Vegan Italian Sausage Pasta

This vegan Italian sausage pasta from scratch will become your most favorite go to dinner. The sausage bits are made from shredded tofu perfectly seasoned in savory Italian flavor before being roasted to perfection and sprinkled over the most luscious roasted garlic and cherry tomato pasta sauce.

Vegan Italian Sausage Pasta

Homemade vegan Italian sausage bits from scratch divinely flavored with floral fennel seeds and all your classic sausage spices, roasted to perfection and piled up high on thin pasta lusciously coated in a roasted garlic cherry tomato sauce. This is everything you dream of from the most comforting and delicious bowl of pasta, no cholesterol, no dairy, good for you pure goodness from plants.

About the Sausage Seasonings

• Shoyu – I love using this for deep umami flavor and coat all the tofu shreds in it before I add any of dry seasonings. I love using shoyu for its rich savory and complex flavor profile but any soy sauce, tamari and even coco aminos can be used instead.
• Fennel seeds – fragrant fennel seeds get nice and toasty during baking delivering that authentic floral Italian sausage flavor throughout. I find 2 teaspoons to be just the right amount without overpowering the other spices but you can definitely go up to 1 tablespoon for a more dominant fennel profile.
• Smoked paprika – make sure to use sweet not bitter smoked paprika, this will deliver a beautiful slow cooked meaty flavor throughout, don’t skip it.
• Onion + garlic powders – use both as aromatics, they compliment everything they touch.
• Rosemary, oregano + thyme – All classic herbs found in Italian sausage seasonings, a little bit goes a long way for aroma and complexity.
• Nooch – aka nutritional yeast for more umami richness, B vitamins and in this case it also helps with the texture an achieving nice crispy bits throughout.
• Maple syrup – for a touch of sweetness which characterizes Italian sausage, the prefect sweet and savory profile.
• Black pepper – freshly cracked to taste, it belongs.
• Olive Oil – Don’t skip it! Use it both in the beginning and finish with a good drizzle before roasting. Sausages are fatty and so for that authentic rich (not dry) satisfying mouthfeel make sure to use it generously.

The Pasta Sauce

Make use of the last of summer’s cherry tomatoes this all depending on where you find yourself in the world. Since I’m turning on the oven to roast my sausage bits I also love to roast a bunch of cherry tomatoes with rosemary bay, onion and tons of garlic cloves. I cover the pan to create steam so the garlic turns buttery soft while the tomato juices also help prevent it from drying out. At the very end I let them all cook uncovered for 10 -15 minutes to get a little color and concentrate flavor. Blend into a silky smooth and luscious sauce to coat thin spaghetti or some wide noodles like fettuccine or tagliatelle.

Recipe Tips + FAQs

• Should I press the tofu? – Because the recipe calls for Super Firm tofu there Is no need to press it at all. Whatever extra water it holds will evaporate during baking and help prevent it from drying out in the oven.
• Can I use extra firm tofu instead of super firm? – In short YES you can use extra firm also without pressing, you’ll just  need to pat it dry and take extra care when shredding it since it is softer. It will also need a few extra minutes in the oven for all that extra moisture to evaporate.
• Leftovers – store in individual lidded containers and refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 4 months for best results. They can be reheated in a skillet on the stove top or in the microwave oven.
• Serving Suggestions – on avocado pesto pasta, on pizza, focaccia, this vegan potato soup, Zuppa Toscana, carrot pasta sauce, in a sandwich.

Fan Favorite Vegan Pasta

• Tofu Bolognese
• Broccoli Pasta
• Vegan Lasagna Bolognese
• Roasted Tomato Puttanesca Pasta
• Amazing Dairy Free Mac and Cheese
• Vegan Cacio e Pepe
• Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta
• Vegan Stuffed Shells
• Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese.

How to Make vegan Italian Sausage Pasta

5 from 1 vote

Vegan Italian Sausage Pasta

From scratch vegan Italian sausage bits divinely flavored with floral fennel seeds and all your classic sausage spices, roasted to perfection and piled up high on thin pasta lusciously coated in a roasted garlic cherry tomato sauce. This is everything you dream of from the most comforting and delicious bowl of pasta, no cholesterol, no dairy, pure goodness from plants.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:1 hour hr

Total Time:55 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 16 oz package super firm tofu
• 3 Tbsp shoyu
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1.5 Tbsp nooch
• 2.5 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp dried rosemary (or the leaves from 1 sprig fresh rosemary)
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dry thyme
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• freshly cracked black pepper to taste

The Pasta Sauce

• 1 lb thin spaghetti cooked al dente
• 4 cups cherry tomatoes red or golden
• 12 garlic cloves lightly smashed and peeled
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp sea salt + more to taste
• 1 pinch red chili flakes
• fresh basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400”F. In a medium size baking dish toss together the tomatoes, rosemary, garlic, onion, bay, sea salt and chili flakes. Cover tightly with aluminum foil (or an oven proof lid) and roast everything together for 45 minutes. Remove the cover and cook another 10-15 minutes uncovered until all the tomatoes have burst and released their juices and the garlic is buttery soft (you should have some browning on top of the garlic and tomatoes by this point).
  4 cups cherry tomatoes, 12 garlic cloves, 1/2 sweet yellow onion, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 sprig rosemary, 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp sea salt + more to taste, 1 pinch red chili flakes
• Carefully discard the bay and rosemary sprig if using fresh, then transfer all the roasted ingredients to a blender and puree until silky smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste with salt and peeper (for a richer texture add more olive oil as desired). Toss with the spaghetti just before serving.

Prep the Tofu Sausage

• Meanwhile line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• Remove the tofu from the package, drain but DO NOT PRESS. Over a large mixing bowl grate the tofu block through the large holes of a box grater.
  16 oz package super firm tofu
• Add the shoyu, olive oil and maple syrup and toss to coat well.
  3 Tbsp shoyu, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp maple syrup
• Sprinkle in the nooch, onion, garlic, paprika, fennel, rosemary, oregano and thyme + a good pinch of freshly cracked black pepper. Use a spatula and toss everything to coat well all over.
  1.5 Tbsp nooch, 2.5 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp granulated garlic, 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika, 2 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp dry thyme, freshly cracked black pepper
• Dump the shredded tofu mixture inside the prepared pan and using the spatula spread it around well.
• Finish with a good drizzle of olive oil and bake in the preheated 400”F oven for 20 minutes. Give it a quick toss around and bake another 10 to 15 minutes until done to your liking. (You want the top and the edges to get crispy while the center stays soft and meaty).
• Toss the spaghetti with the roasted tomato sauce and serve topped with a heavy serving of the tofu sausage bits and garnished with basil and extra red chili flakes.
  1 lb thin spaghetti, fresh basil leaves for garnish

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 759kcal | Carbohydrates: 106g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Sodium: 1344mg | Potassium: 1023mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1257IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 5mg

Course: Main Course, pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: roasted tomato pasta, vegan Italian sausage

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 759kcal

Author: Florentina