Whether you’re lactose intolerant or just trying to cut down on dairy, these recipes will hit the spot. I don’t know many people out there who don’t love pasta. However, it isn’t always the best option for lactose or dairy sensitivities. Plenty of pasta recipes include thick, creamy sauces and lots of cheese. While those things taste amazing, they aren’t always the healthiest ingredients. Even if you don’t have a problem digesting dairy, too much of it can be harmful. It’s high in calories and saturated fat. Additionally, it’s not always great for your cholesterol. So no matter why you’re avoiding dairy, these dairy-free pasta recipes can help. Luckily, they’re just as tasty as any other pasta you’ve tried.
1. Creamy Vegan Garlic Pasta With Roasted Tomatoes
Foregoing dairy doesn’t mean you can’t have thick, creamy pasta sauce. You just need to pick the proper ingredients. In this case, those ingredients are Almond Breeze and vegan parmesan. Along with a few other things, these create a flavorful and fantastic sauce. It’s earthy, garlicky, and delicious. If you add the lemon juice, it’s also a bit zesty. The roasted tomatoes are a nice touch, as well.
2. One-Pot Cajun Vegan Chicken Pasta
If you’re looking for something spicier, this one is an excellent choice. The Cajun spice mix is smoky and a little hot. The vegan chicken strips are tender, and the roasted tomatoes are juicy. The pasta is soft and chewy. Best of all, you can make the whole thing in one pot in less than 30 minutes. And if you’re not into the vegan lifestyle, you can use real chicken instead.
3. Vegan Pasta al Limone
This spaghetti has the butteriest, creamiest, and most lemon-flavored sauce imaginable. It’s bright, light, and ideal for summer. The whole dish uses fewer than ten ingredients and takes just 10 minutes to make. It’s dairy-free, of course. However, it’s also gluten-free, nut-free, and allergen-free!
4. Dairy-Free Baked Ziti
Baked ziti without ricotta?! How would that even work?! Actually, it works pretty well. The creamy cashew sauce is so similar to ricotta that it’s hard to tell the difference. It has a ton of tomato, garlic, and Italian seasoning flavors. Plus, the Italian sausage is spicy and thick, real “stick to your ribs” food. The whole dish is hearty and comforting and will keep you full all night.
5. Dairy-Free Creamy Ground Beef Pasta
This 30-minute meal is phenomenal, whether you make it with dairy or dairy-free. (The recipe gives you ingredients for both.) It features a ton of well-seasoned, juicy beef and bold Italian spices. It’s hearty enough to fill everyone up. However, it’s especially popular with the kids. Every child I’ve ever served it to came back for seconds and even thirds.
6. Dairy-Free Lasagna
This lasagna is gluten- and dairy-free, but it’s not missing anything when it comes to taste. You get all the yummy tomato, garlic, ground beef, and veggie flavors you love. The ricotta substitute in this one isn’t cashew cream, either. It’s roasted garlic hummus, and it is divine. It’s insanely flavorful and has a thick, smooth consistency. Just be sure to leave off the parmesan if you’re going for a dairy-free version.
7. Spinach Ravioli With Mushrooms
Is there a dish you can’t look at or talk about without craving it? For me, that’s this dish, spinach ravioli with mushrooms. It’s my “can’t pass it up” meal. No matter what kind of diet I’m on or what I’ve given up, I can’t say no. Luckily, it’s vegan-friendly and dairy-free. It’s also easy to make gluten-free. Despite all that, though, it’s insanely good. Each piece of ravioli is bursting with a creamy vegan cheese and spinach filling. Then, the mushrooms add a garlicky, earthy flavor that’s absolutely scrumptious. Together, the whole dish is beyond flavorful. Honestly, I don’t even have a word for how good it is. You’ll just have to try it for yourself and find out.
8. Angel Hair With Creamy Vegan Mushroom Sauce
This vegan, dairy-free dinner takes just 30 minutes to make. Despite how relatively healthy it is, the taste is pure decadence. The sauce is buttery and full of mushroom flavor. The pasta is tender and perfect for slurping up Lady and the Tramp style. I tend to go heavier on the green onions. Otherwise, the recipe is perfect.
9. Vegan Bruschetta Pasta
Is there anything better in the summer than fresh garden tomatoes? If you’re like me, you probably eat them non-stop all summer long. Incorporate one into this juicy, tomato-based pasta for a real treat. This bright, light pasta dish takes less than 10 minutes to whip up. If you’re looking for a quick, tasty dinner option, bruschetta pasta is it.
10. Garlic Angel Hair Pasta
Garlic angel hair pasta was a staple in my childhood home. Sometimes we had it as a side dish; other times, it was the main course. It’s simple and overwhelmingly garlicky (in the best way). This recipe calls for butter. However, you can use vegan butter or double-down on the olive oil.
11. Dairy-Free Bolognese
Check out this bolognese recipe if you want to avoid garlic and dairy. It features juicy ground meat and tomatoes, crunchy celery, and more. It’s a thick, chunky sauce with a wealth of flavor. It takes some time to make, but it’s entirely worth it. It’ll be the best bolognese you’ve had outside of Italy.
12. Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo
With 5-minute prep and 15-minute cook times, this pasta is a go-to in my house. You just can’t beat it for convenience. Plus, it gives you that down-home, comforting fettuccine flavor. It’s creamy and cheesy. Unless someone tells you it’s vegan, you’d swear it was the real thing. The whole family will devour it. Then, they’ll wonder why you didn’t cook more.
13. Vegan Stuffed Pasta Shells With Spinach Cream
If you love the thick, chewy deliciousness of stuffed shells, this recipe is for you. Each jumbo shell features the bold flavors of onions, garlic, and cashew ricotta. You’ll cover them in marinara and top them with vegan parmesan. They’re filling and taste fantastic. The dish is also lovely, making it an excellent choice for a more formal event or family dinner.
14. Dairy-Free Italian Pasta Salad
Looking for a cool, creamy side dish? If so, you’ll appreciate this recipe for dairy-free pasta salad. It has the same tangy, Italian spice-rich dressing you’re used to eating. You’ll also load it down with fresh veggies and salami. It’s a cool, refreshing, and zesty dish that’s perfect for summer.
15. Vegan Pasta Fagioli
Pasta and soup aren’t mutually exclusive. Pasta Fagioli flawlessly combines both into one delicious dinner. It tastes a lot like homemade vegetable soup. However, you’ll add a generous helping of tender pasta to the mix. The spice mixture is also distinctly Italian. If you want something warm and comforting, give this one a try.
16. Vegan Manicotti
This vegan manicotti recipe taught me how to make tomato sauce creamy. I know! Usually, those two things don’t go together. But this recipe revealed the secret: coconut milk. Mixing coconut milk with tomato sauce makes it so silky and creamy. It’s almost unbelievable. Now, I use it as the sauce for all kinds of things. But this manicotti is where it all started. The “ricotta”-kale filling (100% dairy-free) is delightful, and the pasta is tender. But it’s the creamy sauce that knocks it out of the park. If you need an impressive dish for having guests over, this is it. Vegans and non-vegans alike will love the robust flavor, and it looks gorgeous, too.
17. Vegan Creamy Tomato Pasta
Check out this recipe to use the creamy tomato sauce in something simpler. It’s the same phenomenal coconut milk/tomato sauce combo. But this recipe uses only six ingredients and takes just 25 minutes to make. It might not look as impressive as the manicotti, but it tastes just as good.
18. Vegan Pasta Primavera
Pasta primavera is a simple dish to make dairy-free. It’s all about the fresh veggies, anyway. It’s spicy and zesty with plenty of garden-fresh flavors. It uses quite a few ingredients but takes only 35 minutes to whip up. Plus, there’s practically a full complement of veggies. So, you won’t even need to serve a side salad with this one! It’s a complete, all-in-one meal that everyone can appreciate.
19. Creamy Roasted Tomato Pasta Sauce With Penne
This creamy orange sauce is delightful. It packs a wallop of roasted tomato flavor. However, there are also notes of basil, red pepper, and garlic. It’s a lovely dish for eating outside on a beautiful spring or summer day. Its bright, tomato-heavy flavor is a breath of fresh air.
20. One-Pot Creamy Shrimp Linguine
This pasta dish has a lot going for it, and I’m not even talking about taste. It’s dairy- and gluten-free, and you can make the whole thing in one pot. If that’s not enough, well, it’s also delectable. It has perfectly seasoned shrimp, a bold, creamy sauce, and tender noodles. It’s a scrumptious, savory meal that’s perfect for entertaining. Additionally, you can leave out the shrimp if you need a quick vegetarian side dish.
21. Creamy Salmon Pasta
This 30-minute dish uses only seven ingredients. It’s unbelievably simple to make and relatively healthy, too. It has a ton of protein and only 22 net carbs per generous serving if you’re trying to cut back on carbs. It has a light, mild flavor. There’s just enough umami goodness to let you know the fish is in there. It’s the perfect date night dinner option.
22. Healthy Dairy-Free Carbonara
Bacon makes everything better, and that includes simple pasta dishes. This recipe seems like someone running low on groceries invented it. It uses pasta, eggs, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, peas, bacon, and lemon juice. It sounds like a weird recipe for disaster, right? But somehow, those seemingly unrelated ingredients just work. They combine to make a tasty, salty, flavorful pasta with creamy sauce.
23. Vegan Broccoli Tortellini Alfredo
This tortellini is every vegan’s pasta dream come true. It takes just 30 minutes to make and is creamy, filling, and yummy to the max. The flavor is comforting and cheesy, not too loud or overpowering. There’s broccoli, garlic, and lots of vegan cheese. The Italian spices come through nicely, as well. Pair it with a glass of white wine and some vegan garlic bread. And yes, it’s okay if you clean every last bite of the sauce off your plate. That’s what the bread’s for, after all!
24. Pumpkin Rigatoni With Italian Sausage
You’ll love this pretty orange pasta with splashes of green. It’s as bright and colorful as it is delicious. It has a very fall-friendly flavor between the sage, pumpkin, and garlic. It takes 30 minutes to prepare and cook and is so filling. The Italian sausage and spinach give it a comforting, heartwarming vibe. It’s a bit high in calories, though, so you might want to break it out only for special occasions.
25. Dairy-Free Shrimp Scampi
Shrimp scampi seems to be one of those universally loved dishes. This dairy-free version is no exception. It’s just as buttery, garlicky, and umami-packed as the original. It uses only seven ingredients and takes just 10 minutes to prepare. If you need a quick dinner option that’ll satisfy everyone, this one fits the bill. Click on a star to rate it!
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