Thank you Modern Table for sponsoring this post. This delicious, complete protein pasta is made from just three plant-based ingredients — eat clean with Modern Table pasta today!
This creamy lemon garlic pasta is a hearty, fresh-tasting, spring-welcoming dish!
To make it even more suitable for that New Year’s Resolutions-meets-winter-blues part of the year, I’ve paired this creamy lemon garlic pasta with Modern Table Lentil Spirals. With only three plant-based ingredients, the plain pastas are vegan, non-GMO, and gluten-free. That makes them suitable for everyone in my household to enjoy, which is always helpful when dinner planning.
Let’s talk about the creamy lemon garlic sauce for a moment. This is a somewhat classic vegan cream sauce, made by blending a touch of raw cashews, non-dairy milk (I recommend soy), and of course, lemon for acidity. This time around, I roasted a head of garlic and added that to the mix, for a comforting but not overpowering garlic flavor.
Roasting garlic is a breeze – just remove excess paper and then slice off the top of the head of garlic (the side opposite from the roots) so all of the cloves are just barely exposed. Rub the whole thing lightly with olive oil, then wrap it in aluminum foil and stick it on a baking sheet at 350 Fahrenheit for an hour, or until very soft. Let it cool and then squeeze out the garlic cloves and you’re ready to go! If you aren’t ready to use the roasted garlic yet, you can also store it in the fridge inside the foil for up to a week once cooled.
Lemon and garlic are a match made in heaven and this dish really comes to life if sprinkled with a few fresh herbs to finish. In these photos I used some fresh dill that I had on hand, which really gives the creamy lemon garlic pasta a spring-y feel. It’s also delicious served with parsley, or basil. I tried mint for science purposes, because I also had some in the fridge, and I can’t recommend it, haha.
This creamy lemon garlic pasta can easily be a complete meal if a nutritious pasta is used, and that’s where Modern Table comes in;Â all pastas are lentil-based and contain complete proteins – meaning they have the 9 essential amino acids our bodies need for strong energy, good digestion, and muscle health. And in my personal belief, these are far better tasting than other lentil-based pastas on the market, which have a tendency to turn to mush; the Modern Table spirals have a nice, slightly chewy texture and the leftovers held up well in the fridge when I sent them with Brent for lunch.
You can make this dish with meyer lemon, too, if you’re feeling adventurous and happen to find some at the store! Hoping you enjoy this dairy-free pasta dish and get some warmer weather soon!
Creamy Lemon Garlic Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz Modern Table Lentil Spirals (uncooked) (or use other pasta of choice)
- 1 head roasted garlic (see post for tips)
- 1/4 cup raw cashews soaked in hot water for 10 minutes, and drained
- 2/3 cup plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- 1 tsp white or yellow miso (optional)
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 4 tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice plus more to taste
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot diced or thinly sliced
Instructions
- Cook the pasta to al dente in well-salted water, according to package instructions. Drain, but do not rinse the pasta.
- In a blender, combine the roasted garlic, cashews, milk, nutritional yeast and miso if using, lemon zest, and lemon juice, until completely smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- In a medium-sized saucepan, warm the olive oil, and saute the shallot until softened. Add the cashew mixture, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until warm throughout. Fold in the cooked pasta, and cook together over low heat just until warm and the sauce coats the pasta. Add more lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste, and serve hot, garnished with fresh herbs if desired.
Nutrition
Originally published in May 2014 and updated in February 2019.
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Lars says
Hi! I’ve been craving for some creamy lemon pasta but I couldn’t eat coconut so I have to skip on a lot of recipe that calls for coconut milk, and thank God I found this! The roasted garlic idea was genius!! Though I think I could add more cause it’s sweet and delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Martha says
Kind of deceptive to not include the garlic roasting time in the total recipe time
Nancy Nurse says
I don’t think you really ‘meant’ to say ‘deceptive’ did you? That would be kind of harsh.. I think you just meant that she forgot to put it on there, but she mentions right next to the garlic to ‘read how to do it in her post of the recipe’… she goes into great detail… so, just scroll up and you’ll see it..
Karen says
Looks so delish! I hope this will work with regular lemon!
Carla says
For how long do I need to soak the cashews?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Carla,either for 2 hours in boiling hot water, or overnight (8 hrs) in regular temp water.
Nancy Nurse says
I’ve soaked them for 10 minutes in boiling hot water and they’re perfect.
Aasim says
The Meyer Lemon Sauce sounds like it really hits the spot, I’m currently imagining the zesty taste! Also, lucky you have a kicking farmers market, make the most of it 🙂
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thank you! Trust me, I count my blessings every day when it comes to the farmers market 🙂
Cadry says
I’m envious that your farmers market is already packed with lots of good stuff! Ours just started for the season last Saturday, and it was definitely slim pickings. For the most part, they only had plants for sale, and since I’m not a gardener it means I’ll have to wait for the fresh produce to arrive.
Your pasta dish looks so cozy and delicious! Have a great time in Atlantic City!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thank you, Cadry! I’m not a gardener either (though I’m hoping to become one eventually) and for some reason I still find myself really tempted by those market plants. Hence how I ended up growing chili pepper plants in tiny pots indoors last season (they did surprisingly well given my black thumb). Hope the produce starts popping up at your market soon!
Meredith @ Unexpectedly Magnificent says
This looks absolutely delicious! Pinning for future use. I can’t wait to make it! 🙂
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thank you, Meredith! I couldn’t stop taking tastes of the sauce 🙂
Laura @ the gluten-free treadmill says
This is the ultimate comfort food – you’ve really outdone yourself! I love Meyer lemons too, and have always wondered how to make them savory and delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thanks, Laura! Yes, Meyer lemons are tricky but so delicious!