How to Make Vegan Pasta? - Veganuary Tips for Pasta Lovers

Pasta is a staple ingredient around the world. It originated in Italy and consists of dough made from durum wheat and water. However, sometimes this simple ingredient can be unsuitable for vegan consumption. 

Surprisingly, not all pasta that you find in the supermarket is vegan-friendly. Durum wheat and water are, of course, vegan. However, certain types of pasta contain animal products. Generally, it is mainly ‘fresh’ pasta that isn’t vegan as it will contain eggs. However, speciality pasta can contain animal ingredients, such as Nero di Seppia (squid ink pasta) and tortellini. 

Thanks to the rising interest in the plant-based diet, there’s a variety of vegan pasta alternatives, such as tortellini and gnocchi. 

Pasta is easier to make than you think. All you need is flour, salt, water and olive oil. And nothing beats homemade! 

If the brand of pasta you buy is on the shelf and not in the fridge, there’s a very high chance that it’s vegan. Many non-vegan kinds of pasta are the fresh varieties you find in the fridge section. Make sure to double-check on the ingredients list, though, to be safe. 

Cheesy flavours are an absolute must if you’re cooking a spaghetti bolognese or carbonara! You can use nutritional yeast (also known as ‘nooch’), a deactivated form of yeast that’s high in nutrients like B vitamins and protein and lends a cheesy taste to any dish you want. As far as vegan cheese goes, there are plenty of products out there to choose from, such as Violife’s Epic Mature Cheddar, Follow Your Heart’s Parmesan Style Shredded Hard Vegan Cheese and MozzaRisella’s Vegan Mozzarella. 

Salting pasta water should be a habit for any cook, whether vegan or not. So if you didn’t do it before, now’s the time to start! Salting water may seem like an insignificant recipe step, but it enhances the flavour. 

There is more to life than jars of tomato sauce poured onto plain pasta, trust me! You’ll never get tired of comforting bowls of pasta if you experiment with different sauces and condiments. Pesto, ragu, carbonara sauce, and arrabbiata are just a few ideas for pasta sauces. There’s sure to be a vegan version of your favourite pasta sauce, and if there’s not, make your own!

If you can afford to splurge on your pasta, then do it! It’s worth spending a little extra to get a good quality product as a little bit more love and care has gone into the process of manufacturing it. The sauce will likely cling to the pasta better, and it'll be a great texture when cooked al-dente.