Vegan Pimento Cream Sauce that is so rich, creamy and oil-free! Made with pimentos, fire-roasted tomatoes and smoked paprika, it is the perfect dinner for a busy weeknight.
VEGAN PIMENTO CREAM SAUCE
Yes, I know, I just posted this Vegan Pimento Cheese recipe. But the other night I was throwing together a quick dinner (like always) and I wanted a creamy sauce and had some extra pimentos to use up. Thus, this Vegan Pimento Cream Sauce was born. I shared in my Instagram stories of me making it and the amount of messages I got begging for the recipe showed me that I needed to remake it to post.
On top of that, my hubby completely raved over it. He ate it all in less than 5 minutes and talked about how delicious it was. We’ve eaten it 3 times since I first shared it on Instagram. This sauce is not spicy at all like the pimento cheese and is not meant to be or taste like cheese, it’s just a pimento and tomato-based sauce that is ridiculously yum.
This pimento cream sauce is so delicious over fusilli pasta. It’s one of my favorite fusilli pasta recipes ever. I then topped ours with these Oil-free Smoky Chipotle Chickpeas, green onions and chopped parsley, but you could add whatever you like.
To make this Vegan Pimento Cream Sauce, you will need to gather the following 8 easy ingredients:
- raw cashews
- lemon juice
- pimentos
- smoked paprika
- fire-roasted tomatoes
- dry mustard
- pasta of choice
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN PIMENTO CREAM SAUCE
You will need a Vitamix or a food processor. No need to soak the cashews if using a Vitamix. If you do not have a high-powered blender, then you will need to soak your cashews overnight, drain and then rinse.
First, soak your cashews if using a food processor. Soaking the nuts is crucial for a smooth sauce in this case.
Add the cashews, water, lemon juice, pimentos, fire-roasted tomatoes, garlic cloves, smoked paprika, dry mustard, salt and pepper to the blender and process until 100% smooth and no bits of nuts remain. Scrape the sides a couple of times during as needed. Check out that gorgeous color! Taste and if you want more salt or pepper, add another pinch.
Make the pasta according to the package directions and serve as much sauce as desired over pasta. Top with chickpeas or any veggies you desire.
SUBSTITUTIONS
As far as subbing the cashews, I always get questions on that. I did test a lower fat version with half white great northern beans and half cashews. So, you would add 75g of cashews and 90g of beans in this low-fat version. It was still yummy. Although, it does make it slightly less rich and a very mild bean taste, though still very delicious. It is not very detectable over pasta though. If you are concerned of a bean taste, use all cashews. I personally would not recommend subbing all cashews, as that will make for a much less creamy sauce and more of a grainy mouth-feel and bean taste. If you are used to all bean sauces and need nut-free though, this may not bother you, so give it a try.
Other Creamy Vegan Sauces to try:
- Best Vegan Garlic Alfredo
- 20 Minute Vegan Alfredo
- Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
- Creamy Chili Sauce with Zucchini and Spinach
Vegan Pimento Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150g) raw cashews (see NOTE below for low-fat version)
- 5 tablespoons (90g) water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons (23g) fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 packed cup (120g) diced jarred pimentos
- 1/2 cup (120g) fire-roasted tomatoes with their juices
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (use 1 teaspoon for a stronger flavor)
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- 1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon salt (I used a heaping 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 16 oz pasta of choice
Instructions
- If you have a Vitamix, no need to soak the cashews. If you do not have a high-powered blender, then you will need to soak your cashews overnight, drain and then rinse. Otherwise, your sauce will be gritty. I find a food processor makes sauces creamier when using soaked cashews, versus a standard blender (in situations of not having a Vitamix).
- Add the cashews, water, lemon juice, pimentos, fire-roasted tomatoes, garlic cloves, smoked paprika, dry mustard, salt and pepper to the blender and process until 100% smooth and no bits of nuts remain. Scrape the sides a couple of times during as needed. Taste and if you want more salt or pepper, add another pinch. With my Vitamix, I blend the sauce until it gets hot, so no need to warm it up before adding to the pasta. The pasta will be hot anyways.
- Make the pasta according to the package directions and serve as much sauce as desired over pasta. Top with Oil-free Smoky Chipotle Chickpeas, green onions or any veggies you like!
Wow, that sounds as great as the dip, which only tasted better as it sat for a few days. I might add olives that have the pimentos in them next time.
So glad you loved it! Yes, I love sauces and cheeses, their flavor only intensifies with each day!
Can you sub raw cashew butter? If so, how much?
I haven’t tested this personally but I think it would work. It would be the same weight gram amount as the cashews. Still use all the listed ingredients.
Made this last night and it was delicious! A big hit in our house. My 26 year old daughter even snapped a photo of the recipe to send to her friend who is new to a plant-based diet to share with her.
I’m so glad it was such a hit Lisa, thank you so much for leaving a review!!
Hi just made the pimento sauce, taste amazing. Does this keep for a few days? Also wondering the same about the lemon pepper sauce. I’m using a Nutra Bullet mixer and it’s working great with the raw almonds after soaking. I would like to make both sauces at the same time.
Awesome, so glad you enjoyed it!! Yes, definitely, I’d say about a week for sure. Same with the lemon pepper sauce. Since they both contain an acidic ingredient, it helps them to last longer.
Delicious sauce, I loved it. I had it on steamed broccoli, and also on potatoes. I have to thank you for publishing a recipe that uses up the pimentos from your cashew cheese recipe, more economical for me! This is a really tasty, really creative sauce.
So very happy you loved it Regan, thank you!!
Another winner from Brandy! So delicious and the recipe comes together fast. My husband and I both went back for seconds. This recipe will be going into our regular rotation.
Thank you so much Peggy, I’m so happy you loved this!
Yum! Great flavor 😋 Used this on a food bowl. Perfect!
Thanks for the recipe. We are trying to adopt a Forks Over Knives eating lifestyle, and cooking is not something I look forward to. This was fairly easy and although it didn’t get “raves” from my meat-eating husband as we are just beginning to make the switch, he said keep the recipe and make it again and he also took a second helping – yay!
This made a huge amount. Can it be frozen?
Also, mine did not come out as creamy as yours looks with probably 5-7 minutes in my food processor. I missed the part about rinsing the cashews. Could that be the culprit?
Hi Patty! So great he liked it to take a second helping, but if your sauce wasn’t smooth and was gritty, that would definitely be why it wasn’t a home run too. Nobody likes a gritty sauce. When you say you didn’t rinse the cashews, do you mean just actual rinsing or did you not discard the water? Rinsing shouldn’t make a difference in it getting smooth. If you soaked at least 8 hours and it still didn’t get smooth, then it just sounds like your food processor isn’t strong enough. I am able to get cashews completely smooth in my food processor anytime as long as I soak them at least 8 hours, but not all processors are the same. With that said, the Vitamix is the ultimate powerhouse when it comes to creamy things. Nothing beats it!
Thank you! Yes, I soaked for about 24 hours (forgot about them in the fridge) and then discarded the soak water. I didn’t rinse the cashews after that. Yes, my FP is small, basic and old. Sounds like I’ll be saving up for a Vitamix. 🙂
Made both the pimento cream sauce and the spiced chickpeas and they’re both YUMMY. Ate them over angel hair pasta w/ sauteed mushrooms and zucchini. What a nice change from marinara sauce and super-easy to put together.
Brandi, I made this recipe for dinner last night, along with the smoky chickpeas. Holy cow, it was a complete hit! The sauce was super easy and ridiculously creamy. Those chickpeas really finished it off perfectly, too! I will definitely be adding this to my regular rotation. Thank you for this!
Woohoo, your feedback made me smile so big Becki! So happy you loved both recipes! Thank you for coming back and leaving feedback, it means so much!
I was hoping to make this and take it to work for a pot luck the next day. Do you think the sauce will still be creamy if warmed in a crock pot the next day?
Hi! Yes, it will totally be creamy if made the day before, but pimento cheese isn’t meant to be warmed up, just as a cold cheese dip! I’ve never tried warming it, so not too sure how that would turn out or taste. Anytime you warm up cashew dips, they thicken quickly. M It’s excellent as is cold.
Thanks for the quick reply! I was actually hoping to serve it over pasta, as I saw in the original recipe. My plan was to cook pasta and sauce and warm them together the next day in a crock pot before it is time to serve our meals. Sorry, I should have been more clear in my original question! Thank you again!
Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, I was thinking this was on the pimento cheese recipe, not the pimento sauce! I apologize! Yes. Totally creamy the next day! It does thicken warming it up though, so just keep an eye.
Thanks so much! I have made this before at home for dinner and it was great! Look forward to sharing it at work! I share so many of your recipes!!
Oh yay, that is wonderful to hear, thank you so much Vivian!
This is SO good!! Made it tonight and will definitely make it again. Topped it with Smokey tempeh instead of chickpeas.
That’s so awesome to hear Melanie, thank you so much for the review!
So good! Good enough to lick the spoon after dinner! The flavors are rich and it feels like you are spoiling yourself!
That is awesome Heather, so glad you loved this sauce!!
Hi! Do you have recommendations for a nut free alternative for the cashews or n the sauce?
No, I’m sorry, without nuts, it won’t work or be creamy! There are sunflower seeds, but that flavor is quite strong and it probably wouldn’t taste very good. You can always try it, but I can’t guarantee how off the flavor would be, since cashews are mildly sweet and really creamy/smooth. Sunflower seeds have quite a strong flavor.
Made this for dinner, and it was delicious on both pasta and broccoli! The only thing I added was a pinch of brown sugar to offset the acidity of the tomatoes.
So glad to hear it!!
Wow! Hubs made this for dinner tonight it was amazing!! There was just enough heat, but not too much. This will definitely be added to our regular rotation!
Brandi – it is amazing! Cheesy-tasting, bright, with a hint of roasted tomato. Everyone loved it! We had it over shells pasta . . .with the Smoky Chipotle Chickpeas over top. Wow!
I quadrupled the recipe to feed the 7 of us with a tad left over. However instead of doing 4 cups cashews, I did 1 cup soaked/drained sunflower seeds + 1 block extra-firm tofu + 2 cans drained great northern beans. Very creamy in the Vitamix. I also cut the garlic in half but should have cut it by 1/3 only.
Can’t wait to try it over beans and rice. Thank you for a winner!