Easy Vegan Penne Pasta Recipe (2024)

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5 from 3 votes

30 minutes minutes

by Marly

5

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Enjoy the comforting flavors of this easy vegan penne pasta recipe. You’ll love the tender cooked pasta infused with tomatoes, vegan sausage, and Italian seasoning. You’ll be singing the praises of plant-based eating because vegan pasta dishes are so delicious, especially when served with some easy no-knead bread or even some vegan garlic bread.

Easy Vegan Penne Pasta Recipe (1)

Many people think a vegan diet requires a lot of time in the kitchen. This vegan penne pasta is proof that you can eat plant-based and keep things simple in the kitchen. I love easy vegan recipes, which is why I have a whole series of vegan recipes that take less than 30 minutes or less to make. There you’ll find things like Vegan Spring Rolls or Vegan Black Bean Burritos.

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Why This Recipe is a Winner

  • Adding red bell pepper slivers creates pops of color and flavor throughout this dish
  • Penne pasta works perfectly for this dish because it delivers just enough delicious sauce along with the vegan sausage.
  • Using vegan sausage adds plant-based protein and flavor into every bite
  • Topping this dish with vegan mozzarella shreds adds a creamy, cheesy flavor making it irresistibly delicious!
Easy Vegan Penne Pasta Recipe (2)

Key Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Penne pasta — I like using penne pasta because it’s easily available and affordable. You can use regular, gluten-free, or even penne pasta made with beans.
  • Olive oil
  • Onion — I used sweet yellow onion, but you can substitute white or red onion.
  • Bell pepper — You’ll need one colorful bell pepper, such as red, yellow, or orange.
  • Vegan Italian sausage — We have two favorite brands of vegan Italian Sausage: Tofurkey and Field Roast. You can substitute homemade vegan breakfast sausage patties and crumble them up into the pasta.
  • Tomatoes — You’ll need one can of stewed tomatoes.
  • Tomato sauce
  • Seasonings — You’ll need garlic powder, dried basil, and dried oregano.
  • Vegan mozzarella — I prefer Follow Your Heart or Daiya mozzarella shreds.

How to Make Vegan Penne Pasta and Sausage

  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
  2. In a large skillet, add the oil and cook the onions and red bell pepper over medium heat until both are tender.
    Easy Vegan Penne Pasta Recipe (3)
  3. Add the sliced vegan sausage, followed by the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings. Stir to combine and cook until heated through.
  4. Drain pasta and add it to the skillet, stirring until the pasta is coated.
  5. Sprinkle the top of the pasta with vegan cheese shreds.

The thing I love most about vegan products is that there’s no additional cooking time required. In other words, when I buy Vegan Italian Sausage, I simply slice it, heat it, and serve it.

That means the most difficult part of this recipe is cooking the pasta. Then we add some chopped onions and red bell peppers to a skillet with some olive oil and cook until tender and then add the tomato sauce, sliced sausages, and seasonings.

Once that pasta is done you add it to the pot and less than thirty minutes later you’re ready to sing, “Dinner’s ready!” Music to my ears. 🙂

Note: Add a drizzle of Vegan Alfredo Sauce over the top for an extra special dinner.

Reader Reviews

★★★★★
We made this last night. Absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe!

Lizzy

What’s the Difference Between Penne Pasta and Rigatoni?

You can easily tell penne pasta and rigatoni apart by looking at the ends. The cut on the ends of penne pasta comes to a point. In fact, penne pasta means “pen,” and if you imagine the end of the pasta looking like a quill, you’ll easily be able to identify penne pasta. Rigatoni pasta is larger and rounder and has blunt cut ends.

More Pasta Recipes

This vegan penne pasta recipe is so good it will leave you wanting to try even more vegan pasta recipes. Here are some of our favorites:

Garlic Confit Pasta

30 mins total

Vegan Lemon Pasta

30 mins total

Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

60 mins total

We have dozens more Easy Vegan Recipes that you can make in 30 minutes or less!

Easy Vegan Penne Pasta Recipe (8)
Easy Vegan Penne Pasta Recipe (9)

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Easy Vegan Penne Pasta Recipe (10)

Easy Vegan Penne Pasta Recipe (11)

Vegan Penne Pasta

Enjoy the fresh, delicious flavors in this vegan penne pasta recipe and you'll be singing "Dinner's Ready" in less than 30 minutes.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate Save

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 494kcal

Author: Marly McMillen

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups uncooked penne pasta
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
  • 14 oz Vegan Italian sausage* cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 14 oz can stewed tomatoes
  • 8 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese shreds optional

Instructions

  • Cook the pasta according to package directions.

  • In a large skillet, add the oil and cook the onions and red bell pepper over medium heat, until both are tender.

  • Add the sliced vegan sausage, followed by the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings. Stir to combine and cook until heated through.

  • Drain pasta and pour into skillet, stirring until the pasta is coated.

  • Sprinkle the top of the pasta with vegan cheese shreds.

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Notes

*We have two favorite brands of vegan Italian Sausage: Tofurkey and Field Roast.

Calories: 494kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 910mg | Potassium: 598mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 910IU | Vitamin C: 37.5mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 3.6mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a rating below then tag @namelymarly on Instagram and hashtag it #namelymarly. I love seeing your creations!

This post was originally published in 2018 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.

Easy Vegan Penne Pasta Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make basic pasta good? ›

10 Tips to Do Pasta Night Right
  1. Use a big enough pot. ...
  2. Use plenty of water. ...
  3. Season the pasta water — ...
  4. Let the water come to a boil first. ...
  5. Stir right away — and every couple minutes. ...
  6. Don't rely solely on the cooking time on your pasta's package. ...
  7. Cook your pasta to just before al dente. ...
  8. Reserve the pasta water.

What is vegan pasta made of? ›

Making fresh vegan pasta

Mix 3 cups of flour (or semolina) with about 1 cup of water, a pinch of salt, and 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil. If you want to give your pasta a nice warm color as if it contained eggs, you can add a pinch of turmeric or saffron to the flour.

What is the quickest way to make pasta? ›

The fastest way to cook a pasta is by using a frying pan instead of a saucepan. Water boils faster in a frying pan than a sauce pan. Less water comes to a boil quicker. You can add a little bit of olive oil in the water as adding oil to pasta water will prevent the pasta from sticking together.

What 3 basic ingredients are used in the production of pasta? ›

Pasta products contain milled wheat, water, and occasionally eggs and/or optional ingredients. Pasta manufacturers typically use milled durum wheat (semolina, durum granulars, and durum flour) in pasta production, although farina and flour from common wheat are occasionally used.

What can you add to pasta to make it better? ›

These delicious flavorings will bring beneficial plant compounds to your meal.
  1. Basil. Basil is a flavorful herb and a mainstay in many Italian dishes, including pasta. ...
  2. Oregano. Oregano is a culinary herb known for its peppery and pungent taste. ...
  3. Rosemary. ...
  4. Red pepper flakes. ...
  5. Garlic powder.
Apr 11, 2022

How to cook penne pasta step by step? ›

COOKING YOUR PASTA

Add contents of package to boiling water. Stir gently. Return to a boil. For authentic "al dente" pasta, boil uncovered, stirring occasionally for11 minutes.

What flour is best for making penne pasta? ›

Penne pasta is typically made from durum wheat semolina flour. Durum wheat is a hard wheat variety that is well-suited for pasta-making due to its high protein content and gluten strength.

What is the difference between penne and pasta? ›

Shape:Spaghetti: Spaghetti is a long, thin, cylindrical pasta. It is typically round in cross-section but can also be found in square or triangular shapes. The round variety is the most common. Penne: Penne, on the other hand, is a shorter pasta with a tubular shape.

What pasta is best for vegans? ›

Most packaged pasta—including spaghetti, rotini, and any other type—is 100 percent vegan. To know for sure, simply check the ingredients on your package! Sometimes, you might see “egg” listed as an ingredient in “fresh” pastas, so avoid those—but generally, pasta contains no animal-derived ingredients.

What makes vegan pasta vegan? ›

Fortunately, most traditional boxed pasta contains only one or two plant-based ingredients, such as semolina and enriched wheat flour. There are more creative varieties, as well; some manufacturers make pasta from rice, beans, legumes, sea kelp, and sweet potatoes, among other vegan ingredients.

What is the healthiest pasta for vegans? ›

Vegans can eat whole grain pasta as long as it does not include egg or other non-vegan ingredients. Whole grain pasta is also plant-based in most cases, but be sure to read the ingredients before purchasing. Whole-grain pasta has the added benefit of extra fiber and is a good addition to any vegan diet.

Can you cook penne pasta in microwave? ›

Yes, it is possible to cook pasta in the microwave. Place your pasta in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water and microwave on High for the same amount of time stated on the packet directions, plus 3 minutes, or until al dente.

Does pasta cook quicker if soaked in water? ›

Soak dry pasta in water to speed up the cooking process and reduce the amount of heat and steam in your kitchen. Pasta that has been soaked in water eliminates the need to parboil noodles for baked dishes like ziti.

How long can you cook pasta in the microwave? ›

How long does it take to cook pasta in the microwave? We used a 900W microwave to test, so lower wattage microwaves may vary, but it takes around 9-10 mins to cook pasta. It is best to cook it on high for 5 mins, then continue to cook and check every minute to ensure it doesn't stick or overcook.

How do you cook pasta without boiling it? ›

You can simply cook the pasta in whatever sauce you're planning to toss it with. It takes longer and the trick is to add more sauce. You can also make lasagna without pre-boiling the noodles. You'll need more sauce and more time.

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