10-Minute Creamy Tofu Pasta w/ Beans & Walnut

This 10-Minute Creamy Tofu Pasta with white beans, walnuts, and chili is super quick and easy to make, yet it’s so flavorful! The creamy tofu sauce comes together in just a couple of minutes, making this the perfect recipe for busy weeknights or lazy lunches.

Though it’s a ridiculously simple recipe, it’s still surprisingly versatile. Of course you can keep it exactly as written, or you can play around with it. Change the sauce ingredient ratios, or add extras you like to it. Then throw in whatever veggies, herbs, nuts, or proteins you have at home. And it also tastes just as good cold as it does warm, so you can pack the leftovers for lunch the next day.

The creamy tofu sauce is honestly the star of this recipe. It’s such a simple combo, yet it’s packed with flavor from miso, garlic, walnuts, and lemon. And the best part is that it works for so much more than just pasta. I often make a larger batch and keep some in the fridge to use as a dip for veggies, as a bread spread, or even as a quick sauce for salad bowls throughout the week.

10-Minute Creamy Tofu Pasta is…

• vegan and plant-based
• optionally gluten-free (simply use GF pasta)
• quick and easy to make
• budget-friendly
• delicious both cold and warm
• very customizable
• high in protein
• extra creamy and satisfying
• made with simple pantry ingredients
• perfect for busy weeknights

How to make 10-Minute Creamy Tofu Pasta

Start by cooking your favorite pasta according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve a little of the pasta cooking water for adjusting the consistency of the sauce later.

While the pasta cooks, prepare the sauce. Simply add the tofu, toasted walnuts, garlic, miso, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water until you reach your preferred consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Mix the cooked pasta with the creamy sauce and white beans until everything is well coated. Add a little more pasta water if the sauce feels too thick. Finish with the chopped walnuts, fresh chili, and herbs for extra crunch and freshness, then serve immediately. Or let it cool and enjoy it as a delicious cold pasta salad later on.

That’s it. All done in 10 minutes.

Customize it the way you like it!

This pasta recipe is super simple but still very customizable, so feel free to play around with the recipe.

• I like to use soft or silken tofu here for an extra creamy result, but regular tofu is working here well too. You can also use smoked tofu for extra flavor

• You can also add extras to your sauce, such as soy sauce, green onions, fresh or frozen herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil, or vegan cheese. Marmite is another great addition here

• White beans are really delicious with this pasta, but of course you can use other legumes a well: beluga lentils, chickpeas or kidney beans are all lovely here

• Or you can add something completely different: vegan chicken, baked tempeh cubes, sautéed spinach or kale, crumbled vegan feta, or fried mushrooms

More quick vegan pasta recipes to try:

• Quick Hummus Pasta with Asparagus
• Vegan Penne alla Vodka
• Sauerkraut Pasta w/ Smoked Tofu
• Vegan Stinging Nettle Pesto Pasta
• Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta w/ Roasted Zucchini
• Hungarian Style Tofu Pasta
• Cabbage & Fermented Black Bean Pasta
• Vegan Broccoli Pesto Pasta
• Simple Vegan Lemon Miso Pasta
• Vegan Ricotta Pasta w/ Roasted Tomatoes

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