Name: Creamy Vegan Buffalo Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 300 g (10.5 oz) short pasta (penne or fusilli); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 medium shallot, diced; 1 red bell pepper, diced; 1 green bell pepper, diced; 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1/2 green chilli, finely chopped; 4 spring onions (scallions), diced (white and light green parts only); 1 tablespoon Cajun spice mix; 50 ml (1/4 cup) vegan buffalo sauce; 200 ml (1 cup) plant-based cream; 200 g (7 oz) marinated tofu or plant-based “chicken” strips; Salt and pepper to taste

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This creamy vegan buffalo pasta is an easy 30-minute dinner packed with loads of vegetables in a delicious hot sauce. Buffalo pasta is super easy to make your own as you can add any veggies and protein you want!

Vegan buffalo pasta is one of the staple dishes in my home, not just because it's super quick to make but also because it's so easy to customize.

You can easily use any veggies and protein you want, which makes buffalo pasta a great contender for the "best fridge-cleaning pasta" title.

You can have this deliciously creamy and spicy pasta on the table in under 30 minutes.

It's just the perfect weeknight meal, and you can easily adjust the level of spiciness to suit your family.

Ingredients and substitutions

Olive oil - I like to saute the veggies in a bit of olive oil for extra flavour, but if you don't cook with oil, you can saute them in a bit of vegetable stock or even water.

Shallot - You can use any type of onion you like here. I like the mild flavour of shallots and how it pairs with the green onion.

Bell peppers - Use two colours if possible for extra vibrance - I went for green and red.

Garlic - Use fresh garlic for the best flavour - you can either chop it finely or crush it.

Green chilli (jalapeño) - Only add green chilli if you want your vegan buffalo pasta to be fiery. Keep in mind that you'll also get quite a kick from the cajun spice mix.

Spring onions (scallions) - Use the white and light green parts of the spring onions in the sauce and reserve the dark green parts for garnishing.

Cajun spice mix - Shop-bought cajun spice mix is perfect for this recipe for convenience.

Buffalo sauce - Make sure the buffalo sauce you choose for this recipe is vegan. Many of them aren't suitable for vegans because they contain butter.

Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wings Sauce is vegan and is typically easy to find.

If you can't find a vegan buffalo sauce, you can easily make your own using hot sauce and vegan butter.

Plant-based cream - I used a soy-based plant-based cream for this creamy vegan buffalo pasta. You can use cashew cream or coconut cream instead.

Marinated tofu - Any plant-based protein pairs well with this buffalo pasta sauce.

I used little bits of marinated tofu, but seitan, tempeh or your favourite plant-based "chicken" strips are all great.

Alternatively, you can add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas as protein.

How do you make vegan Buffalo pasta?

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it generously, and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and red and green pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the veggies soften a bit.

Add the garlic, green chilli and spring onions and continue to cook for another minute.

Stir in the Cajun spice mix and cook for a further minute, stirring occasionally.

Add the buffalo sauce and plant-based cream and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Stir in the marinated tofu and cook for another minute to allow it to heat through. Add the pasta to the pan with the sauce and stir together.

If the sauce looks too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water. Season to taste and serve immediately, with some freshly chopped green onion on top if you like.

Recipe notes and tips

This creamy vegan buffalo pasta tastes best when served immediately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and you can reheat them in the microwave, but the sauce will likely be less creamy.
You can add some extra veggies to this buffalo pasta - ideas include peas, courgettes and even mushrooms.
To make the pasta sauce even more flavourful, add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce or apple cider vinegar.

If you liked this creamy vegan buffalo pasta, you might also like some of my other easy vegan pasta recipes:

Don't miss out on any new recipes! Follow Vegan Cocotte on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Yield: 4