Vegan Cajun Pasta (Creamy Recipe with Tofu) - Plant Based Jess (2024)

This vegan cajun pasta dish is so creamy, has an amazing smoky flavor profile and is packed with crunchy red peppers and onions. The zesty and savory cajun spices bring so much flavor to the rich-in-protein silky tofu sauce. It is a quick and easy recipe that comes together in under 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights!

Let me introduce you to this cajun pasta dish that we cannot stop eating.

It is a creamy vegan pasta dish that's filled with amazing cajun flavor, super satisfying and also very healthy and high in plant-based protein. And just like myone-pot orzo skillet, it turns out that it is also super quick and easy to prepare, which makes it a perfect weeknight quick dinner. It's everything you want in one meal!

I'll admit that any creamy, saucy and rich pasta meal will win my heart over just about anything. But, in this case, there is something more to it. Maybe it's the large crunchy pieces of red pepper and sweet onion or the flavors from the cajun spice mix? Or the heavenly rich and pink coating sauce?

Good grief. I'm drooling just writing about it.

But what makes the cajun pasta sauce so deliciously creamy? Tofu! Just regular firm tofu. When blended with vegan milk and the cajun spices, it becomes rich, silky and so flavorful. Then, paired with canned tomatoes for a boost in umami flavor. I love how this recipe also fits with so many diets as it is nut-free (choose oat milk), dairy-free, gluten-free (choose GF noodles), low-in-fat and also rich-in-protein.

Hopefully, you give this recipe a try next time you crave a cajun-inspired meal! Let me know how it turns out! ❤️

Why you'll love this recipe

• Luscious creamy sauce made without any heavy cream (no vegan butter either!)
• Highly adaptable recipe
• Packed with amazing cajun flavor with a hint of smokiness
• Nourishing and super filling
• Perfect meal for the whole family
• Healthier than many other rich creamy sauces
• Nut-free and made without cashews
• SO delicious

Ingredients you will need

• Short pasta of your choice: I used thebrown rice fusilli from Jovial, but any other kinds work well. I find that short noodles work better as the sauce can be thick. Try penne, rigatoni or macaroni.
• Bell peppers: I prefer the sweeter peppers, such as red bell peppers or orange bell peppers. Green bell peppers work too.
• Sweet onion: you will want to keep the onion crunchy, so choose a mild and sweeter type, such as Vidalia onion.
• Garlic: for flavoring.
• Firm tofu: not silken or soft, but firm tofu. Extra firm tofu should work well too.
• Plain non-dairy milk: make sure it is unsweetened and unflavored.
• Cajun spices: you can make your own cajun spices mix (check out thiscajun seasoning recipe fromGimme Some Oven!), but I prefer to simply use store-bought. I love thiscajun spice blend from Frontier, I use it often to makecajun salad dressingsor sauces!
• Other pantry ingredients: nutritional yeast, corn starch, canned diced tomatoes (fire roasted, if possible) and salt.

How to make this creamy vegan cajun pasta

This pasta recipe comes together within 30 minutes and will be perfect for any busy weekday night.

Step 1- Cook the pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and then, add your pasta. Cook until al dente (check the package directions), then drain well. You can also keep some pasta water in case you need to loosen up the sauce later.

Step 2- Make the creamy cajun sauce

Add the tofu, vegan milk, cajun spices, nutritional yeast, salt and cornstarch to a blender and blend until very smooth. Take a few breaks to scrape the walls and make sure there are no clumps anymore. This might take a few minutes if you don't have a high-speed blender. Set the sauce aside.

Step 3- Cook the vegetables

In a large skillet, warm up some olive oil (optional, I like using oil spray) on medium heat and then add the onion and peppers. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until browned and softened (try not to overcook them!). Then, add the garlic and cook for one minute before adding the canned tomatoes. Keep cooking for another 5-7 minutes stirring often.

Step 4- Combine

Add the creamy sauce and the cooked pasta to the vegetables, stir and keep cooking until warmed up. Let it cook for a few minutes or until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Tips when preparing this vegan cajun pasta recipe

• Choose sweet onion (like Vidalia) instead of regular onion if possible. If you don't have a Vidalia type, then grab a red onion. I love the hint of sweetness it brings to the dish and their mellow flavor is best since the vegetables are kept quite big and crisp.
• Do not overcook the vegetables! Keep them on the crunchy side, it will add so much texture to the rich and creamy sauce.
• Do not overcook the noodles either! Once cooked al dente, the noodles will be added to the warm creamy sauce where the noodles will likely cook a little more.
• I chose fire-roasted tomatoes. If you use regular tomatoes, then I recommend you to add a pinch of smoked paprika to get a hint of smokiness.

Can I make this recipe soy-free?

Yes you can! In this case, skip on the bloc of tofu and the vegan milk. Instead, make mybasic cashew cream sauceas directed and add the cajun spices to the sauce as well. This cashew sauce should thicken easily without adding cornstarch. Taste and adjust the flavor level to your liking before transferring to the pan with the veggies and the noodles.

Variations to the recipe

• Make it extracreamy: Use coconut milk instead of regular vegan milk and feel free to add somevegan cream cheese.
• Make itspicy: Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes when serving or ground cayenne pepper to the blender to make a spicy vegan cajun pasta recipe.
• Make ithigherin protein: Although this meal is already fairly high-in-protein, thanks to the blended tofu, you can also add a can of drained white bean to the pan when combining the pasta, or top the pasta withsmoky tofuat serving.
• Make itloaded with veggies: add some broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, sweet corn, leafy green, cauliflower, etc.

Serving suggestions

This vegetarian cajun pasta recipe is perfect for a complete meal that's filled with plenty of plant-based protein and fiber to make you feel full for a while. If you want, you can also serve with a side of steamed green veggies, such as asparagus or broccoli. A side salad, such as mykale apple crunch salad, would also pair well with the flavor of this dish.

Serve warm sprinkled with red pepper flakes for a little heat and a generous amount of ground black pepper. A sprinkle ofvegan parmesan cheesewould be great as well, if you have some ready-to-go.

If you wanted to make it more hearty, then you can also add:

• Breaded tofu
• Tempeh
• Crispy oyster mushrooms
• Soy curls

Storing tips

Keep the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

After resting for a while in the fridge, the noodles absorb some of the sauce, which can change the texture of the pasta. For this reason, I think this recipe is best when just prepared.

FAQ's

Other creamy pasta dishes you might like

• Butternut squash mac and cheese
• Cauliflower Alfredo
• Hidden vegetable pasta sauce
• Vegan white sauce for pasta
• Garlic cream primavera
• Harissa pasta
• Tahini pasta
• Pasta with hummus and roasted vegetables
• Vegan creamy tomato pasta
• Vegan avocado broccoli pasta
• Vegan powdered cheese
• Vegan green pasta sauce
• Oat milk Alfredo pasta sauce
• Vegan sun-dried tomato pasta

I hope you like this vegan cajun pasta dish as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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