Creamy Vegan Tortellini Pasta

This easy recipe features plant-based tortellini in a creamy vegan pasta sauce with diced tomatoes and spinach. It’s quick, healthy and comforting!

What is a vegan alternative to cream in pasta?

Everyone loves a good creamy pasta but if you’re vegan (or intolerant) you may be wondering how to make pasta sauce creamy without dairy.

Luckily there are many alternatives, tricks and techniques for making creamy vegan pasta!

The easy way is to use a prepared vegan cream product such as this one from Oatly. 

Personally, I’ve always found these products to have a slightly weird and off-putting flavor, especially the soy based ones.

The old-school vegan technique of thickening plant-based milk with flour also has a weird flavor and I wouldn’t really describe the texture as “creamy”, but a lot of people like these recipes.

The next technique is to blend up soaked cashews to make cashew cream and add that to your pasta sauce.

I use this technique sometimes to make creamy soups such as this green pea soup and this vegan clam chowder.

I like adding a touch of coconut milk or coconut cream to my pasta sauces. Just a little bit adds creaminess without overpowering the sauce with the flavor of coconut. 

Try my creamy vegan pasta or my vegan pumpkin pasta to see how it’s done.

For this creamy tortellini recipe I tried something I don’t usually do, but it worked out great: vegan cream cheese.

Vegan cream cheese, like this plant-based Philadelphia has only recently become available where I live. 

Vegan cream cheese melts into the sauce beautifully and doesn’t impart a strong flavor of nuts, soy or coconut. 

I’ve also found vegan cream cheese to make a good ricotta substitute in recipes like these vegan stuffed shells and this vegan spinach pie.

Is there vegan tortellini?

Yes! Vegan tortellini exists without the tedious process of making homemade tortellini from scratch.

If you’re wondering where to buy vegan tortellini in the US, the most widely available brand of vegan tortellini is Kite Hill. 

You can find Kite Hill in large supermarkets or order it online.

If you live in a big city and are lucky enough to have a vegan supermarket, you may find more options there. 

Perhaps some imported from Europe like the D’Angelo brand, which is what I used for my vegan tortellini soup recipe. 

KoRo is another European brand that carries vegan tortellini.

Another good place to look for vegan tortellini is health food stores. 

Specialty pasta stores may have a vegan option.

I tend to come across vegan ravioli more often so if you can’t find tortellini anywhere you can also make this creamy tortellini recipe with ravioli instead!

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this creamy vegan tortellini pasta:

Tortellini: Vegan tortellini can have various fillings. Kite Hill has an almond ricotta filling. I use a tortellini with a vegetable filling. You can find vegan tortellini in large, well-stocked supermarkets or online.

Diced tomato: A can of diced tomatoes with their juices to form the base of the sauce.

Spinach: A couple packed cups of chopped spinach is very healthy! You could probably substitute frozen spinach because its cheaper, but I haven’t tried it.

Tomato paste: A couple tablespoons of tomato paste help to thicken the sauce and also adds sweetness to balance out the acidity of the canned tomatoes.

Cream cheese: Vegan cream cheese is easy to find nowadays in most supermarkets with a vegan section. Use your favorite brand or try an version with herbs for some extra flavor.

Herbs and seasonings: I like dried basil in my pasta. You could also use oregano or Italian seasoning. Feel free to replace the dried basil for fresh basil if you want. Additionally you’ll need some salt to season your dish.

Onion and garlic: One medium onion and a couple cloves of garlic to get the sauce started.

Oil: A little bit of olive oil or any other cooking oil to fry the onion and garlic.

How to make creamy vegan tortellini?

This creamy vegan tortellini pasta recipe is quick and easy to make. It’s great for a quick dinner after work.

Cook the pasta: Place a large pot of water on to boil. 

Once boiling, salt the water generously and add the tortellini.

Cook the pasta for the length of time indicated on the package instructions. For mine it was 8 minutes.

Fry: While the water is heat up, start the sauce.

Dice the onion and garlic.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and fry until transparent then add the garlic and fry until soft.

Add the tomato paste and dried basil. Stir to combine and fry for a minute or two until the tomato paste darkens in color.

Make the sauce: Add in the can of diced tomatoes, vegan cream cheese and salt.

Once the cream cheese has melted in, add the spinach and allow it to wilt.

Combine: Add the cooked tortellini into the saucepan. I like to do this with a slotted spoon directly from the pot and I reserve the pasta-cooking water.

Continue cooking until the spinach is fully wilted. If the sauce seems too thick or dry, add pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

Variations and substitutions

Seasonings: I like only basil in my pasta but you can substitute oregano or use a combination of herbs. Substitute dried herbs for fresh herbs. I also sometimes add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a bit of spice.

Pasta: If you can’t find vegan tortellini anywhere you can use another type of pasta such as ravioli. This creamy vegan pasta sauce is delicious and can be used with any kind of pasta shape.

Vegetables: You an add in other vegetables. Diced carrot, zucchini, eggplant, sun dried tomatoes, halved cherry tomatoes, peas, for example.

Cheese: There are lots of options for vegan Parmesan that you can grate on top of your pasta!

FAQs

Make ahead and storage tips

Like any type of pasta, this creamy vegan tortellini is best served freshly made.

However, leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

If you want to make this ahead of time, I recommend making the sauce separately. 

You can either cook the pasta and add it to the sauce just before serving or also cook the pasta ahead of time and store it in a separate container. 

If the tortellini sticks together, rinse it under cool water to separate before adding to the sauce.

This pasta can be reheated in the microwave or in a pan over the stove.

How to serve creamy vegan tortellini

Like any good pasta, serve this vegan tortellini with garlic bread, crusty bread, breadsticks or a side salad, Caesar salad or bruschetta.

Pasta also goes great with steamed or roasted vegetables on the side such as broccoli, asparagus, squash, green beans, Brussels sprouts, etc.