Veggie-Loaded Balsamic Pasta - an Easy Vegan Pasta Recipe (2024)

Today’s vegan balsamic pasta is one of the simplest yet one of the most flavorful pasta dishes I’ve ever made. Loaded with roasted vegetables and a simple balsamic vinegar-based sauce, this pasta recipe has become one of our family’s favorite healthy vegan pasta recipes. Give it a try, and you’ll see why!

I’ve been wanting to share more recipes here on the blog, but lately I’ve been struggling to find time (and often inspiration) for developing new recipes. When you’ve got an active 7 month-old baby on your hands, you often resort to quick, tried-and-true recipes when making dinner.

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This recipe was born accidentally when I was trying to cook up a lot of veggies in the fridge one day, but didn’t want to fuss with making a complicated pasta sauce.

I’m rarely in the mood for pasta with the classic red tomato sauce, and other pasta sauces are usually quite involved. Voila – this delicious and wholesome vegan pasta recipe was born!

Recently I wondered why I haven’t shared my balsamic pasta recipe here yet because honestly, it’s soooo delicious and quite easy to make! Even when a tiny 7 month-old human demands your attention all the time 🙂

The simple balsamic dressing does wonders for this vegan pasta dish, creating a flavor that’s bright enough to excite your palate, yet not too overbearing that it would cover the flavors of all the delicious veggies in this recipe.

How do I make vegan balsamic pasta sauce?

To make balsamic pasta sauce, you’ll need to mix balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and maple syrup in a small bowl. Whisk the mixture until everything is dissolved.

Start pouring olive oil slowly into the vinegar mixture while you continue whisking it. Once the sauce looks hom*ogeneous, stir in nutritional yeast.

Pour in about a half cup of water that the pasta was cooking in. Just before adding the sauce to the pasta and vegetables, whisk it again a few more times.

For ingredient amounts, see recipe card below.

Note on olive oil: If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know that I mostly post oil-free recipes here.

In the beginning of my plant-based/vegan journey I steered clear of oil for the most part, following health recommendations of various plant-based diet masterminds. Since then my ways have changed – not that I don’t care about my health anymore 🙂 but I’m just not as rigid.

It’s entirely possible that this recipe would still work if you omit the oil and replace it with extra pasta water, but I haven’t tried that.

How do I cook the vegetables for balsamic pasta?

My favorite way to cook all the veggies is by roasting them in the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread sliced vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, shallots, zucchini, carrots, etc.

Make sure not to crowd the baking sheet, or the veggies will steam instead of roasting. If you have too much veggies, use two sheets.

Roast the vegetables for 15 minutes, stir, and roast for about 10 minutes more, or until the desired level of doneness is achieved. If some veggie pieces start looking charred, take them off the tray, and continue roasting the rest.

You can also cook the veggies in a wok. The classic wok shape allows plenty of room for the veggies to steam in their own moisture, plus mixing in the pasta and the sauce is easy. If you have a large heavy-bottomed pan, things will work out just as well.

What vegetables are used in vegan balsamic pasta?

I use a pretty standard variety of vegetables in this Balsamic Pasta: broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms, shallots, zucchini, carrots, peas. I also like adding olives (black or kalamata) and artichoke hearts for extra zing.

It’s not mandatory to use all of these veggies – you can totally use your own judgement and preferences, omitting or adding a few things.

I’ve used arugula and broccolini instead of broccoli (my husband’s preferred substitution), skipped sundried tomatoes, olives or artichokes if I didn’t have any.

You can also skip the vegan sausage if you’re trying to eat less processed food.

Can this balsamic pasta be made gluten free?

Absolutely! For gluten-free substitutions, use gluten-free pasta and omit the Field Roast Italian vegan sausage. If sausage is a must, try adding sliced Beyond Meat Hot Italian sausages that happen to be gluten-free.

The balsamic sauce ingredients are naturally gluten-free.

Can I serve this vegan balsamic pasta cold?

Yes! This Balsamic Pasta can be served cold as a yummy pasta salad! Make it as is with penne pasta, or use a different pasta shape (bow ties, elbows, etc.) and wow everyone at your next summertime gathering.

Question for you: What’s your favorite vegan pasta recipe? Bonus points if it’s vegan, of course 🙂

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