
    • First, saute the garlic ad shallots until the shallots are translucent.
    • As soon as the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, add the white wine and stir, deglazing the pan.
    • When the wine cooks down, leaving no fluid in the pan, remove the pan from the heat.
    • In a blender combine the plant milk, garlic, and shallot mixture, the oat flour, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper.
    • Blend until smooth, and set aside.

    Making the Pasta

    sautéing the mushrooms in a pan on the stove
    • Using the same pan used to cook the shallots and garlic, saute the mushrooms until brown.
    • If the mushrooms begin to stick, use a small amount of vegetable broth or water to loosen and stuck pieces.
    • Now, add the vegetable broth and bring it to a boil.
    • Once boiling, add the pasta and stir to combine and reduce the heat to medium, allowing the mixture to continue to boil, uncovered for 12 minutes.
    Adding the spaghetti to the boiling liquid and mushrooms in a pit on the stove
    • The spaghetti will cook down into the broth, and continue to stir occasionally.
    • When the 12 minutes elapses, pour the garlic cream sauce into the cooked pasta and stir to combine.
    • As soon as the cream mixture begins to heat up, it will thicken. Stir for a few minutes.
    Stirring in the garlic cream sauce into the noodles in a pot on the stove
    • Now, add the baby kale, which wilts when combined with the hot pasta ingredients.

    Servings Recommendations

    vegan garlic noodles on a plate with sourdough bread
    • I suggest adding fresh parsley and thyme for additional flavor.
    • Serve with crusty bread and a side of Italian chopped salad.
    • Or try a vegan Caesar salad which pairs well with this creamy garlic pasta recipe.
    • Another great idea is to add vegan scallops made from hearts of palm.
    • If you enjoy wine, serve with a glass of dry white wine.
    Creamy garlic pasta served on a plate with parsley and thyme.

    Recipe FAQs

    What does garlic do for the body?

    Garlic is widely recognized for its ability to fight bacteria, viruses, fungi, and even parasites. One study found that allicin, an active component of freshly crushed garlic, had antiviral properties and was also effective against a broad range of bacteria, including multidrug-resistant strains of E.

    Is whole grain pasta healthier?

    Wholegrain pasta is lower in calories and contributes more vitamins and minerals than the white, refined equivalent, making it a healthier choice.

    What are the benefits of whole grain pasta?

    t Provides Energy. Whole-grain pasta is a carbohydrate-rich food. ...It's Rich in Vitamins. Whole-grain pasta is high in B vitamins, like niacin (vitamin B3) and thiamin (vitamin B1), per the USDA. ...It's High in Fiber. Whole grains are high in dietary fiber, which promotes digestive health.

    Tips

    • For one-pot pasta dishes, stir the pasta into the broth covering the pasta. Iif the vegetable broth is beneath the pasta, add a little more vegetable broth than the recipe calls for to cover it. DO NOT add too much; just enough to cover the pasta.
    • If you don't have flour, cornstarch will work in place of the flour.
    • The white wine cooks off into the shallots and garlic, however, if you don't want to use wine, substitute lemon juice or white wine vinegar.
    • To replace nutritional yeast, start with about ½ or ⅓ of what the recipe calls for and increase to taste. Consider also adjusting the liquids in the dish if nutritional yeast is a large portion of the recipe.
    • Allow the cream sauce to heat for the sauce to thicken.
    • If adding additional vegetables after sauteeing the mushrooms, be aware you will need enough vegetable broth to cover teh pasta once it is added. The volume of additional vegetables will impact the amount of vegetable broth added as well as the fluid content in those vegetables.

    Enjoy and quick and easy dinner this week, with a savory creamy garlic pasta. Eat a delicious meal in under 20 minutes with little to no mess!

    More Pasta Recipes to Try!

    • vegan goulash recipe
      Vegan Goulash
    • vegan southwestern bake recipe
      Vegan Southwestern Bake
    • vegan eggplant parmesan recipe
      Eggplant Parmesan
    • Asparagus Salad Recipe
      Asparagus Salad

    If you love this creamy garlic pasta recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!

    📖 Recipe

    Creamy Garlic Pasta

    Kathy Carmichael
    Creamy garlic pasta is savory comfort at its best! This nut-free garlic pasta recipe is a one-pot wonder in under 25 minutes. Quick, easy, and oh so delicious!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Servings 4
    Calories 294 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Garlic Cream Sauce

    • ¾ cup oat milk, or plant milk of choice unsweetened, unflavored
    • 2 Tablespoons oat flour or flour of choice
    • ½ cup nutrtional yeast
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
    • 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
    • 1 shallot, minced
    • 6-8 cloves garlic, minced I used 8
    • ¼ cup dry white wine I used Chardonnay

    Pasta Ingredients

    • 8 ounces whole-grain spaghetti or any type, shape or size of pasta
    • 16 ounces baby portobella mushrooms, sliced
    • 4 cups organic vegetable broth
    • 3 cups baby kale
    • ¼ cup parsley, chopped
    • 4 sprigs of thyme

    Instructions
     

    • In a medium skillet over medium heat, saute the minced galric and shallots until the shallots are translucent.
    • When the shallot mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, add the dry white wine, and deglaze the pan by stirring the wine into the mixture.
    • Cook down until the wine is gone.
    • In a large blender cup, combine oat milk, oat flour, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and shallot and garlic mixture.
    • Blend until smooth; set aside.
    • In the same skillet, saute the mushrooms. If the mushrooms stick to the bottom, add a small amount of wate or vegetable broth to loosen and stuck pieces.
    • Add the 4 cups of vegetable broth and increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
    • Now add the spaghetti noodles, and stir into the boiling mixture. Redcue the heat to medium and continue to boil, stirring the noodls into the boiling broth.
    • Cook uncovered for 12 minutes, stirring occassionally.
    • If the noodles appear far above the top of the pan, add a little more borth to cover the noodles. However, do not add too much broth.
    • After 12 minutes, add the blended garlic cream mixture. Stir into the noodles and heat through. The sauce will thicken when heated. Stir for a few minutes.
    • Add the baby kale. It will wilt wehn combined with the hot noodle mixture.
    • Garnish with parsley and thyme.
    • Serve with a salad and crusty sour dough bread.

    Notes

    • Cook gluten-free pasta separately, for the best results. Reduce the vegetable broth by 3 cups, add the cooked drained pasta to the mushrooms and add the cream sauce. Then, allow the sauce to thicken. 
    • For one-pot pasta dishes, stir the pasta into the broth covering the pasta. If the vegetable broth is beneath the pasta, add a little more vegetable broth than the recipe calls for to cover it. DO NOT add too much; just enough to cover the pasta.
    • If you don't have flour, cornstarch will work in place of the flour.
    • The white wine cooks off into the shallots and garlic, however, if you don't want to use wine, substitute lemon juice or white wine vinegar.
    • To replace nutritional yeast, start with about ½ or ⅓ of what the recipe calls for and increase to taste. Consider also adjusting the liquids in the dish if nutritional yeast is a large portion of the recipe.
    • Allow the cream sauce to heat for the sauce to thicken.
    • If adding additional vegetables after sauteeing the mushrooms, be aware you will need enough vegetable broth to cover teh pasta once it is added. The volume of additional vegetables will impact the amount of vegetable broth added as well as the fluid content in those vegetables.
    • For an added cheesy taste, add some vegan parmesan cheese. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4gCalories: 294kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 12gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.3gSodium: 1289mgPotassium: 413mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 5957IUVitamin C: 54mgCalcium: 245mgIron: 4mg
    Tried our recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Kathy Carmichael

    Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂

    www.kathysvegankitchen.com/about-me/

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. Connie

      October 06, 2022 at 2:53 pm

      Loved this. Mine wasn't super creamy and I did add a tube of Impossible sausage, some corn, and subbed spinach for kale. Delish hearty. Thanks, Kathy!

      Reply
      • Kathy Carmichael

        October 07, 2022 at 6:54 am

        Hi Connie, I'm glad you liked the garlic pasta. If you let it cook longer, the sauce thickens more. Great idea to include the impossible sausage, corn, and spinach. I bet it was delicious. Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate it. Let me know if you try any other recipes. I'd love to hear from you.

        Reply
    2. Suzie Downing

      September 28, 2022 at 6:27 pm

      This Creamy Garlic Pasta is amazing!!! Five stars, definitely! I used rotini pasta instead of spaghetti; tastes like it has a cream sauce, but nope! Wonderful and something I would serve to non-vegan guests. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Kathy Carmichael

        September 28, 2022 at 6:55 pm

        Hi Suzie, yay! I'm so glad you liked it. Thank you so much for the feedback. I appreciate it. Let me know if you try any other recipes. I would love to hear from you.

        Reply

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