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Raise your hand if your garden is overflowing with fresh produce! By mid-August I always see Instagram posts from my friends and family offering up extra tomatoes from their gardens. Tomato plants love hot and sunny weather and we’ve had a whole lot of that in Missoula lately. Inspired by late summer produce and my love of pasta, I present this super easy and unbelievably delicious Tomato Basil Rigatoni. It’s a fantastic way to use up the surplus of tomatoes and basil from your (or your neighbor’s) backyard!
Because this dish is so simple, the quality of the ingredients is super important. You want to use the most perfect cherry tomatoes you can get your hands on for the best flavor.
For the sauce, I simply scooped a package of Plant Perks Smoked Provolone Cheeze Spread into a bowl and mixed in some non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, and black pepper. The nutritional yeast gives this creamy sauce an extra “cheesy” flavor, but you can skip it if you can’t find any at your local store.
I love the fat, tubular shape of rigatoni so that’s what I decided to use in this pasta recipe. Feel free to use your favorite noodle! Keep in mind that pasta shapes with nooks and crannies, like macaroni, penne, cavatappi, and rigatoni, are best for creamy sauces. Add most of the cherry tomatoes and some fresh basil to the cooked pasta and toss to coat.
Divide the pasta between four plates or bowls and top with the remaining tomatoes and a few tiny basil leaves. While simple, the flavors in this vegan pasta dish absolutely scream summer. I think your family is going to LOVE this one!
Peace.Love.Plants.
Tiffany
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View More Vegan Recipes
Tomato Basil Vegan Rigatoni Pasta Recipe
Spinach & Artichoke Vegan Stuffed Shells Recipe
Cheesy Weeknight Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta Recipe
Creamy Vegan Garlic Noodles Recipe
Vegan Cacio e Pepe Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni or gluten-free pasta
- 1 package Plant Perks Smoked Provolone Cheeze Spread
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened non-dairy milk
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- Few twists of black pepper, plus more for garnish
- ½ cup fresh basil, sliced into thin ribbons, plus more basil leaves for garnish
- 1 pound heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil over high heat. Add the rigatoni or gluten-free pasta and cook according to the package directions. Drain the pasta, but don’t rinse it. Return the noodles to the pot.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce. Scoop the Smoked Provolone Cheeze Spread into a bowl and mix in the non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, and black pepper. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the vegan cheese sauce over the cooked pasta. Add the basil and most of the cherry tomatoes to the pot, reserving a few for garnish. Gently stir to coat the pasta, tomatoes, and basil in the sauce.
- Divide the Tomato Basil Rigatoni between four plates and top each with the reserved cherry tomatoes, a few small basil leaves, and more freshly cracked black pepper. Enjoy warm.
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peace. love. plants.
