This easy Vegan Vodka Sauce recipe is ready in about 20 minutes. Laer the deliciously bold sauce over your favorite pasta for a creamy, luscious, and comforting vegan meal.
Add oil and onions to a large saucepan and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes (until onions are translucent)
Add garlic and cook another minute
Add vodka, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cook for 10 minutes
While the sauce is cooking, make the cashew cream by adding cashews and ½ cup of fresh water to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add up to another ½ cup of water.
When the sauce is done, add it to the blender with the cashew cream and blend until as smooth as you like.
Pour over your favorite pasta, add any toppings, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutritional information is for the sauce only. Here are some easy substitutions:
Without vodka - You can easily leave the vodka out of this recipe if you wish. Replace it with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little veggie broth or water to ensure the flavors are still bright and vibrant.
Instead of cashews - Use macadamia nuts for the cream or replace those nuts with coconut cream if you can eat coconut. To make the sauce with coconut cream, place a can of coconut milk in the fridge for 10 minutes to overnight). Scoop out the creamy top part and stir into the sauce.
Nut-Free - Using coconut cream (see above) is the easiest way to make this recipe nut-free, however, not everyone who is nut-free can eat coconut. If you can't eat nuts or coconut, replace them with ¼ cup of tahini.
Oil-Free - Instead of sauteing the onion and garlic in oil, replace it with some water or vegetable broth.