A creamy vegan white wine sauce made with fresh onions, garlic, plant-based milk, dried Italian herbs and a delicious white wine chardonnay. This sauce is oil-free, yet insanely creamy, rich and lick-the-spoon good.
CREAMY VEGAN WHITE WINE SAUCE
Sauce. 3rd post in a row featuring another sauce. I guess you could say I’m as sauce obsessed as I am baking obsessed. I create so many sauces and baked goods on this blog because they are what I love to create. I love creamy sauces, in particular. While traditional wine sauces are loaded with oil and butter, this one is completely oil-free.
This is a sauce you will be struggling to not just eat it all with your spoon. None of it may actually make it to the pasta. I am not even kidding, I kept “taste testing” it over and over and over….
This is such an easy and fast meal too. You simply boil some pasta, roast some red bell peppers and make the sauce in about 10 minutes. The red bell peppers add a touch of sweetness and wonderful roasted flavor to the rich, creamy sauce.
This dinner totally reminded me of a romantic type of meal because of the pasta and the wine, so that is the effect I went for in the photos. But hey, it’s certainly delicious eating it in front of your laptop too, lol!
I hope you all really love this Creamy Vegan White Wine Sauce with Peppers & Pasta! Be sure to rate the recipe and leave me some feedback below after you make it, you know the drill! I’d love to see your pics too, so tag me either on Instagram using my tag#thevegan8 or on Facebook! Enjoy guys!
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If you make this recipe, be sure to leave feedback below and share your pic on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thevegan8 #thevegan8!
Creamy White Wine Sauce with Peppers and Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups homemade cashew milk (NOT storebought! See NOTE below)
- 8 oz Brown rice spaghetti pasta OR pasta of choice
- 2 red bell peppers, sliced in 1/2 inch strips (350g) OR any veggies you like
- 1/2 heaping cup (80g) finely chopped white onion
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced (8g)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, separated
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup water, separated
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (90g) white wine chardonnay
- 1 tablespoon freshly chopped green onions (can use dried if you don't have fresh)
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian spice blend (store-bought or my homemade blend)
- I use this scale.
NOTE
- This recipe will ONLY work by using my homemade cashew milk. This is what thickens the sauce beautifully and makes it so rich and creamy. Store-bought is mostly fillers and sadly, WILL NOT work. To make the cashew milk, add 1/2 cup (75g) raw cashews and 1 1/2 cups filtered water and blend in a Vitamix until completely smooth. No need to drain. It will yield the BEST creamy results. If you are allergic to nuts, you can try canned "lite" coconut milk with 1 tbsp brown rice flour whisked in and I would omit the 1/4 cup water listed. I have not tested this, but it is my best suggestion.
Instructions
Have the cashew milk made before beginning the recipe.
Bring a pot of water to boil. Put the lid on and it will come to a boil faster. Meanwhile preheat your oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Add the bell pepper strips and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Once the water is boiling, add a couple of teaspoons of salt, slowly to the boiling water and add your pasta. Stir well. The salt is important to flavor your pasta so it doesn't taste bland. Give it a good stir to break up the noodles.
- Add your bell peppers to the preheated oven and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender, yet still firm.
Meanwhile, prepare your sauce. To a large sauce pan, add the onion, garlic, only 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, pepper and ONLY 1/2 cup water at this time. Give it a stir and turn the heat to medium. Once it is simmering, cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are tender, stirring a couple of times during. Check your pasta water.
Add the wine to the garlic/onion mixture and cook a couple of minutes to burn off some of the alcohol and it's reduced some, not all of it.
Note: The longer you cook the wine, the less pronounced the flavor will be.
Add the premade cashew milk, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 cup water (omit the water if using the canned lite coconut milk version), green onions and Italian spice. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir and cook 5-10 minutes, stirring often, until it has thickened up to a nice creamy sauce. Taste and add any needed salt or pepper.
- Serve with cooked pasta and bell peppers. Pour enough sauce so you really taste it and not just noodles. Makes 1 1/2 cups sauce. I think this sauce would be really good on potatoes too.
I’m really looking forward to trying this! Do you think almond milk, packaged in cartons and not homemade, would work well in this recipe?
Hi Kay! I honestly don’t know. I am not a fan of the taste or texture of storebought almond milk. It is much thinner than cashew milk and to me, tastes rather strong of almonds. You can try it and let me know, but I tend to always use cashew milk and lite coconut milk because they don’t leave any aftertaste and are creamy like dairy milk. I would love to hear if you try it…hopefully the wine and other flavors will mask it. It may not get 100% as creamy, but since there is a large amount of milk in the recipe, you could always slightly cook it longer if necessary.
I “came over” as soon as I got the email for this post – stomach growling! I love creamy pasta sauces and I know the white wine takes this one up a notch!
Haha, thank you so much Annie! I’m glad it got you excited to come check it out….because, hey, wine! Haha!
Killing it with a beautiful elegant bowl again today! I am loving the presentation here, especially that last standing up fork shot. And the red pepper pops so beautifully on all that white creaminess. But looks aside, the rich creaminess of this sauce is insane. And just with cashew milk, nothing fancy or obviously super creamy. The magic of just some simmering time 🙂 I can totally see myself stealing spoonful after spoonful from the sauce pan!
I have a to make a confession: I’m one of those people that can’t wait until the pasta is done! I would drink the sauce before the pasta is arriving. This looks so fingerlicking delicious. So amazing that you use cashew milk here. The pictures look so inviting and moody, beautiful! And the peppers on top take it to another level, yum!
Hahaha, seriously Florian I could not stop spooning bites of the sauce!! I think I could have just skipped the pasta altogether, haha! Thank you so much Florian, I definitely wanted a moody look 🙂
Beautiful and so elegant! If I had a date…this would call for a date night 😉 ….more for me I guess!
You are the sweetest, thank you so much Rebecca!
That sauce looks delicious. I’m tempted to try it with some wild garlic, which is in season here at the moment, and loads of fresh herbs. Yum, and thanks!
Mmmm wild garlic sounds delicous! Let me know how it turns out!
Oh, my goodness!!!! You are on a roll with the recipes, my friend! Wow, this sauce looks incredible and dangerously addicting! That close up shot of the pot of sauce is insane…so thick, creamy, and herb-y! I love that you used dried green onions – I love sprinkling that on my pasta so it’s pretty much guaranteed that I’m going to love this sauce. I’ve never actually tried a white wine sauce before, but from the looks of this dish, I need to. Your photos are so gorgeous and elegant…looks like a fancy meal! Adding this to my list! xo
Awww I’m giving you a virtual hug my friend, thank you so much for your sweet words! I was going for that fancy date look in these photos, so I’m glad it came through that way, hahahaha, total cheeseball I know! What is so funny though is that Jay can’t have any alcohol, so in my case, it was a single date, hahaha. I ate all of this myself! I used to love, love wine sauce but they are usually full of butter and/or oil, so I knew a creamy milk like cashew would mimic it and oh boy, it does! It’s not too strong in wine flavor, but is definitely noticeable, so I hope you love it!
O . . . M . . . G! We cooked this tonight and absolutely fell in love w the creaminess. So unbelievably good! We paired it w sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, and squash as well as red peppers. Ahhhh-mazing. If you haven’t made this sauce yet, get in the kitchen and DO IT NOW. You’ll thank me (and I guess Brandi :)) later.
Thank you so very much Courtney for this amazing feedback! I’m so happy you loved it so much! I read your comment on IG too and wow, can’t believe you like it more than the alfredo now, haha! So glad to hear!
Hi Brandi,
Thank You for your delicious recipes. I love them. You and The Raw Chef, Russell are muy bueno! 😉
I’m wondering how this pasta thickens? With the cashew milk and wine it seems thin but haven’t made it yet.
Does the cashew milk thicken? I didn’t think it did but ?
Thanks again,
~Lea
Hi Lea! Thank you so much! Yes, it’s just simply cashew milk and time and it thickens up. Please note I use a homemade version of cashew milk, not storebought, but honestly I’m sure storebought would work too. There is fat in the cashew milk and from simply cooking it for several minutes, it begins to thicken up quite nicely. I used only what is listed 🙂
Hello again, Brandi,
I just wrote asking how the “pasta” thickens with this recipe. I meant the SAUCE! lol
tx,
~lea
Hi! I love so many of your recipes and would love to try this one. I am wondering if you have a substitute for the Chardonnay?
Hi Shelly, thank you! Do you mean as in no wine at all?
Girl, you are speaking my language!! I LOVE white wine in my food. I use it a ton at home to saute, sauces, you name it. It adds such a good flavor. I just made some creamy sauce with it a few days ago! This looks AMAZING. I must try because I’m obsessed with all things white wine!!
Thanks so much lady! I’m obsessed with it too! I’ve always loved wine sauces, they are my favorite!
I love white wine sauce! This looks so creamy and perfect Brandi! Such delicious flavours. I’ll definitely be trying this asap!!! The photos are so beautiful too. Pinned <3
Aww thanks so much Harriet, I really appreciate it!!
I loved this cream sauce. I served it over baked potatoes, asparagus, and roasted red bell peppers. I’m excited to try more of your recipes with cashew milk. Thanks very much!
Oh wow, that sounds incredibly delicious! I’m so happy you loved it, thank you for letting me know, love hearing the feedback!
I just moving to a plant based diet and have so much to learn. I’ve also been told no coconut. Did anyone try unsweetened Almond milk? Will that work?
I’m sorry I said coconut and meant cashew milk. I’m not allowed to have any nuts.
Hi Paulette! Can you not have coconut? That’s not considered a nut…that would be the best sub in place of the cashew milk. It really needs to be creamy in order for the sauce to turn out the intended way, almond milk is too watery. Another option would be soy milk, as it is fairly creamy. Hope that helps!
Hi Brandi! This looks delicious and I am tempted to try it. But I was just wondering if the cashews add any sweetness to this sauce? I dont like my pasta sauce to be even remotely sweet. Thanks! 🙂
Hi! No, the sauce isn’t sweet at all, there is enough of other flavors, especially the wine, to mask it. It just tastes like a rich creamy sauce to me 🙂
Hi! If you had fresh thyme, for example, how much might you add to this in place of or in addition to Italian seasoning? I also have sage. Haha!
Thank you!
Hi there! I’m not sure, fresh is always so much more strong, so I would just use half thyme and a little sage and honestly just add to your own desired taste. It’s hard to give you an exact amount without having tested it, so I would just add a bit until you like the flavor. I don’t think you can mess it up 🙂
This is one of the simplest, yet beautifully flavored pastas I’ve ever cooked. It has become our “go-to” in our household when I’m in the mood for white wine pasta.
Try it. Trust me.
So sorry I missed your comment before! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! I’m so happy you loved it!
I’m struggling to write a review for this recipe. I can’t find the words to describe how amazing this recipe tastes and how easy it was to make. It is the best sauce I have tried, it has the texture and creaminess of an alfredo sauce but a better taste than any Alfredo sauce I have tried. And without the dairy, fat and tons extra calories. I’ve only been vegan for less than a year, and vegetarian for about 1.5 yrs and it was very hard at the beginning, finding what to eat that didn’t have animal products… so I went with bread, almond butter and chips for a long time. My waistline didn’t like it. But then I found websites like yours and my life was changed. Thank you for taking the time to make new recipes and posting them… and for free! Know that websites like yours change lives.
Tanya, I can’t even tell you how much your comment meant to me! Seriously, it was such a bright thing for me to read today. I’m so happy to hear how much my website has changed your life, it is why I do this, to help and so hearing this, is what keeps me running this site. Thank you so much! So glad you loved this recipe so much!
This sauce was super yummy – even my ten year old was licking the spoon clean! Thanks for the recipes!
So awesome Dana! Love that it was a hit with both of you, thank you!
Is a “Vitamix” necessary or should any blender do?
Hi Kerry, just any blender will not get the cashews smooth enough, it will be on the gritty side. However, if you soak the cashews overnight (8-12 hours) and then drain and rinse them, then proceed to make the cashew milk, you should get it more creamy that way. Depending on your blender, you could do this in a food processor too and it would get it smooth by letting it run for several minutes. Hope that helps!
It sure does help. Thank you! I will try this in the near future!
Definitely super tasty but the cashew milk was bit of a disappointment. It came out watery and made me wish I had used regular milk or heavy cream. The flair of the sauce is really really good but definitely won’t be using cashew milk again
Hi Ashley, you must have used storebought cashew milk then, correct? Because as noted, I only use homemade cashew milk because it thickens MUCH more than storebought and you can see how thick and creamy the sauce is in the photos. Unfortunately, storebought milks are heavily filled with preservatives and fake thickeners and not full of nuts the way homemade is, which is why the result will be much more different. I promise the homemade version I listed above makes a world of difference. All the reviews of people you can see above had great success with the homemade cashew milk. I hope you give it a try with that one, I never use storebought!
Hi,
I attempted this recipe tonight. I added mushrooms and a little fresh lemon juice at the end to give it some added flavor. It was delicious! Thank you.
Wonderful Megan! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! Sorry I missed your comment before!
Hi Brandi, where did you find the CalNaturale Wine?
Hi Nini, yes, I found the CalNaturale wine from HEB! It’s been awhile since I bought so I’m not sure if they still sell it or not. Plus, I’ve heard mixed info about whether it is actually vegan or not now. If you can’t find it or are not too concerned about it, just use any regular white wine you love the taste of. I know that it is really hard to find vegan wines. There is some info online about many brands though if you google vegan wine.
Sorry I forgot to mention I’m in Houston/Kingwood TX. area. I think I’ve seen it at HEB, but I’m not sure.
My almost 11 year old son loves to cook. Your recipes are so well written- between that and the video he is making the most delicious meals for the whole family (with minimal help! Which he loves). He made this tonight and it was phenomenal.
He has also made the cheesy enchilada bake, and the edamame basil pasta. All so good! Thank you for sharing your expertise and giving him passion for healthy cooking.
Hi Sarene! This comment made me just so happy and I was touched to read it. That is so sweet and inspiring that your son loves to cook so much and what an honor that it is with my recipes! He sounds like a sweetheart and I bet you are so proud of him. Thank you so much for sharing! It made my day!
I’m not sure how I missed this one but I’m glad I’m making it a practice to revisit various recipes on your blog, Brandi. Although I didn’t have spaghetti on hand, I was able to make “grown up mac & cheese” with this savory gem of a recipe! A few months ago I discovered these gorgeous red/orange/yellow peppers that I don’t remember the name of, that I’ve been using weekly for your cocoa chili recipe and they worked beautifully with this one as well. I had some asparagus that I also roasted with the peppers, which only upped the game and flavor of this delicious dish. It reminds me of your easy Alfredo recipe but has a different twist. Such a versatile sauce to throw lots of sautéed summer veggies in, and enjoy over potatoes or pasta! Love it!
Hi Colleen! I’m so happy you made and enjoyed this!! Oh the asparagus sounds so good with this, that is one of my favorite veggies ever! Thank you for the lovely review!
This is the first recipe I have tried from The Vegan 8 and I was so delighted that it actually had flavor!!! I made my own cashew milk as suggested (super easy, btw), and followed the recipe to the t. I’m looking forward to trying all the other recipes!
Yay! So glad the first recipe you tried from me you loved! Haha, yes, I don’t do bland food, always lots of flavor you will find in my recipes 🙂
Looks really great, havent made it yet so the rating isnt entirely fair but it sounds great and I’m intending to make it this weekend for my wife.
I do have a question though, have you ever tried making it with home made hemp milk? Im curious if that would work as I absolutely love hemp milk raw but I haven’t yet tried cooking it.
Hi Sam, I’ve never tried or tasted hemp milk so I honestly can’t answer if it would work.
No matter how long I cook this sauce, it does not thicken. It stays as liquid as water. I did double all of the ingredients though because I wanted to make dinner for 2 days. Idk if that has anything to do with it. But unfortunately I will not make this again.
Hi Elisa, did you make the homemade cashew milk as directed in the recipe? This will not thicken any other way than the homemade cashew milk, which is why it’s so important to use it. It gets perfectly thick and creamy just as it is in the photos for me every time. If you doubled it, that shouldn’t make a huge difference other than it taking twice as long or more to thicken, but homemade cashew milk is an excellent thickener when heated every time.