Creamy White (Béchamel) Sauce ~ Pasta

Creamy White (Béchamel) Sauce ~ Pasta
vegan ~ dairy-free ~ plant-based ~ egg-free

This recipe makes enough for 1lb of pasta
Total Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Author/Credit: Jessica Williams/Vegan Rescue

Creamy White (Béchamel) Sauce ~ Pasta

This white sauce or Béchamel is so creamy and delicious. The nutmeg in this recipe pops and is quite noticeable…the sauce is surely the stand-out. I also love how quickly this pasta dish comes together. For this Béchamel sauce all you really need is butter, flour, plant-based milk, and your seasonings. From the moment you put your pasta water on to boil, until you are ready to drain. This Creamy White (Béchamel) Sauce ~ Pasta recipe can be made.

I made this recipe (pictured) with ingredients that I had on hand, so feel free to adjust as needed. There are several variations of pasta and different usage for this white Béchamel sauce. For example, I used this white sauce to make a Creamy Mushroom & Sundried Tomato Pasta! Here is the recipe for this dish. Or for a White Pizza with Spinach – found here. I really hope you try this creamy deliciousness. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1lb Pasta of your choice (I used Rigatoni)
3 Tbsp Vegan Butter (I used Earth Balance)
2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast
2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
2 Cups Soymilk
1 Tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 to 1/2 Block Vegan Parmesan Cheese (I used Violife), grated
1 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/4 Tsp Crush Red Pepper Flakes
Black Pepper to taste

Toppings/Additions
For this pasta dish I added the following:
Frozen Peas
Fresh Parsley, chopped
Fresh Basil, chopped/julienned
Tofurky Sausage, sliced (2 Sausages)
Sliced Pimientos
Sundried Tomatoes, chopped

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Directions:

-Prepare pasta according to package directions.

-In a large pan, heat the vegan butter over medium-high heat.

-Next, add the flour and whisk into the butter to combine. Allow this to cook for a couple of minutes continuing to stir frequently.

-To the flour/butter mixture, add the nutritional yeast and soymilk. Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk together to combine. Allow this to cook for about three minutes. This mixture will begin to slowly bubble and will appear to thicken.

-Next, add the salt, pepper, vegan parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and crushed red pepper flakes. Whisk into the mixture. Reduce heat to low, cover and allow the mixture to cook for about five minutes. Stir the Béchamel sauce occasionally as it becomes thick and creamy.

-Drain the pasta and stir in the sauce to combine.

*Additional Notes:
-I added the peas, parsley, basil, pimientos and sundried tomatoes, during the last few minutes of cooking. (Be sure to reserve some of the fresh herbs to top, if you’d like).

-After draining the pasta, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to the pot. Then sauté the sliced Tofurky sausage for a few minutes.

-Then, I added the pasta and white sauce mixture to the pasta to combine.

-Note: Since I added so many herbs, sausage and peas. I ended up making a second batch of the Béchamel sauce to serve.

-Enjoy!

For more pasta dishes try these from my website:

Lupini Pasta & Peas with Spicy Peanut Sauce – https://veganrescue.com/2023/07/20/lupini-peas-with-spicy-peanut-sauce/

Pappardelle & Pomodoro – https://veganrescue.com/2023/07/27/pappardelle-pomodoro/

Vegan Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Shells – https://veganrescue.com/2024/01/16/vegan-spinach-ricotta-stuffed-shells/