This Vegan Caramelized Onion & Roasted Garlic Pasta is so creamy! With only 10 ingredients, you are going to love this easy & dairy-free weeknight pasta recipe.
I think by now you all know I have a true obsession with making vegan pasta. While I love a classic tomato sauce on pasta, it can get a bit boring. That's why I've made it my mission to create innovative & unique pasta recipes for you to enjoy!
My favorite Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes partly inspired this caramelized onion pasta. Many of you have said you like adding roasted garlic to that dish, so I thought- why not take that & make it into the BEST roasted garlic & caramelized onion pasta?!
Ingredients:
See the recipe card at the end of the blog post for exact measurements.
Ingredient & substitution notes:
- Onions: Any onion variety works in this recipe, but I decided to use a yellow onion. I find that using an onion variety that is not too sweet is best as the onions become pretty sweet after caramelizing.
- Dried parsley: I love the flavor dried parsley gives this dish- kind of makes it taste like French onion soup. However, feel free to adjust with other spices such as rosemary, thyme, or oregano.
- Coconut milk: I recommend using full-fat canned coconut milk to make this a truly creamy dish. Other plant-based milk can work, but the dish will be significantly less creamy.
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce: Traditionally, it is made with anchovies or fish sauce, so it's not vegan. However, Annie's Worcestershire sauce is vegan & my absolute go-to!
- While I do not recommend substituting this ingredient, soy sauce works as a decent substitute to still get some umami flavor and seasoning.
Steps to make caramelized onion pasta
Roast the garlic head
Preheat the oven to 400F. Then, peel and discard any of the papery layers on the outside of the garlic clove while still keeping it intact.
Slice about ¼ inch from the top of the clove. Then, place it onto a piece of tin foil and drizzle with olive oil, salt, & pepper.
Wrap the garlic bulb in tin foil and roast for 30-40 minutes.
Once it's cooked, squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins and mash them into a thick paste. You can use the whole clove in this recipe, or just half. Whatever you prefer!
Luckily, this step is pretty hands off so you can caramelize the onions & cook the pasta while the garlic is roasting!
Cook the caramelized onions & pasta
Cook & strain the pasta. While it is cooking, make the caramelized onions.
Thinly slice the onions. Then, add the melted butter and olive oil to a saucepan and heat over medium heat.
Add in the sliced onions and salt and saute until they are caramelized for about 30-40 minutes.
My best tips for perfect caramelized onions?
- Cook over low/medium heat so the onions cook evenly and do not burn.
- Add a teaspoon of water at a time if the onions start to brown too quickly or crisp up while cooking. This deglazes the pan and makes sure the onions don't burn!
Make the sauce & add the pasta
Once the caramelized onions are cooked down, add the vegan Worcestershire sauce, dried parsley, mashed roasted garlic, coconut milk, pasta water, salt, & pepper to the pot.
Mix into a thick sauce, then turn off the heat and add in the cooked noodles. Stir the noodles in the sauce until coated and glossy.
Once the pasta is mixed into the sauce serve it as is or add some fresh thyme. If you want to make it even creamier, top it with vegan parmesan!
FAQ & Tips:
Can I make this roasted garlic pasta gluten-free?
Definitely! First, make sure to use a gluten-free noodles.
Second, you'll need to use a different vegan Worcestershire sauce than the one I recommended as it contains wheat.
How do I store this pasta?
This pasta can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
It will solidify a bit in the fridge as it cools (because of the coconut milk), but once you reheat it will become a glossy sauce again!
I hope you enjoy this creamy & delicious Vegan Caramelized Onion & Roasted Garlic Pasta! With just 10 ingredients, it's a great weeknight dinner staple. Enjoy!
-TSG
More vegetarian pasta recipes you will love:
If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star review on the recipe card. I always appreciate your feedback and support! You can also follow along on my Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Pinterest, or sign up for our newsletter!
Vegan Caramelized Onion & Roasted Garlic Pasta
Ingredients
Roasted Garlic:
- 1 head garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- sprinkle of salt & pepper
Caramelized Onion Garlic Sauce & Pasta
- 8 ounces dried spaghetti or linguine cooked according to package instructions
- 2 Tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced (or 2 small onions)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2-3 teaspoons water add as needed to degalze the pan while caramelizing onions
- 1 ½ Tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tablespoon roasted garlic paste *made above, add more or less depending on preference
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup starchy pasta water reserved from cooking pasta
- salt & pepper to taste I recommend at least ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
Roast the Garlic:
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Then, peel and discard any of the papery layers on the outside of the garlic clove while still keeping it intact.
- Slice about ¼ inch from the top of the clove. Then, place it onto a piece of tin foil and drizzle with olive oil, salt, & pepper.
- Wrap the garlic bulb in tin foil and add to the oven to roast for around 30-40 minutes.
- Once the garlic is roasted, remove it from the oven and let cool. Then, squeeze out the garlic cloves and mash them into a thick garlic paste. Set aside for later.
Cook the pasta & caramelized onions
- While the garlic is roasting, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Don't forget to reserve ¼ cup of the starchy pasta water before straining the pasta to use in the sauce.
- While the pasta is cooking, thinly slice the onion(s).
- Then, add the vegan butter and olive oil to a saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once bubbling, add in the sliced onions and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Stir & cook the onions until caramelized, about 30-40 minutes. Make sure to stir every few minutes and cook over medium to low heat. If the onions start to cook or brown too fast, add a teaspoon of water to deglaze the pan as needed.
Put it all together
- Once the onions are caramelized, add the vegan Worcestershire sauce, roasted garlic, and dried parsley to the pan. I use about 1 Tablespoon of roasted garlic, but you can use more or less depending on your preference. Stir and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Then add the coconut milk and reserved pasta water. Stir into a thick sauce, turn off the heat, and add in the cooked pasta noodles. I recommend tasting the pasta at this time and seasoning with salt & pepper to your liking.
- Mix the pasta with the sauce until thick and glossy. Then, serve while warm. If you would like, top with fresh thyme or a sprinkle of vegan parm to make this dish extra delicious. Enjoy!
Notes
- Please see the blog post for substitution ideas & more recipe tips.
- While the instructions do call for adding salt & pepper to your liking, I recommend at least ½ teaspoon of ground pepper for the best flavor. Only add additional salt if you need it- the salt from the onions and the Worcestershire sauce already add a bit of salt to the dish.
- This pasta can be stored in a closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- It will solidify a bit in the fridge as it cools (because of the coconut milk), but once you reheat it will become a glossy sauce again!
Ashley says
This was really good. I added some bell peppers and fire roasted tomatoes to the onions as well. 10/10
Megan says
Fire roasted tomatoes sounds like a perfect addition!
Kim says
I made this recipe last night for my husband and young adult son. It was an absolute hit! We all loved it! I’ll be adding this dish to my regular rotation. The coconut milk was not at all overpowering, as a matter of fact - this was perfection!
Camille says
I think next time I'll use normal milk instead of coconut milk as the taste was too overpowering for me. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Aline says
This became an absolute favorite in our household!
Megan says
Love to hear that! 🙂
Peter says
Saw this recipe a week ago and finally got around to making it last night. WOW what a delicious treat, and something you can make again with just an onion and some garlic from the local bodega. I made this with Banza chickpea pasta and the sauce was still perfectly creamy and rich. I HIGHLY recommend this recipe, thank you so much Shortgirltallorder!!
Megan says
Thanks for the review- gotta try it with the chickpea pasta next time too 🙂
Joe Gilleo says
I made this recipe tonight and i could not have been happier. It was over the top fantastic.
Megan says
Thanks for the review and so glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Bridgett says
I made this for dinner tonight and it turned out delicious! I topped it off with some sauteed broccoli and mushrooms. I will be adding this to the rotation 😊
Megan says
Amazing so glad you liked it and love the addition of more veggies 🙂
Ami says
I added 2 tsp of Italian seasoning and this was perfect.