Vegan Rosé Pasta with Broccolini is a perfect summer meal! Enjoy this tomato cashew cream sauce, splashed with lively rosé wine, for a simple dinner (ready in under an hour) that feels restaurant-quality.
What is rosé pasta?
Rose pasta, or pink sauce pasta, is a dish made with tomato sauce and added cream. The cream lightens the darker red color of the pasta, rendering it slightly pink/rose-colored. "Rosé pasta" is a bit of a play on this as we are also adding rosé wine, which lends a fuller-bodied flavor to the finished product.
Recipe FAQ
Rosé sauce includes cream, traditional marinara does not.
Rosé pink sauce pasta tastes tangy, slightly sweet, peppery, and rich without being heavy. If you've had vodka sauce, it follows a very similar preparation.
Soaked and blended cashews are a perfect swap for cream in pasta sauce. After soaking cashews in boiling water for 15 minutes, add them to a high-speed blender along with nutritional yeast, salt, lemon juice, and a dash of coconut aminos/soy sauce. This mixture is remarkably similar to cream in taste and lends real body to a red sauce.
Red wine vinegar is a great swap for rose or red wine in sauces. To do this, simply add half the amount of wine listed in the recipe (as vinegar is more strongly flavored).
No. The alcohol in the wine will cook off as the sauce simmers, so there is no need to worry about feeling tipsy after eating this dish.
Ingredient Details and Swaps
Cashews, blended with nutritional yeast, soy sauce (or coconut aminos), and lemon juice creates our vegan "cream."
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Shallots, red pepper flakes, dried basil, garlic, salt and pepper make up the aromatic base.
Crushed tomatoes comprise most of the sauce. Diced tomatoes or tomato passata work as well!
Rosé wine adds a good deal of flavor, but feel free to swap in red wine vinegar if you do not have any wine on hand. Alternatively, red or white wines will work in place of rosé (the flavor will be slightly different but still very good).
Any short pasta shape will work well here - I like gemelli as it holds the sauce nicely!
Broccolini adds some crunch and heft to the pasta dish, and I find the sauce clings beautifully to its flowery ends. If you do not have access to broccolini, though, feel free to swap in regular broccoli, green beans, collards, kale, or chard. You may notice in these photos that I also added green peas.
More Restaurant-Style Vegan Pastas
Cherry Tomato Pasta alla Vodka
Creamy Sweet Corn Pasta with Tomatoes and Basil
A Round Up of Fancy-Feeling Pasta Dinners
Spaghetti with 12 Cloves of Garlic
Rosé Pasta with Broccolini
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup cashews
- 1 TBS olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- 2 large shallots sliced thinly
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon dried basil or oregano
- 28 oz. high quality crushed tomatoes
- ¾ cup rose wine
- 2 TBS nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon soy sauce (coconut aminos if gluten-free)
- 1 pound short pasta of choice
- One large bunch broccolini or broccoli, green beans, kale, collards, or chard
- Fresh basil or parsley to garnish cashew parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Add your cashews to a bowl and cover with 1 cup of hot water. Soak for 15 minutes.
- We will next begin sauce. In a large sauce pan, heat 3 TBS olive oil over medium. One hot add shallots, stir, and sauté for 5 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic, red pepper flakes, a dash of salt and pepper, and 2 teaspoon dried basil. Stir for 30 seconds more. Add in tomatoes and wine, bring to a boil, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, covered.
- While this is simmering, add cashews (and their soaking water) to a high-speed blender along with nutritional yeast, lemon juice, soy sauce (or aminos), and another few twists of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth (this is our "cream"). Set aside.
- Boil some water for pasta in another large pot. Prepare according to package directions. 3 minutes before finished cooking, add in broccolini. Drain pasta and set aside, reserving a bit of the pasta cooking water to add to the finished dish as needed.
- Add cashew cream to sauce pot, stirring completely. Remove from heat. Add in pasta with veggies and stir to coat. Add the reserved cooking water if things are a bit dry. Serve hot with more red pepper flakes, cashew parmesan, and fresh basil.
R says
Great recipe for Valentines Day, easy and so delicious!
R says
Still one of my favorite pasta recipes! Easy too, love it!
Sue 0523 says
Love this! I had to add a little sugar (as my canned tomatoes needed a bit of sweetness and my rose was very dry) but so delicious on a summer night!
Emily says
Thank you for trying and rating - I'm so glad!!
Nancy says
My entire family is obsessed with this recipe! I was worried it would be bitter but the cashew cream really mellowed things. This is a keeper for us!
Emily says
I am so glad to hear that, Nancy! Thank you for rating!