One Pot Pasta: Easy Vegan 20 Minute Dinner

This simple one-pot pasta is super cozy and comforting with your pasta of choice, mixed vegetables, and a creamy tomato sauce. All you need is ONE pot or pan and 20 minutes for this dairy-free, vegan, versatile, creamy pasta recipe!

Quick And Affordable One Pot Pasta With Veggies

The versatility of pasta never fails to impress me. Whether you want something light, like a pasta salad or kale avocado pasta, super cozy and comforting like vegan mac and cheese and spinach ‘ricotta’ cannelloni, or something that lies somewhere in-between – like this vegan creamy one-pot pasta with vegetables. There’s a pasta recipe for all-and this one-pan pasta is comfort and simplicity at its finest!

With a combination of aromatic onion and garlic, a selection of veggies, and a creamy tomato passata and coconut milk-based sauce (like vegan rosé sauce), this pasta dish is cozy and comforting while still wonderfully nourishing and won’t weigh you down. Even better, unlike many other vegan creamy tomato pasta recipes, this recipe is nut-free and requires no blending, roasting, etc. Instead, just shove everything in your pot and simmer until tender and flavorful!

In fact, this is the ultimate weeknight dinner, with minimal prep, no fuss, and ready in 20 minutes! So it’s perfect for a last-minute, low-effort, budget-friendly mid-week meal. Plus, this one-skillet pasta recipe is primarily made up of pantry staples and a few veggies (fresh, frozen, or canned will work), so you can probably make it right now – no trip to the grocery store required.

All you need for this one-pot pasta recipe is one pan, a knife, and a chopping board! That’s it- easy-peasy!

Looking for more simple vegan (one-pot) pasta recipes? You might also enjoy this one-pan lasagna soup, garlic noodles (pasta Aglio e olio), easy tomato pasta soup, creamy lemon pasta, or garlic butter pasta!

What You’ll Need

• Pasta: Any regular or gluten-free pasta (dried) – just note that the cooking time will vary based on your choice. I prefer to use shorter-shaped pasta like “Fusilli” rather than linguine/ spaghetti. If you want to use the latter, I recommend snapping them in half first and stirring often.
• Veggie bouillon powder: Alternatively, you can use ready-made veggie stock.
• 2 cups water: Or use vegetable broth.
• Passata: If you don’t have passata, you could use tomato purée (not paste) or tomato sauce. For extra depth, add some tomato paste. During summer, you could even use ripe grape tomatoes, but you’ll need to sauté them to break them down first before adding the remaining ingredients.
• Coconut milk: I like to use full-fat canned coconut milk for the richest, creamiest results (light coconut milk will also work, though). You could sub another vegan ‘cream’ (like oat cream or soy cream). However, note that it will impact the flavor.
• Seasonings: onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper are all you need for this one-pot veggie pasta.
• Aromatics: You’ll need three garlic cloves and one onion (I use red- but yellow onion would work too) – feel free to adjust the amount of garlic to personal preference. At a pinch, you could use garlic and onion powder in place of fresh. Use ½ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove and 1/2 tablespoon of onion powder per small-medium onion.
• Vegetables: I used broccoli, zucchini, and red pepper. However, feel free to swap these with other vegetables; fresh, frozen, or canned for this one-dish pasta meal!

Optional add-ins and recipe variations:

• ‘Cheese’: You could add some nutritional yeast directly into the creamy tomato pasta to add a nutty/cheesy flavor. Alternatively, you can use the vegan cheese of your choice (or vegan Parmesan cheese) to top the dish before serving.
• Other vegetables: This one-pot pasta recipe is very versatile. Feel free to add the veggies of your choice (as long as they’ll cook in the time), i.e., peas, sweetcorn, mushrooms, kale, etc. You could also add spinach, stirring it into the one-pan pasta at the end to wilt.
• Protein: To add extra protein to this creamy one-skillet pasta dish, you could either add legumes (like chickpeas or white beans) directly into the pot. Alternatively, you could use tofu, chickpea tofu, or soy curls, etc. Sauté it in the pot first, remove it, and add it back in right before serving.
• White wine: Add a large splash (or 3) to the pan. It will burn off and leave a fantastic depth of flavor behind.
• Herbs: Dried oregano, thyme, or basil would work well. Fresh basil leaves also pair particularly well with the tomato sauce.
• Spice: If you prefer the pasta sauce spicy, feel free to add red pepper flakes (to taste).
• Sugar: If your passata is very acidic, you can add a pinch of salt to balance the flavors.

Please read the recipe card below for the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information.

How to Make Creamy Tomato One-Pot Pasta

Not only is this vegan one-pot pasta recipe fuss-free, but it requires just three fool-proof instructions!

• First, add all the ingredients to a pot (or skillet with deep sides) and stir to combine. Then, bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
• Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat to low and set the timer to 12 minutes. Cook until the pasta is al-dente, stirring every few minutes.

Depending on the type and shape of the pasta, the cooking time will vary. Note that gluten-free noodles/ pasta usually takes less time, and larger/thicker pasta varieties may take longer.

• Taste the pasta, adjust any seasonings, and then serve, optionally sprinkled with fresh herbs like parsley – enjoy!

How to Serve?

Thanks to the combined hearty/healthy nature of this one-skillet pasta, you can enjoy a large bowl of it alone or enjoy a slightly smaller portion with the side of your choice. Some of my favorite sides include:

• Garlic bread (or garlic naan) OR a crusty loaf/ baguette with vegan butter
• A side salad – I like to pair it with simple leafy green salads
• You can’t have too many vegetables in my eyes, so feel free to double this dish up with sides of baked/broiled/ grilled veggies.

How to Store

Store: You can store any leftovers of this one-pan pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for between 3-4 days.

Freeze: While this dish is technically freezable, I prefer not to, as the pasta can become mushy upon thawing. If you’d like to, though, freeze the pasta in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Reheat: You can reheat the creamy tomato pasta either gently on the stovetop, in the oven (At 350F/175F for 15-20 minutes), or in the microwave. Add a splash of water or stock if needed to bring back the correct sauce consistency.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Swap out the veggies: One of the best things about this effortless one-pot pasta recipe is the dish’s versatility and resulting frugal nature. You can swap out the vegetables used seasonally to get the best deal on veggies. Alternatively, feel free to use fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables.
• Use high-quality passata: It might not seem important, but the passata is one of the base ingredients for this vegan pasta recipe, so use a high-quality option when possible.
• Make sure to stir occasionally: So the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan (or clump together).
• Adjust the time to your preference: Based on the type of pasta you’re using and how well done you prefer it (al dente vs. tender).
• Optionally pre-sauté the veggies: The process will take longer, but that way, you can remove half (or all) from the pot when adding the remaining ingredients and add them in again at the end (great if you prefer slightly crisp/browned vegetables).
• Don’t heat too high: If you do, the pasta and sauce will cook unevenly, and you may end up with too much or too little sauce.
• If the sauce becomes too thick/thin: You can add a little extra dairy-free milk (any) or veggie stock – just a splash at a time to thin out a thickened sauce. Alternatively, for a sauce that is too thin, you could add a cornstarch slurry to help thicken it.

More Vegan Healthy Pasta Recipes

• Pumpkin Pasta Bake
• Creamy Pasta Soup
• Baked Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce
• Lasagna Roll-Ups
• Lentil Bolognese
• Vegan Alfredo
• Vegan Baked Ziti

If you try this one-pot veggie pasta recipe, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan and #elavegan – I love seeing them.