There are pasta dishes that are good. There are pasta dishes that are great. And then there is this Spaghetti with Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce — the kind of pasta that makes you put your fork down mid-bite, close your eyes, and genuinely wonder how something this luxurious, this silky, and this deeply, intensely flavored can possibly come together in just 25 minutes on a Tuesday evening.
The sauce is the star. A rich, velvety, golden cream sauce infused with the concentrated, sweet-tart intensity of sun-dried tomatoes, fragrant garlic, and a generous handful of fresh spinach that wilts into the sauce in the most beautiful way — all finished with a splash of white wine, a cloud of nutritional yeast that adds a subtle parmesanlike depth, and a pinch of chili flakes that gives the whole dish just enough heat to make it absolutely irresistible.
This pasta is the definition of effortless elegance. It looks like something from a high-end Italian restaurant, tastes like something a professional chef spent hours developing, and comes together in the time it takes to boil a pot of water and cook some spaghetti. It is 100% vegan, easily made gluten-free with your favorite gluten-free spaghetti, and completely adaptable to whatever you have in your pantry. Make it once and it will earn a permanent place in your weekly dinner rotation without question.
Recipe Information
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Total Time | Servings | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 mins | 20 mins | 25 mins | 4 | ~520 kcal |
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 400g (14 oz) spaghetti (use gluten-free spaghetti if needed)
- 1 tbsp salt (for the pasta water)
- 2 tbsp reserved pasta water (essential for the sauce)
For the Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
- 1 cup (150g) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped (reserve 2 tbsp of the oil)
- 4 large handfuls of fresh spinach (about 120g)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion or 3 shallots, finely diced
- 200ml (¾ cup) full-fat coconut cream or cashew cream
- 100ml (⅓ cup) vegan white wine (or extra vegetable stock)
- 150ml (⅔ cup) vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp chili flakes (adjust to taste)
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp maple syrup (balances the acidity of the sun-dried tomatoes)
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 tbsp fresh basil, torn (to finish)
To Garnish
- Fresh basil leaves
- Vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast
- Extra chili flakes
- Toasted pine nuts
- A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. The water should taste almost as salty as the sea — properly salted pasta water is the single most important factor in well-seasoned pasta. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions until al dente — tender but with a slight bite remaining. Before draining reserve at least a cup of the starchy pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- While the pasta cooks make the sauce. Heat the reserved sun-dried tomato oil in a large wide skillet or saucepan over medium heat. The oil from the sun-dried tomato jar is infused with an extraordinary depth of tomato and herb flavor — using it as your cooking oil instead of plain olive oil adds an instant layer of complexity to the sauce.
- Add the finely diced onion or shallots to the pan and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft, translucent, and beginning to turn golden. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges.
- Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until they have warmed through and released some of their concentrated oils and flavor into the base of the sauce. The kitchen will smell absolutely incredible at this point.
- Add the smoked paprika, chili flakes, dried oregano, and dried basil. Stir well and cook for 1 minute to toast the spices in the oil.
- Pour in the vegan white wine and let it bubble vigorously for 2 minutes until reduced by half. The alcohol cooks off completely leaving behind a bright, complex depth that elevates the entire sauce.
- Add the vegetable stock and coconut cream or cashew cream. Stir everything together until fully incorporated and smooth. Add the nutritional yeast, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 5–7 minutes until the sauce has thickened to a luxuriously creamy, coating consistency.
- Add the fresh spinach to the sauce. Stir gently and cook for 1–2 minutes until the spinach has wilted completely and turned a vibrant, deep green. The spinach will reduce dramatically in volume — this is completely normal.
- Add the cooked spaghetti directly to the sauce. Toss vigorously using tongs to coat every strand of spaghetti completely in the creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. Add 2–3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water and continue tossing — the starchy pasta water emulsifies with the sauce and creates that extraordinary silky, glossy coating that makes restaurant pasta so irresistible.
- Squeeze over the lemon juice and scatter the torn fresh basil. Toss once more. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more salt for depth, more chili for heat, or more lemon juice for brightness.
- Twirl into warm serving bowls immediately using tongs or a pasta fork. Garnish generously with fresh basil, a shower of nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan, toasted pine nuts, extra chili flakes, and a drizzle of the best extra virgin olive oil you have. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.
Pro Tips for the Most Luxurious Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Pasta
- Use the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar. This is one of the most underused flavor secrets in Italian cooking. The oil that sun-dried tomatoes are packed in is infused with an extraordinary concentration of tomato, herb, and garlic flavor. Using it as your cooking oil instantly gives the sauce a depth and richness that plain olive oil cannot match.
- Salt the pasta water generously. This is the most important pasta cooking rule in existence. Pasta cooked in properly salted water is seasoned from the inside out. Pasta cooked in unsalted or lightly salted water tastes flat and bland no matter how good the sauce is.
- Cook pasta to al dente — not beyond. Al dente pasta has a slight firmness when bitten that provides textural contrast against the silky cream sauce. Overcooked pasta becomes mushy and fails to hold the sauce properly.
- Never skip the pasta water. The starchy pasta cooking water is liquid gold in pasta making. Even just 2–3 tablespoons emulsified into the sauce with vigorous tossing creates a silky, restaurant-quality coating on the pasta that no amount of cream or butter can replicate.
- Add spinach at the very end. Spinach wilts in just 60–90 seconds in a hot sauce. Adding it too early causes it to become dark, mushy, and slightly bitter. Stir it in right at the end of the sauce cooking for bright green, perfectly wilted spinach.
- Finish with lemon juice. A squeeze of fresh lemon over the finished pasta brightens all the rich, deep, concentrated flavors in the sauce and lifts the entire dish in the most extraordinary way. Never skip this final step.
Flavor Variations
- Roasted Red Pepper Version: Add 2 roasted red peppers blended into the cream sauce for a sweeter, smokier sauce with a beautiful deep orange color that is absolutely stunning in the bowl.
- Mushroom and Sun-Dried Tomato: Add 200g of sliced cremini mushrooms sautéed until golden alongside the onion for an even heartier, more substantial sauce with incredible depth of flavor.
- White Bean and Spinach: Stir in one can of drained white cannellini beans along with the spinach for extra plant-based protein and a creamier sauce consistency that is extraordinarily filling.
- Artichoke and Sun-Dried Tomato: Add one can of drained, quartered artichoke hearts along with the sun-dried tomatoes for a classic Italian flavor combination that is absolutely spectacular in this creamy sauce.
Nutritional Highlights (Per Serving)
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fiber | Iron |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ~520 kcal | 16g | 78g | 8g | 30% DV |
Sun-dried tomatoes are one of the most nutrient-dense forms of tomato available — extraordinarily rich in lycopene, Vitamin C, potassium, and iron. The concentration process of drying intensifies all of these nutrients dramatically compared to fresh tomatoes. Spinach delivers iron, Vitamin K, folate, and powerful antioxidants. Nutritional yeast provides B vitamins including B12 in fortified versions, complete protein, and a range of minerals. Together this pasta delivers a beautifully balanced nutritional profile that makes it one of the most nourishing as well as one of the most delicious vegan pasta dishes available.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store leftover pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Note that the pasta will absorb more sauce as it sits in the fridge — this is normal and the flavor actually improves overnight as the pasta absorbs the sauce more deeply.
- Reheat: Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of plant milk, vegetable stock, or water to loosen the sauce. Stir gently and heat until warmed through. Can also be microwaved in 90-second intervals, stirring between each. Add a fresh squeeze of lemon juice and scatter fresh basil after reheating to revive the brightness of the dish.
- Freezer: Not recommended for this recipe. The cream sauce and cooked pasta do not freeze and thaw well — the sauce separates and the pasta becomes mushy. This dish is best made fresh or stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Make ahead tip: The sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Cook the pasta fresh just before serving and toss with the reheated sauce for a pasta dinner that comes together in under 15 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different pasta shape?
Absolutely. While spaghetti is the classic choice for this sauce, penne, rigatoni, fettuccine, tagliatelle, and linguine all work beautifully. Tube-shaped pastas like penne and rigatoni are particularly good at capturing the chunky sun-dried tomatoes and spinach inside the tubes. Use whatever pasta you have or prefer.
Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of sun-dried?
Sun-dried tomatoes are essential for the concentrated, intense, sweet-savory flavor that makes this sauce so extraordinary. Fresh tomatoes have a completely different flavor profile and a much higher water content that produces an entirely different and far less flavorful sauce. If sun-dried tomatoes are unavailable use semi-dried or oven-roasted tomatoes as the closest substitute.
Can I replace the coconut cream?
Yes. Cashew cream — made by blending soaked cashews with water until completely smooth — produces an equally luxurious, even more neutral-tasting cream sauce that is exceptional in this recipe. Oat cream, soy cream, and vegan cooking cream all work well. Avoid low-fat alternatives which produce a thin, less luxurious sauce.
How do I make cashew cream?
Soak 1 cup of raw cashews in cold water for 4 hours or in boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain and blend with ½ cup of fresh water until completely smooth and silky. This produces approximately 1 cup of cashew cream that can be used directly in this recipe in place of coconut cream.
Can I make this without wine?
Yes. Replace the white wine with an equal amount of vegetable stock plus 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. This replicates the acidity and brightness that the wine contributes without any alcohol.
What is the best vegan parmesan for serving?
A simple homemade vegan parmesan made by blending ¾ cup of cashews with 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, ½ teaspoon of garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt produces a deeply savory, parmesan-like topping that is extraordinary on this pasta. Store-bought vegan parmesan from brands like Violife or Follow Your Heart are also excellent. Alternatively a generous dusting of nutritional yeast directly from the jar is simple, delicious, and perfectly adequate.
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