Quick garlic butter pasta that is creamy, rich, and comforting! This weeknight dinner can be tossed together in about 20 minutes, with minimal effort. The sauce recipe is vegan (dairy-free, eggless), super easy, and can be served with gluten-free pasta!
If you love a creamy vegan carbonara, you will most likely also enjoy this delicious pasta with garlic butter sauce. The scent of fried garlic in oil or butter is probably my favorite scent when it comes to food. It should be called “Garlic N°5” haha. But seriously, if you are also a garlic fan, you will understand what I mean.
In the past, I loved eating Spaghetti Aglio e Olio in Italian restaurants. It’s a simple dish containing garlic, olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and parsley. This pasta dish is very tasty, however, it didn’t agree with me because it contains loads of fat due to the oil and cheese. I wanted to create something similar, which has the flavor of pasta Aglio e Olio and the creaminess of a carbonara sauce, therefore, I made this garlic butter pasta.
Garlic Butter Sauce Ingredients
This homemade garlic sauce contains a little vegan butter, a lot of fresh garlic, plant-based milk, spices and a little cornstarch to thicken. You can use any other starch of choice, for example, arrowroot flour/starch, or potato starch. Tapioca flour or regular flour should be fine too.
I also love adding a little lemon juice which adds a nice refreshing kick! I once replaced a part of the dairy-free milk with white wine which turned out to be a success. Very flavorful and delicious! But this is of course optional. If you decide to give the wine a try, then I would recommend leaving out the lemon juice.
This pasta dish is not as greasy as pasta Aglio e Olio, yet it’s creamy like pasta carbonara without containing egg yolks, heavy cream, or Parmesan cheese.
The list of ingredients with measurements and nutrition facts (calories, etc.) can be found in the printable recipe card below.
How To Make Garlic Butter Pasta?
Everyone can make this vegan white garlic butter sauce and the recipe has only 5 simple steps. Check the following step-by-step photos:
STEP 1: Prepare your favorite pasta (regular pasta, gluten-free pasta, or grain-free pasta) first. Cook the noodles in a pot according to package directions. Then, drain most of the pasta water but reserve a little in a separate bowl (you might need it later to thin out the sauce).
STEP 2: For the sauce, heat vegan butter (or oil) in a large skillet and add garlic and the sliced pepper. Fry for about a minute, stirring frequently. Also, add all spices and stir to combine.
STEP 3: In a medium-sized bowl combine plant-based milk and cornstarch (or any other starch). Whisk until there are no lumps and pour the mixture into the skillet.
STEP 4: Let simmer for a few minutes. The sauce will quickly thicken. Now add lemon juice, hot sauce (or red pepper flakes), and also the cooked pasta. Stir to combine.
STEP 5: Finally, taste it and adjust seasonings. Add more salt/black pepper/spices/lemon juice if needed. If the sauce thickened too much, add a little of the reserved pasta water.
I also like to sprinkle this vegan pasta dish with nutritional yeast and garnish with fresh parsley.
Tips & Variations
How to store? Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you plan to make more sauce for e.g. meal prep, I would recommend cooking the pasta separately, as it tastes the best fresh, and to store the garlic sauce in an airtight container in the fridge.
Vegan butter: You can use margarine (typically vegan) or oil (e.g. olive oil) if you don’t have vegan butter.
Dairy-Free milk: Any plant-based milk like almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, etc. can be used.
Make it spicier or less spicy: If you love a spicy kick, simply increase the amount of hot sauce, add a chili, or some red pepper flakes. If you are sensitive to spicy food or have a toddler/kid, then leave out the hot sauce.
Add more veggies: Believe it or not, but when I created the recipe and took photos of the dish, I only had a few peppers in the fridge. However, you can add any other veggies of choice, for example, cooked broccoli, asparagus, zucchini, or even mushrooms!
Spaghetti: Use spaghetti to make creamy garlic spaghetti.
This White Sauce Is:
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Flavorful (garlicky)
- A little spicy
- Comforting
- Creamy
- Hearty
- Easy to make with simple ingredients
- Quickly prepared
Should you give this tasty garlic butter pasta a try, please leave a comment below, and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your remakes!
If you love a creamy white sauce, make sure to also check out my delicious Vegan Alfredo Sauce. For other vegan pasta dishes, definitely visit this ultimate guide of my Vegan Pasta Recipes.
Garlic Butter Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegan butter or oil
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pepper sliced (e.g. red bell pepper)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp sea salt or less/more to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce or more to taste (optional)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot flour (see notes)
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) plant-based milk (see notes)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 10 oz (280 g) pasta of choice, gluten-free if needed
- Fresh herbs to garnish (e.g. parsley)
- Nutritional yeast to taste (optional)
Instructions
- You can watch the video in the post for visual instructions.Cook your favorite pasta (regular pasta, gluten-free pasta, or grain-free pasta) in a pot according to package directions. Then, drain most of the pasta water but reserve 1/2 cup (120 ml) in a separate bowl.
- Meanwhile, heat vegan butter (or oil) in a large skillet and add garlic and sliced pepper. Sauté for about a minute, stirring frequently. Add all spices and stir to combine.
- In a bowl combine plant-based milk and cornstarch. Whisk until there are no lumps and pour the mixture into the skillet.
- Let simmer for a few minutes until thickened, then add lemon juice, hot sauce (or red pepper flakes), and also the cooked pasta. Stir to combine.
- Taste it and adjust seasonings. Add more salt/pepper/spices/lemon juice to taste. Add some reserved pasta water if you prefer a thinner sauce.
- Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Notes
- Milk: Any plant-based milk like almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, etc. is fine! You can also replace 1/4 to 1/3 cup (60-80 ml) of the milk with white wine. If you do, I would recommend leaving out the lemon juice.
- Cornstarch: Any starch can be used (potato starch, arrowroot flour). Regular flour should work too. You can also use less and cook the sauce longer until it thickens.
- More tips/variations and step-by-step photos are above in the blog post.
- Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving (1/4 of the recipe).
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
Leah
This was really good. I added sliced mushrooms. I’m looking forward to making it again with a few more vegetables 🙂 thanks for this easy recipe
Ela
Sounds amazing, Leah! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Lea
Wouldn’t surprise me if you looked up the word “indulgent” in a dictionary and found a picture of this delicious meal!
Ela
Haha, thank you, Lea! 🙂
Amanda
This was a hit with my family. I had seen some comments where people felt it was a bit bland for them, but I personally loved it. I did double the smoked paprika, onion powder, salt & pepper in mine, however I also added more veggies (broccoli, red pepper, cherry tomatoes, onion, mushrooms), so I wanted to ensure I had enough seasonings in the dish. I also chose to use a can of coconut milk, which gave it an amazing creaminess. I left out the hot sauce/red pepper flakes to accommodate others who aren’t a fan of added spice, and simply let everyone add red pepper flakes or hot sauce to their individual portion as they needed. Turned out great and was so simple to make!
Ela
Hi Amanda, thanks so much for your helpful comment! I am so glad everyone liked it. 🙂
McCullen
My son is allergic to dairy & eggs, so any “vegan” recipe works for us. This was perfect. I added spinach instead of peppers & ‘Kickin Chickin’ spice blend. I topped with grilled chicken & fresh herbs. My 3 & 2 year old gobbled it up. Thanks for the recipe!
Jasmin
Something was missing. I cannot put my finger on it as yet. It was kind of bland. It might need more garlic. Some herbs? And the lemon juice was too much. I will try it but add herbs, more garlic and less lemon juice. Love that I did not have to use cheese.
Mel
Very creamy and savory but kind of bland. I added extra seasonings but it just seemed like it was missing something :/
Ela
Hi Mel, you could add nutritional yeast or a little miso paste for more “umami flavor”. Maybe you also want to try adding a little oregano/basil for a Mediterranean touch. 🙂
Joey
This was the best creamy vegan pasta I have had so far! I made it with spaghetti squash instead of noodles and added sautéed onions, sundried tomatoes and spinach. So delicious and so satisfying!
Ela
That sounds amazing, Joey! 🙂 Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Nicole
I rarely leave comments but this is a new favourite at our house. I’m making it for the third time right now since discovering it only a few weeks ago. Delicious!
Ela
Yay! I am so glad you liked it, Nicole. 🙂
Tina
This was good, i made this on the fly (meaning I had all the ingredients, didn’t have to shop). It was good! Im going to use less pepper flakes next time. I’m such a wimp, and it was too spicy for me. Overall, great comfort food! Thanks!!!
Ela
Fantastic! I am glad you enjoyed it, Tina. 🙂
Chelsea T
Made this today! I added an extra TBSP of vegan butter because I was adding broccoli at the end. I did everything else according to the recipe. However, once done, I added my own select seasonings including Louisiana brand Cajun Seasoning, and low sodium soy sauce, Very good! The only thing I would change personally is use a little less nut milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but as it began to cook, the sweet smell began to get to me and smelled more like a dessert and no longer a savory dish. The addition of the seasonings I used changed that for me though. All is well! Thank you!
Ela
Glad it turned out delicious! 🙂
Natalia
I made this and added some mushrooms and I have to say one of the easiest and tastiest recipes ever!! Highly recommend it 🙂
Ela
That’s awesome; Natalia! I am so happy you love this pasta dish. 🙂
Ivana
Bylo to vynikající,prima jednoduchý recept. Citron oživil omáčku. Nezbylo ani sousto 🙂 Děkuji,Elo!
Penelope Fry
Thanks for this great recipe Ela! So many cafe and takeaway places are struggling to figure out new vegan options that will sell well during this time. But there is one thing we all have in common, and that’s a love of comfort food right now! Your Garlic Butter Pasta is good enough to be added to a professional menu. I’ll send your link to our contacts at work. Thanks again Ela! xox Penelope from jacoi.com
Ela
Glad you liked it, Penelope! 🙂
Rachel
Super good and easy!
Ela
Glad you liked the recipe, Rachel. 🙂
Elyse
Just made this tonight! We also added halved cherry tomatoes and it was delicious. Super easy, summery dinner. Thank you!
Ela
So happy you loved it, Elyse! Thanks for your great feedback! 🙂
Tiina
Delicious. I’m only cooking for two so I halved the recipe. it is perfect as written and easily can scale up or down in servings. Delightful.
Ela
Glad you liked the recipe, Tiina! 🙂
Carbonkeri
Delicious recipe, this will become a regular for me! I only had 2 cloves of garlic, used halved cherry tomatoes, and half soy milk/half water. (I was worried the soy flavour would be overpowering!) The lemon brightens the sauce perfectly. Yummm!
Ela
Sounds great! So happy to hear it will become a regular for you. 🙂
Thanks for your feedback!
Shandi
DELICIOUS! And so simple to make! Savory, garlicky and creamy with a hint of heat and tang. I added broccoli and yellow peppers (use what you have, as Ela suggests!) This is true comfort food. Thank you for another great recipe.
Ela
Love that you added broccoli! Thanks a lot for your kind feedback, Shandi. 🙂
Geiste
Made this for dinner tonight and ended up having 2 servings. Absolutely delicious, and quick! Super convenient for a busy schedule. A very simple ingredient list as well. Had everything available already at an arm’s reach in my kitchen. Thank you!
Ela
Fantastic! Thanks a lot for your comment, Geiste! I am happy you liked it. 🙂
Sarah
This was pretty simple to make and it was delicious! It was perfect for my whole family including my 5 and 3 year old. We will enjoy these leftovers tomorrow, and we will be adding this to our favorite recipes. Thank you so much for this. We needed variety in our vegan meals and this is a perfect addition.
Ela
I am so glad you liked the recipe, Sarah! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
Christine
Hi Ela This looks so good! I’m not a fan of smoked paprika is there something else I can sub with?
Thanks ! I’m looking forward to making it
Ela
Hi Christine, you can use normal paprika powder, it doesn’t have to be smoked. 🙂