This creamy vegan fajita pasta is packed full of veggies, easy to make and downright delicious! It's the perfect weeknight meal that will make any crowd happy and it's ready in just 30 minutes.
If you're a pasta lover and also have a thing for fajitas, this creamy vegan fajita pasta is definitely something you should try.
Besides being super easy to make, this spicy paste is creamy, tasty, and packed full of nutrients.
It makes an excellent addition to your weeknight routine because you can have it on the table in under 30 minutes.
To keep things nice and easy, I typically make the vegan fajita sauce using a shop-bought fajita seasoning.
Making your own mix is easy, though, so if you want to go down that route, have a look at the notes in the recipe card.
What do you need to make creamy vegan fajita pasta?
Pasta - I used farfalle to make this fajita pasta, but you can use any type of short pasta you like.
Olive oil - Some quality extra virgin olive oil works best in this vegan fajita sauce. If you don't want to use oil, you can saute the veggies in a bit of vegetable stock instead.
Vegetables - I used a mix of onion, red pepper and chestnut mushrooms to boost the nutrition of this creamy fajita pasta. You can add any other veggies you want, with ideas including broccoli, sweetcorn and courgette.
Fajita seasoning - I used the medium fajita seasoning from Santa Maria for this recipe. You can use any spice level you want here, and of course, you can use a homemade fajita seasoning mix (see recipe notes below).
Coconut milk - Full-fat coconut milk is ideal for this type of sauce because it makes it super creamy while keeping it dairy-free. Using low-fat coconut milk will lower the number of calories per serving, but the sauce won't be as creamy.
Baby spinach - A couple of handfuls of baby spinach will add extra vitamins and brightness to the pasta.
Nutritional yeast - I add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast at the end for some extra flavour. This basically mimics the taste of Parmesan, so if you have some vegan hard cheese, you can use that instead.
How do you make it?
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta 1 minute less than specified in the instructions on the package.
- Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan and saute the onion and red pepper for 5-6 minutes over medium heat until they soften.
- Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until there's no more liquid left and the mushrooms are slightly browned.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and fajita seasoning mix and stir to combine.
- Add the coconut milk, stir to combine and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in the baby spinach and keep cooking for 1-2 minutes until the spinach wilts.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan and toss it well with the sauce.
- Stir in the nutritional yeast if using, season to taste and serve immediately.
Extra recipe tips
- Make sure you don't overcook the pasta because it will continue to cook a bit in the sauce. It's always a good idea to drain it one minute before the time recommended on the package.
- To make fajita seasoning at home, mix ½ tablespoon medium or hot chilli powder with two tablespoons of smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, ½ tablespoon ground coriander and 1 tablespoon garlic powder.
- Even though fresh veggies are always the best, you can save time by using pre-cut peppers, onions and mushrooms that you can find in the freezer aisle in supermarkets.
If you liked this creamy vegan fajita pasta, you might also like some of my other easy vegan pasta recipes.
Vegan Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Walnuts
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Creamy Vegan Fajita Pasta
This creamy vegan fajita pasta is packed full of veggies, easy to make and downright delicious! It's the perfect weeknight meal that will make any crowd happy and it's ready in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.5 oz) pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 large red pepper, sliced
- 200 g (7 oz) chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 tablespoons fajita seasoning mix
- 1 x 400 ml (13.5 fl oz) can coconut milk
- 100 g (3.5 oz) baby spinach, roughly shredded
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta 1 minute less than specified in the instructions on the package. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan and saute the onion and red pepper for 5-6 minutes over medium heat until they soften.
- Add the mushrooms and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until there's no more liquid left and the mushrooms are slightly browned.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and fajita seasoning mix and stir to combine.
- Add the coconut milk, stir to combine and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in the baby spinach and keep cooking for 1-2 minutes until the spinach wilts.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the pan and toss it well with the sauce. Stir in the nutritional yeast if using, season to taste and serve immediately.
Notes
To make fajita seasoning at home, mix ½ tablespoon medium or hot chilli powder with two tablespoons of smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon ground cumin, ½ tablespoon ground coriander and 1 tablespoon garlic powder.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 421Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 658mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 11g
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Millie Carter
Great recipe! Made as written but may sub broc next time instead of spinach. I did add a little almond milk to thin. And did top with diced Alvacado. Great combo!
Paris
Glad you liked it Millie.
June
Very good… but why did I save a cup of noodle water?
Paris
To use it if the sauce gets too tick.
Dora
Just made this for dinner and it was so flavorful!!
Dora
This looks amazing and easy to make. Heading to the supermarket to buy ingredients I don’t have on hand. Thank you for sharing you this and your other recipies.
.
Sherry
Can you add fake meat as well?
Paris
I didnt do it, but you can try if you fancy!!
Penny Laschanzky
VERY yummy! Thumbs up from my family members. The only thing I did different was add some vegan browned crumbles I had leftover in the fridge. And I used 2 red peppers for the added nutrition and flavor. Really a great recipe that will now go in my rotation....thank you!
Paris
Thank you too, Penny, im glad you liked it.
Mechalla
Does it taste like coconut? Or is there something else I can use instead of coconut milk.
Paris
No, it doesn't taste like coconut. It makes the recipe creamy while keeping it dairy-free.
Jess
I have been a vegetarian my whole life, but am new to veganism and have really been struggling with meals. This was my first time working with coconut milk and I was nervous, but boy, was it a success. This recipe was amazing and myself and my vegetarian son loved it. Will be keeping this in the rotation for sure. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Paris
Thank you too Jess, glad you liked it.
Cheryl
Do you drain the liquid from the can of coconut milk or use the whole thing?
Paris
It goes all in Cheryl.
Joey McDevitt
What is the cup of reserved pasta water for? I didn’t see it in the directions.
Paris
That's just in case you need to adjust the sauce thickness.
Brittney Yeary
Was delicious! I added corn and TVP & topped with avocado. I wasn’t sure if I was suppose to add the reserved pasta water which I did but would’ve been fine without it. Thanks for the recipe! Will add this in to our family rotation 🙂
Paris
Thank you too Brittney, so glad you liked it!
sky
can you freeze this???
Paris
Yes, you can freeze it and defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Gina
Can you subscribe oat milk for coconut milk?
Paris
Yes, but the sauce will be way thinner.