Name: Creamy Vegan Sausage Pasta with Spinach
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 9 oz pasta; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 medium red onion (diced); 9 oz vegan sausages (cut into 1-inch pieces); 4 garlic cloves (crushed); 1 tsp Italian herbs mix; 8.5 fl oz plant-based double cream; 3.5 oz baby spinach; Salt and pepper to taste

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This creamy vegan sausage pasta with spinach is the perfect comforting weeknight dinner. It only requires a handful of ingredients and is ready in just 20 minutes.

I mostly cook wholesome food with naturally vegan ingredients, but from time to time, I use plant-based sausages or mince to make vegan versions of classic dinners.

This creamy vegan sausage pasta is a recipe I like because it's super comforting and easy to put together when you're pressed for time. It's ready in 20 minutes and is surprisingly flavourful, especially if you use a plant-based version of Italian sausage.

Creamy, slightly garlicky pasta mixed with vegan sausage and fresh baby spinach is a winner in my book, and this recipe recreates authentic Italian flavours pretty well. Red onion, garlic, and a mix of Italian herbs elevate the creamy white sauce to a whole new level.

This is the perfect kind of recipe to make not just when you're super busy but also for date night, as it goes particularly well with a glass of Pinot or Sauvignon.

What kind of vegan sausage works in this pasta?

This recipe is a vegan version of classic pasta dishes that use Italian sausages as a base for a white sauce enriched with garlic with herbs. For this reason, a vegan Italian-style sausage is the best option here.

It's quite difficult to find Italian-style vegan sausages in the UK, but I managed to find a tasty version from Heck. Both the flavour and texture are on point, and the sausages don't disintegrate when you fry them.

If you can't find Italian-style sausages, any vegan sausage would work, except for chorizo-style types. To make up for the lack of Italian vibes in the sausage, you can up the Italian herbs in the sauce or add some fresh rosemary and thyme instead.

How do you make it?

This vegan pasta with sausage is ready in about 20 minutes, so you can make the sauce while the pasta is boiling.

Start by heating the olive oil in a large pan and fry the onion for a minute over medium heat.
Add the sausage and cook for 6-7 minutes until browned. If you want, you can break it down a bit while it's cooking.
Next, stir in the garlic and Italian herbs, add the cream and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens a bit.
Stir in the baby spinach and continue to cook for a couple of minutes until it wilts. Add some pasta water at this point if the sauce is too thick.
Transfer the pasta to the pan and give it a good stir until it's well covered in sauce. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Recipe notes for the best vegan sausage pasta

I used orecchiette for this recipe, but any kind of short pasta would be perfect.
Any plant-based double cream should be fine for this recipe. I used the Whippable Creamy Oat from Oatly.
Salt the pasta water after it reaches a boiling point. Salting the cold water will increase the amount of time needed to get to the boiling point.
Cut the sausage slices as thick as you want. If you want your sausage to be quite well done, cook it for up to 10 minutes until the outside is brown and slightly crispy.
You can substitute the baby spinach with kale, but you'll need to cook it for a couple of minutes more because kale takes longer to wilt.
Top the pasta with some vegan parmesan cheese right before serving if you like

If you liked this creamy vegan sausage pasta with spinach, have a look at some of my other quick recipes:

20-Minute Vegan Pasta Puttanesca

Creamy Vegan Artichoke and Spinach Pasta

Vegan Creamy Pasta e Fagioli

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