A delicious, spicy creamy tomato pasta dish packed with spinach and mushrooms. This quick and easy creamy arrabbiata pasta is ready in 30 minutes and a great main for dinner! This recipe is vegan or dairy-free.
Jump to:
Vegan Creamy Arrabbiata Pasta features al dente pasta tossed in a spicy tomato sauce with heavy "cream", baby spinach, garlic and mushrooms!
Thanks to the homemade garlic cashew cream, you can easily make this pasta dish vegan. You just need raw cashews, hot boiling water and a blender or food processor to make the cream.
What does "Arrabbiata" mean? The literal translation is “angry” in Italian. So to translate that into cooking terms, it means spicy.
You can find store-bought Arrabbiata sauce sold at most grocers and the only difference between this and tomato sauce is the addition of red chili peppers.
This is a quick and easy meal to make for a busy weeknight dinner as it's made with simple ingredients and little effort.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Penne pasta: or rotini pasta or fusili pasta
- Arrabbiata sauce: you can find store-bought spicy tomato sauce at the grocery store in the pasta sauce section.
- White button mushrooms: or substitute with cremini mushrooms
- Baby spinach: will make things easier as it's usually pre-washed or has less dirt than regular spinach.
- Garlic cloves
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic Cashew Cream
- Raw cashews: or substitute with roasted cashews as a last resort
- Hot boiling water
- Garlic
- Salt
Expert Tips
- Use a high powder blender to create a very smooth cream!
- Don't overcook the pasta! I usually perform a taste test to be sure.
- Don't forget to reserve the noodle water. This helps the pasta sauce stick to the pasta and thickens the sauce.
- Thinly slice the mushrooms so they can cook faster.
- Evaporate the mushrooms liquids in the pan before moving onto the next step.
- Allow the sauce to thicken before adding in the pasta.
Instructions
- To make our cashew cream: Soak cashews in boiling hot water for 5-10 mins. Then add to a blender along with garlic cloves and salt. Blend until very smooth. Set aside.
- Boil your pasta according to package instructions or until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of hot pasta water. Strain pasta and set aside.
- Meanwhile in a large pan on medium heat, add olive oil and minced garlic and fry until fragrant.
- Add sliced mushrooms, fry until edges are brown and there are no liquids remaining, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper to taste.
- Pour in Arrabbiata sauce, 1 cup of the cashew cream, spinach and mix well. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Then lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes until spinach is wilted.
- Pour in reserved pasta water and mix. Then toss in cooked pasta. Combine until pasta is covered in sauce. Season with salt to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing this type of pasta as the mushrooms will go soggy.
Pairing Suggestions
This vegan creamy arrabbiata pasta serves well with other Italian dishes like:
- Starters like fresh salad with Italian dressing, Caesar salad, or antipasto salad, garlic bread, bruschetta, or Italian wedding soup
- Pizza
- Risotto
- Sautéed or grilled vegetables like green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, bell peppers, carrots, squash, Brussels sprouts, corn on the cob, and mushrooms.
- Stuffed mushrooms
- Baked Italian eggplant
FAQ
This can be made in advance and the sauce and pasta stored in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. To enjoy, reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.
I don't recommend that as the cashews tend to break down more easily and offer a creamy texture.
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Vegan Creamy Arrabbiata Pasta
Ingredients
Pasta:
- 1 lb pasta penne
- 2 cups spicy marinara sauce aka Arrabbiata sauce
- 2 cups white button mushrooms sliced
- 5 cups spinach packed
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Homemade Garlic Cashew Cream:
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 ½ cup hot boiling water
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To make our cashew cream: Soak cashews in boiling hot water for 5-10 mins. Then add to a blender along with garlic cloves and salt. Blend until very smooth. Set aside.
- Boil your pasta according to package instructions or until al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of hot pasta water. Strain pasta and set aside.
- Meanwhile in a large pan on medium heat, add olive oil and minced garlic and fry until fragrant.
- Add sliced mushrooms, fry until edges are brown and there are no liquids remaining, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper to taste.
- Pour in Arrabbiata sauce, 1 cup of the cashew cream, spinach and mix well. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Then lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes until spinach is wilted.
- Pour in reserved pasta water and mix. Then toss in cooked pasta. Combine until pasta is covered in sauce. Season with salt to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Brian
Very creamy, delicious and it will become a new staple for my meals! Thank you for sharing!