Pasta with vegetables and cream cheese marinara…can you really go wrong with cream cheese, pasta, and marinara sauce?!! I think not! This is a super delicious and easy vegan recipe! Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or a romantic meal for two. Children would also love it! Give it a try.
Click “Jump To Recipe” (directly below the title of this post) to skip the blog post and go directly to the recipe! You’ll miss out on helpful tips for this recipe though.
Secret Ingredient!
The secret to bring this pasta with vegetables over the top is my special vegan cream cheese. It’s such a simple ingredient, but I promise it adds big flavor to your pasta sauce. You can use any vegan cream cheese, but I’ve only tried this recipe with my Homemade Garlic and Herb Vegan Cream cheese and it tastes the BEST this way, to me.
Here is the link to my homemade cream cheese recipe
Kite Hill is a popular store-bought vegan cream cheese brand I’ve heard of and I think their products are sold in many health-focused grocery stores these days. Feel free to use store-bought cream cheese if you’re not up for making it from scratch.
Make It Gluten Free
If you’re wondering how this pasta recipe is gluten free it’s because I use gluten free pasta! Time and time again I’ve stated that my favorite gluten free pasta is Brown Rice pasta. I’ve tried quinoa pasta, corn pasta, lentil pasta, etc… and, in my opinion, none of it is as good as brown rice pasta. Brown rice pasta does not fall apart when I boil it, unlike my experience with other gluten free pastas. Here is one of my favorite brands:
Suggested Side Dishes
A simple salad with gluten free rolls or gluten free garlic bread.
I like to make simple garlic bread by using my FAVORITE gluten free bread from Little Northern Bakehouse. I brush the bread with a little olive oil and sprinkle it with a tiny bit of granulated garlic and salt. Toast the bread in the oven at 350F until lightly browned. For a little extra garlic flavor I like to rub a raw garlic clove on the toasted bread AS SOON as I remove the bread from the oven. Skip this last step if you’re not a huge garlic fan.
Health Benefits of the Recipe
A 5.3 ounce serving of asparagus provides approximately 60% of the recommended daily allowance of folate. Folate, also known as vitamin B9, is known to be a significant factor in the prevention of neural tube defects
It also contains Vitamin A, E, K, magnesium, as well as several other vitamins.
Zucchini is high in fiber, which is needed for proper digestion, and has no cholesterol or unhealthy fats.
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Pasta with vegetables and marinara mixed with vegan cream cheese. You can’t go wrong with this delicious and easy vegan pasta recipe!
- 1 bunch green or white asparagus, cut into bitesize pieces
- 2 yellow squash, chopped into bitesize pieces
- 1 zucchini, chopped into bitesize pieces
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- salt, to taste
- 2 1/2 cups pasta sauce
- 1/3 cup vegan cream cheese
- 2 1/2 cups cooked pasta, any type
Cut the yellow squash and zucchini into bitesize pieces and set aside.
Cut the tough bottom 2 inches of all the asparagus and discard, or save them to use in a homemade vegetable stock recipe. It’s easiest to do this by leaving the rubber band on the asparagus and cutting them all at once (watch recipe video to see how to do it). Then cut the asparagus into bitesize pieces. Set aside.
Place a large pan or pot on medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the zucchini and yellow squash. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, but not overcooked. Season with salt and set aside once cooked.
In the same pan or pot on medium heat, add 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil, the asparagus, and salt. Stir and place a lid on the pot or pan for about 5 – 8 minutes, or until the asparagus are tender but not overcooked. Once cooked, remove them from the pan and set aside.
Place the same pan or pot on medium heat and add the marinara and cream cheese. Stir and let simmer for 3 – 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to come together. Add the cooked vegetables and cooked pasta and simmer for another 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve.
Recipe Video
i love a pasta sauce that has cream cheese in it. it makes it s creamy and tangy.. i’ve never had vegan cream cheese, but i’m sure it is also delicious!
I think you’ll love it. Thank you!!
This looks so yummy. I love that it is vegan and dairy free.
Thanks!!
this looks so yummy! i love that it is healthy too, now you got me craving!
Thank you!
Oh yes please. I just love pasta, and this looks incredible. I will be making it one night for sure.
Awesome, hope you enjoy it!
Oh my goodness this looks absolutely delicious. I have to admit anything with cheese in it always grabs my fancy! I need to try making this for sure!
Thank you!
I bought pasta last weekend. Shall definitely try out your recipe as it looks so delicious and colorful.
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
Aww, this looks so yummy. Moreover, gluten-free is an amazing thing I would like to have,..
Thank you!
Is it wrong that after seeing this recipe, I’m craving pasta for breakfast! I think it looks delicious and something I can definitely try at home. Thanks!
lol! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that!!
This looks and sounds amazing.!! Putting this on the monthly meal plan for sure 😊
Thank you!!
Your photos are amazing. I love eating pasta as well, so I have to try this recipe soon.
Thank you!!
I love pasta and anything with pasta works well for me. Glad that you have also included the cream cheese, it is my favoutite too.
Thank you!!
Yummmmm I can’t wait to try it… This is making me crave for it right away 😃👍🏼
lol, thank you!!
This looks amazing! I have never used cream cheese in my pasta before but it sounds delish!
It’s super yummy! Thanks!
Looks yummy. I never had vegan cream cheese, just regular cream cheese but this looks nice. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
Oh wow! This looks amazing. We don’t have vegan cream cheese, but I will surely try this with just the regular bar. Lovet! 😀
It’ll be super yummy with regular cream cheese!!
This looks SO good. It would be a great dinner idea, even during the middle of the week when I’m busy!
Thank you so much!
This looks so tasty inwill have to try this one day.
I hope you do! Thanks!
Oh Wow! This pasta vegetables cream cheese looks so delicious I will definitely going to try this for sure soon. I already taken print out of the recipe. Thanks for sharing
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
This looks so tasty! My kids would love this. And the fact that it is packed with vitamins is a big bonus for their little bodies.
Exactly! Thanks!
I love pasta, but I have never had vegan pasta. It looks so yummy I will try making this delicious dish because it is so healthy.
Thank you, I hope you enjoy it!
This look so yummy. I love pasta. So this is going in my to cook list for this week.
Thank you! Enjoy!
I would never want to give up meat, but I recently found out I’m sensitive to dairy and it’s so much harder than I thought to find food that’s dairy-free! So thank you for this!
My pleasure!
This is beautiful and healthy recipe, will try it out soon
Thanks
This looks absolutely delicious and appetizing !!
thank you!
This looks absolutely delicious and I’ll definitely try this one. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks!