Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta

Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta is a dreamy, dairy-free pasta dish that’s bursting with fresh summer flavors! With ripe tomatoes, cashew cream, fragrant basil, and your favorite pasta, this 25-minute meal is pure comfort in a bowl.

Love More Pasta Recipes? Try My Cajun Chicken Pasta or this Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Rich, smooth, and bursting with flavor, this Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta is a comforting dish that’s ready in minutes. The silky tomato sauce is infused with fresh basil and a touch of cream, coating each strand of pasta perfectly. Simple yet elegant, it’s a cozy meal that feels restaurant-worthy.

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Ingredient List

For the Sauce:

• 2-3 large, ripe tomatoes (or 1 – 15oz can crushed tomatoes)
• 1 cup raw cashews
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¼ cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (optional, but I never skip it!)
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• 1-2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper

For the Pasta:

• 1 pound whole wheat pasta (or gluten-free pasta)
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• Reserved pasta water for thinning

Optional Garnishes:

• Extra fresh basil
• Additional black pepper
• Red pepper flakes for heat
• Nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan

Why These Ingredients Work

The cashews are doing ALL the work here, turning into this creamy, dreamy base that makes you forget dairy even exists. When you blend them up really well, they get silky smooth and add this richness that’s hard to describe—it’s luxurious without being heavy. Fresh tomatoes bring that bright, summery flavor that just tastes like sunshine, especially if you can grab some at the end of summer when they’re ridiculously ripe and sweet.

Tomato paste is my secret weapon for pumping up the tomato flavor without adding more liquid. It’s concentrated and intense, which is exactly what we need. Fresh basil is non-negotiable—dried just won’t cut it here. You need those bright, peppery notes that only fresh basil can deliver. The garlic adds depth and that savory quality that makes Italian food taste like Italian food. And that pasta water? Don’t you dare dump it down the drain. That starchy water is what helps the sauce actually stick to your pasta instead of just sliding off.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• High-speed blender or food processor (Vitamix works great, but any blender will do)
• Large pot for boiling pasta
• Large sauté pan or skillet for the sauce
• Colander for draining pasta
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Chef’s knife and cutting board
• Wooden spoon or spatula for stirring

How To Make Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta

Step 1: Prepare and Blend the Sauce

Get your big pot of water going with a generous handful of salt. While that’s heating up, hack up your tomatoes into chunks—doesn’t have to be pretty since they’re getting blended anyway. Toss everything into your blender: tomatoes, cashews, tomato paste, and water. Blend it until it’s completely smooth, no chunks or graininess. You want it looking like velvet.

Step 2: Sauté the Garlic

Pour your olive oil into that big sauté pan and get it hot over medium-high heat. When it’s shimmering, toss in your minced garlic and let it sizzle until it’s golden and your kitchen smells amazing—usually takes about a minute. Watch it though, because garlic goes from perfect to burnt faster than you can sneeze. Once your water’s boiling, dump in your pasta.

Step 3: Cook the Sauce

Pour that gorgeous blended sauce right into the pan with your garlic. Stir it up, let it come to a simmer, then add your salt. Let this bubble away for about 4-5 minutes, giving it a stir every now and then. The sauce will thicken up a bit and all those flavors will start getting cozy together. Just let it do its thing while your pasta cooks.

Step 4: Combine and Serve

When your pasta’s done, scoop out a cup of that pasta water before you drain it—seriously, don’t forget this step. Drain your pasta, then dump it into the pan with the sauce. Add your black pepper and chopped basil, then toss everything together until every piece of pasta is coated. If it looks too thick, add some of that pasta water a splash at a time until it’s perfect. Pile it into bowls and hit it with more basil and pepper.

You Must Know

If you’ve got a Vitamix or one of those crazy-powerful blenders, you can skip soaking the cashews. But if your blender is more basic, you NEED to soak those cashews for at least a few hours or overnight. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a grainy sauce that’ll make you sad. The whole point is that silky texture, so don’t skip this if your blender isn’t super powerful.

Personal Secret: I hit up the farmers’ market right before closing time and score amazing deals on “ugly” tomatoes that the vendors are trying to unload.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• That pasta water is liquid gold. Don’t dump it out before you save some. It’s got starch in it that helps the sauce stick to your pasta like glue.
• Salt your pasta water like you’re seasoning the ocean. This is your only shot to actually season the pasta itself.
• Garlic burns SO fast. Keep your eye on it and pull the pan off the heat if it’s getting too dark.
• Blend for at least a full minute. Maybe two. The longer you blend, the creamier your sauce gets.
• Out of fresh tomatoes? Grab a can of crushed tomatoes and call it a day. Still delicious.
• Taste your sauce before you serve it. Needs more salt? Add it. Want more oomph? Toss in another clove of raw garlic at the end.

Flavor Variations / Suggestions

• Throw in some red pepper flakes when you’re cooking the garlic if you want some heat.
• Sauté up some mushrooms or roasted red peppers and stir them in for extra heartiness.
• Handful of spinach or arugula at the end will wilt right into the sauce and add some greens.
• Nutritional yeast on top gives it a cheesy, umami vibe that’s ridiculously good.
• Need protein? Top it with crispy chickpeas or white beans.
• Swap the basil for fresh oregano if you’re feeling adventurous.
• Roast your tomatoes and garlic before blending for deeper, sweeter flavor.

Make-Ahead Options

The sauce is perfect for making ahead—it’ll keep in the fridge for 3 days easy. Just cook fresh pasta when you’re ready to eat, warm up the sauce, and toss it all together. The sauce gets thicker after sitting in the fridge, so have some pasta water or plant-based milk handy to thin it out.

You can also make the whole dish and store it assembled. It’s great for meal prep and lasts 3-4 days in the fridge. Just know that the pasta keeps soaking up sauce as it sits, so you’ll probably need to add a little liquid when you reheat it.

Want to freeze it? The sauce freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat it gently on the stove.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

This recipe is super forgiving. If your sauce is too thick, add pasta water one tablespoon at a time. Too thin? Let it simmer longer or stir in more tomato paste.

Don’t stress about the cashews—they’re getting easier to find and cheaper too. Check the bulk section of your grocery store for the best prices. They’re worth it for that creamy texture.

Use whatever pasta makes you happy. Whole wheat adds fiber, but regular or gluten-free works just as well. Pick what works for you.

Serving Suggestions

This pasta is hearty enough to be the whole meal, but I usually throw together a quick arugula salad with lemon dressing and grab some crusty bread for soaking up the sauce. Maybe a glass of white wine if I’m feeling fancy.

If you want to make it a bigger spread, roast some zucchini, bell peppers, or eggplant on the side. The pasta’s rich but not heavy, so you won’t feel stuffed.

It’s perfect for a regular Tuesday dinner, but it also looks impressive enough that I’ve served it at dinner parties. Nobody ever guesses it’s vegan or that it only took 25 minutes.

How to Store Your Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta

Refrigerator: Stick leftovers in an airtight container and they’ll keep for up to 4 days. The sauce thickens up in the fridge, so add a splash of water or plant-based milk when you reheat it.

Freezer: Freeze the sauce by itself for up to 3 months. Don’t freeze the pasta with it—it gets mushy. Thaw the sauce in the fridge overnight.

Reheating: Warm it up on the stove over medium heat with a few splashes of water or plant-based milk to loosen it. Or microwave it in 30-second bursts, stirring between each one. The pasta will have sucked up a lot of sauce, so don’t be shy about adding liquid.

Allergy Information

Contains: Tree nuts (cashews)

Dairy-Free: Yep! Completely vegan, zero dairy.

Gluten-Free Option: Just use gluten-free pasta. The sauce itself is naturally gluten-free.

Nut-Free Alternative: Unfortunately, the cashews are pretty essential here. You could try silken tofu blended with tahini, but it won’t taste the same.

Soy-Free: This is naturally soy-free unless your pasta or toppings have soy in them.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

My sauce is too thick/thin. What do I do?

Too thick? Add pasta water one tablespoon at a time until it looks right. Too thin? Let it bubble away for a few more minutes, or stir in another tablespoon of tomato paste.

Is this recipe really as creamy as dairy-based pasta?

It really is. The cashews get SO creamy when you blend them up. I’ve served this to people who flat-out refused to believe it was vegan. The texture is spot-on.

What pasta shape works best?

Whatever you’ve got! I’ve used spaghetti, penne, rigatoni, shells, you name it. The sauce is thick enough to coat anything. I’m partial to penne or rigatoni because the sauce gets inside the tubes, but honestly, it’s all good.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! did you use fresh tomatoes or canned? What pasta shape did you go with? How’d it turn out?