Name: Vegan Cajun Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 250 g (8.8 oz) pasta; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 large red pepper, diced; 5 spring onions, diced; 2 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 tablespoon oregano; 1 teaspoon onion granules; 1 teaspoon garlic granules; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 150 g (5.3 oz) corn (canned, frozen or fresh); 200 ml (6.7 fl oz) full-fat coconut milk

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This easy vegan Cajun pasta is packed with flavour and just the right amount of spiciness. Ready in 20 minutes and made with fresh ingredients and absolutely nothing processed, the sauce is highly versatile, so you can easily make it your own.

A plate of pasta with peppers and sweetcorn

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It's no secret that I love meat-free pasta recipes, and this vegan Cajun pasta is something I make whenever I'm in the mood for some spicy veggie pasta without any effort at all.

This plant-based pasta sauce is super easy to customize, so you can truly make it just the way you like it.

I only use veggies to make it, but you can also add some vegan sausage or vegan chicken if you want.

I make the sauce creamy with coconut milk, so there's no fiddling with cashews and blenders to make this spicy vegan pasta.

All you need are just a couple of staples you may already have in the kitchen.

Ingredients you need

Cajun seasoning — It's super easy to make your own Cajun seasoning, but you can also use store-bought if you like.

I mix paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to make it.

You can add the spices one by one in the pan or mix them all in a bowl before using them in this recipe.

Sweet peppers — I typically use a large red pepper for this pasta, but you can add more colours if you like.

Spring onions — Trim the spring onion and use the white and greenish part in the sauce, reserving the leafy dark green parts for serving.

Sweetcorn — Any kind of sweet corn works here. I typically use canned or frozen because I always seem to have one kind or another in the house, but fresh is great too if you have it.

Coconut milk — Use full-fat coconut milk for an extra creamy sauce, and feel free to add more than 200 ml if you want.

Pasta — This vegan Cajun sauce is perfect with short pasta. The pasta you see in the pics is dischi volanti, also called messicani, which I like because it traps the sauce very well.

An up-close photo of pasta with vegetables

How do you make vegan Cajun pasta?

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Reserve some pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the red pepper for 5-6 minutes on medium heat until slightly roasted.

Add the spring onion and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute.

Add all the spices, stir to combine, and cook for another minute until fragrant. If you want the sauce to be more fiery, add some red chilli flakes too.

Step by step instructions for making vegan pasta

Stir in the corn and coconut milk and allow it to heat through. When the sauce has thickened, stir in the cooked pasta and add a bit of pasta water to get your preferred consistency.

Season to taste and serve with extra spring onions on top if you like.

Extra recipe tips and tricks

Other veggies that work great in this plant-based Cajun sauce include broccoli, cauliflower, and fresh tomatoes.
Add some protein and bulk up this pasta by adding a can of beans or chickpeas with the sweetcorn.
The pasta will keep well in the fridge for about 3 days. If it looks too thick when you want to reheat it, you can add a bit of veggie stock. You can reheat it on the hob or in the microwave.

If you liked this vegan Cajun pasta, have a look at some of my other easy vegan pasta recipes:

Vegan Pasta Carbonara with Smoked Tofu

Vegan Sausage Pasta With Kale

Tagliatelle Bolognese with Mushrooms

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Yield: 4