When weeknight exhaustion hits and your fridge looks bare, this ridiculously simple pasta dish proves that minimal ingredients can create maximum flavor.
You know that moment when you're standing in front of your fridge at 7pm, mentally exhausted from the day, and the thought of chopping seventeen vegetables makes you want to order takeout? Yeah, we've all been there.
Here's the thing about plant-based cooking: it doesn't require a pantry that looks like a specialty grocery store exploded.
This creamy tomato pasta uses five ingredients you probably already have, takes about 20 minutes, and tastes like you actually tried. Which you did, just not in the way that requires three hours and a food processor.
Why this recipe actually works
The secret is letting each ingredient do the heavy lifting. We're talking pasta, canned tomatoes, garlic, cashews, and nutritional yeast. That's it.
The cashews blend into this silky sauce that mimics cream without any of the dairy hangover. Nutritional yeast adds that umami depth people associate with parmesan.
Think of it like the capsule wardrobe approach to cooking. Five versatile pieces that work together seamlessly. No weird specialty ingredients that you'll use once and then watch slowly expire in your pantry.
Just straightforward stuff that multitasks across dozens of other meals.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pasta (any shape works, but rigatoni or penne are ideal)
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
2. While pasta cooks, drain your soaked cashews and blend them with 1/2 cup fresh water until completely smooth. This takes about a minute in a high-speed blender.
3. In a large pan over medium heat, sauté the minced garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Don't let it brown or it gets bitter.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes and cashew cream to the pan. Stir in the nutritional yeast. Let it simmer for 5 minutes while your pasta finishes cooking.
5. Toss the drained pasta with the sauce, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time until you reach your preferred consistency. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Tips and variations
If you don't have a high-speed blender, soak your cashews longer (even overnight) so they blend smoother in a regular blender. You can also substitute the cashews with about 1/3 cup of store-bought vegan cream if you're really in a pinch.
Want to make it feel fancier without adding ingredients?
Top with fresh basil or a drizzle of good olive oil. Red pepper flakes add a nice kick if you're into that.
Sometimes I'll throw in whatever vegetables are about to go bad in my fridge, but that technically breaks the five-ingredient rule.
The sauce keeps well in the fridge for about four days, so you can make a double batch and have an even faster dinner later in the week. Just add a splash of water or plant milk when reheating because it thickens up as it sits.
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