Creamy Vegan Turmeric Pasta

I have no idea what to name this creamy vegan pasta other than exactly what it is: creamy vegan turmeric pasta. It has a thick, flavorful sauce that relies on coconut oil and flour as the base of a vegan “béchamel” (more on that later). Add your favorite vegetables and pasta shape and this whole recipe just feels like comfort food taken to the next level.

What is a vegan “béchamel”?

To understand my riff on a vegan béchamel, we first have to talk about béchamel. It’s one of the five “mother sauces” in French cuisine, with the other four being espagnole, tomato, velouté and hollandaise. And while all five sauces are delicious, béchamel sauce is by far my favorite, and what I believe to be the most versatile.

Béchamel is created by mixing together equal parts flour and fat, traditionally butter, on a warm skillet. Simultaneously cooking out the flour flavor in the flour and extracting toasty, rich flavors from the butter. Milk is gradually mixed in, until the paste turns into a rich and creamy sauce.

Now a vegan béchamel is the same concept, equal parts flour and fat, but you just opt for a plant-based fat (olive oil or coconut oil are my favorite) and a plant-based milk. You barely taste the difference, and the sauce is still thick, creamy and delish. It’s my favorite way to get a creamy sauce started.

How to make a vegan béchamel

Now a vegan béchamel is all about lump management, and not rushing the process. In this recipe we use coconut oil as the fat source, which creates a very thick paste when mixed with the flour.

Since we do not use butter, which needs to be lightly toasted to extract notes of rich butter flavor, it can be easy to rush the process of cooking this fat+flour paste. But it is crucial to toast out all the flavor in the flour. So even in a vegan béchamel, you must cook down the paste for at least 2-4 minutes.

Then it is time to gradually whisk in the milk. In this case I recommend a milk like oat or cashew. Something that is creamy and will assist in the emulsification of the sauce. You can whisk in the milk about 1/2 cup at a time, constantly stirring to make sure that no clumps are left.

The ingredients you will need for this vegan creamy pasta recipe

Now that we’ve talked about the sauce, let’s talk about everything else you need. Here’s a list of the deets:

For the creamy sauce:

• 1/4 cup coconut oil room temperature
• 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 3/4 tsp each of ground coriander, cumin, red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups plant based milk or milk of choice
• salt and black pepper to taste

For the pasta:

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
• 1 small zucchini sliced
• 1 medium shallot sliced thinly
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 16 oz. orecchiette pasta or your favorite pasta shape!

How to roast the vegetables

With this recipe, simple is best. Toss your vegetables in a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast them at 425F for 10-12 minutes or until they are lightly charred.

If you opt for other vegetables than the ones listed in the recipe, be sure to adjust the baking time based on the vegetable type.

How to make the vegan creamy pasta sauce

We briefly discussed how to make a vegan béchamel, but here is a step by step guide:

1. Set a large skillet to medium heat. Melt the coconut oil and add the ginger to the skillet. Cook for about 30 seconds and then add in the turmeric, coriander, cumin and red pepper flakes. Bloom the spices for another 30-60 seconds.
2. Add the flour to the skillet and cook in the oil for 2-3 minutes, forming a thick paste. What you are doing here is cooking out the flavor of the flour, as well as letting the spices saturate the flour with flavor!
3. Gradually add the plant milk to the skillet, about 1/2 cup at a time. Constantly stir until a thick and creamy sauce begins to form. You might need to lower the heat on the skillet to medium-low, because heat will increase the speed that the sauce thickens.
4. Taste the sauce and add salt or pepper as you see fit.

How to bring this creamy vegan pasta recipe all together

Once the vegetables, sauce and pasta are ready, assembly is relatively easy. Just:

1. Leave the cooked pasta in the pot it was originally boiled in.
2. Pour in the sauce and stir, add the reserved pasta water to help emulsify the sauce.
3. Add in the roasted vegetables and toss again.
4. Top with pepper to taste and serve!

Troubleshooting this vegan sauce

This sauce is all about flexibility. If it feels a little thick, feel free to add more milk until you receive the texture you want. If it needs more spice, toss some in, even if it’s past the spice “toasting” phase.

They key here is mixing constantly and quickly. Lumps will form, but they should release relatively quickly if you keep the heat on medium-low and continue to stir.

A béchamel can be intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll love it.

Want more pasta recipes?

I live for pasta recipes. Here are a few of my favorites from the blog:

FAQ

And that’s it for this creamy vegan pasta recipe!

If you make it, please tag me on Pinterest or Instagram so I can see! It’s my favorite thing to scroll through stories and see what you all are making <3

And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you!