Vegan Creamy Chipotle Pasta with smoky flavor and perfect texture is a great combination of salty, spicy and a mild tangy taste. It’s easy and comes together in less than 30 minutes. A family favorite weeknight comfort meal!
This vegetarian Chipotle Pasta is loved by my daughters also. Hence, I have balanced the spicy taste pretty well so that even kids can enjoy it happily.
My husband said it’s the best chipotle pasta ever. It has a nice delectable texture plus the fact, that, I used chickpea pasts helped me to increase its protein content along with making it low in carbohydrates.
Therefore, it’s a guilt free chipotle cream sauce pasta. I always make vegan chipotle mayo in bulk and refrigerate to use it on my salads as and when desired.
What are chipotle peppers
Chipotle peppers are basically ripe jalapeno peppers that have been smoked and dried. However, in this recipe used canned chipotle peppers that are soaked in adobo sauce which brings out the best taste of this dish.
What is spicy chipotle pasta
It is basically a creamy smoky sauce made with chipotle peppers and adobo sauce and folded in with pasta of your choice. Here, I decided to add black beans to make it more nutritious and healthier.
Ingredients for chipotle pasta recipe
For vegan chipotle sauce
Cashew nuts
Garlic
Canned crushed tomatoes
Water
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Paprika
Nutritional yeast
For pasta
Chickpea pasta/regular pasta (elbow shaped)
Vegetable broth
Onion
Green bell peppers
Black Beans
Salt
Lemon juice
Cilantro
I used easy pantry staples mostly in this delicious and lip-smacking and comforting dish with a healthier twist to it.
Ingredients notes:
Cashew nuts – I used cashew nuts here to make this chipotle sauce extra creamy and for a thick base. You may use canned white beans as well up to ½ cup to make it nut free.
Crushed tomatoes – this brings out the best color and acid in this recipe and it’s a must. Helps in blending too without making the sauce too liquidy.
Chipotle peppers – make sure to use the one that’s soaked in adobo sauce in a can. Its easily available in the stores in the aisles of Mexican foods.
Nutritional yeast – this adds B12 vitamin to this chipotle cashew cream along with making it cheesier and savory.
Pasta – I personally prefer elbow shaped chickpea pasta from Banza to add protein in my recipe. However, you may use regular pasta as well.
Vegetable broth – I wanted to make this chipotle pasta heathy and with no added oil. You may say it’s almost oil free and so I cooked the veggies and beans in vegetable broth. This also adds extra flavor and texture to this recipe.
Black beans – I used this to make it vegan and yet protein packed. Black beans blends well any Mexican flavored dish and so it adds to its taste as well.
For detailed measurement of ingredients, please scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to make Chipotle Pasta
Firstly, I combined all the sauce ingredients in a blender.
Secondly, I blended it smooth and kept it aside.
While my pasta was boiling, I brought vegetable broth to a boil in a nonstick pan and tossed in onions. I let it cook for few minutes.
Next, I sauteed I green bell peppers in it for few minutes.
Thereafter, I mixed in black beans along with salt.
Afterwards, I tossed in cooked pasta and mixed it well.
Later, I folded in the blended sauce to the pasta and adjusted the salt in it.
Then I squeezed lemon juice I it. I mixed it extremely well. At this stage I made sure that pasta was well coated.
Lastly, I garnished it with cilantro and served it.
My family devoured it. In fact, my daughter took it for her lunch the next day and she was completely satisfied and happy.
Expert tips:
- It is important to soak cashew nuts until they can be smashed with fingers.
- Most importantly, make sure to start cooking your pasta immediately after blending and while vegetable broth heats up for the best texture.
- Make sure to squeeze in lemon juice generously before garnishing for a nice aroma in the dish.
This taste best when served immediately. However, refrigerate the leftovers in an air tight container for about 1 week. Warm it well in the microwave before serving.
It is mildly spicy because I have kept it a low level so kids can enjoy it as well. But it definitely has the right flavors and well-balanced taste.
This recipe is complete in in itself but you may serve Mexican coleslaw salad on the side to make it complete and wholesome. In fact, if you are having guests over then you also serve baked taquitos for the complete Mexican meal.
My other pasta recipes that you might like:
Taco Pasta
Vegan Avocado Pasta
Masala Pasta
Hummus Pasta
Tempeh Mac and Cheese
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I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. I am very excited to hear back from you.
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Chipotle Pasta
Ingredients
for the sauce
- 1/4 cup cashew nuts (soaked in warm water and drained)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 whole chipotle pepper in adobo sauce + 2 tbsp adobo sauce from the same can
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
for the pasta
- 8 oz uncooked chickpea pasta (elbow shaped)
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
- 1 15 oz can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
- salt to taste
- 2 tsp lemon juice or as per taste
- 3 tbsp chopped cilantro (to garnish)
Instructions
- In a blender combine all the sauce ingredients and blend it smooth. Keep it aside.
- In a saucepan boil pasta as per package instructions. Keep it aside and ready.
- In the meanwhile, bring vegetable broth to a boil in a nonstick pan and toss onions in it for 2 minutes at high flame.
- Add bell pepper to it and let it cook for 1 minute.
- Toss in black beans and salt. Mix well and cook for 30 seconds.
- Sauté in cooked pasta and lower the flame. Mix well (about 2 minutes).
- Fold in the blended sauce and mix well making sure that the pasta is well coated.
- Lastly, adjust salt as per taste and stir in lemon juice. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Notes
- I used chickpea pasta (elbow shaped from Banza). This increases the protein content in this recipe. You may use regular elbow shaped pasta as well here. Approx. estimation of nutritional value with regular white pasta – Cal: 400 fat: 6g carb: 68g protein: 18g
- Make sure to use canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Firstly, pick one pepper from the can and then measure 2 tbsp sauce from the same can for blending.
- Soak cashew nuts until soft and drain thoroughly. Make sure to add fresh water in the blender to blend the sauce.
- This recipe taste best when served immediately. However, the leftovers can be refrigerated in an air tight container for about 1 week. Warm it well in the microwave before serving.
Nutrition
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