Harissa Pasta (Vegan, 30-min)

Front angle view on a bowl of harissa vegetable pasta.

5 from 1 vote

Harissa Pasta (Vegan, 30-min)

This easy harissa pasta recipe is SO flavorful and ready in 30 minutes, perfect for a weeknight dinner. Also very versatile and fully vegan + dairy-free, this recipe features harissa paste, vegan cream, tomatoes, garlic and vegetables. Adjust the spicy level to your taste!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: creamy pasta, dinner, healthy, pasta, Vegan, vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 487kcal

Author: Jessica Laroche

Ingredients

8 oz spaghetti or noodles of your choice I used about half a 16 oz package of whole wheat spaghetti
1 yellow onion diced
4 cloves of garlic crushed
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
2-3 jarred roasted red peppers drained and diced (or one more tomato)
2-3 tbsp harissa paste or to taste to reach desired heat level
1 medium-size fresh tomato diced
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
¾ cup frozen green peas
⅓ cup vegetable broth or water
2 packed cups baby spinach
½ lemon juiced
½ cup vegan cream I used the cream from Nut Pods (see notes for more options)
salt to taste

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente. You can also keep some pasta cooking water on the side in case you need to loosen up the sauce later.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Warm up a large pan with a little oil (or not, can be made oil-free) and then, add the onion with a pinch of salt. Keep cooking for 5-7 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and dried herbs and cook for one more minute.
Add the roasted red pepper, tomato, harissa paste, nutritional yeast, green peas and broth/water. Stir well and cook for about 8 minutes on low-medium heat or until the vegetables are soft and the texture becomes saucy.
Stir in the spinach and cook for about 2 minutes or until wilted, then add the lemon juice and vegan cream. Stir and cook until combined and the sauce is warm.
Add the pasta to the pan and combine with the sauce. You can add some pasta cooking water if needed to loosen up the consistency. Taste and adjust salt/lemon juice/harissa paste to your preference.
Serve right away with vegan parmesan cheese, fresh basil and wedges of lemon. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Store the leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat on the stove or using the microwave and add a splash of water if needed to loosen up the sauce.
For the vegan cream: I used the vegan plain cream from the brand Nut Pod. Alternatively, you can also use canned coconut milk or also, you can make your own vegan cream by blending together about ¾ cup of soaked raw cashews with about ½-3/4 cup of water until smooth (keep the extra cashew cream for another recipe).
You can customize this recipe and add more vegetables or plant-based protein to it, such as broccoli, zucchini, roasted tofu, cooked lentils, etc. Check out the blog post for more ideas!
Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.

Nutrition