May 18, 2022 by Monica - 45 Comments

Silken Tofu Pasta Sauce

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

This silken tofu pasta sauce is a quick and easy way to make a creamy vegan alfredo from tofu. It's rich, creamy, and delicious plus it's packed with protein! You can whip up this vegan cream sauce in about 15 minutes with just a few basic ingredients. This is the creamy vegan pasta sauce that you have been looking for!

A plate full of pasta with a creamy silken tofu pasta sauce.

Jump to:

❤️ Why make this recipe
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
🔪 Helpful tools
🥄 Instructions
👩🏻‍🍳 Pro tips
❓ Frequently asked questions?
🥡 Storage and reheating
🌟 More easy vegan pasta sauces

❤️ Why make this recipe

I use this silken tofu pasta sauce when I want a quick and easy vegan alfredo-style sauce that has a neutral taste. This kid-friendly sauce is a great way to get extra protein into picky eaters too.

🧾 Ingredients and substitutions

Silken Tofu - this is the very soft tofu that comes in a shelf-stable box. (I usually use firm or extra firm silken tofu.) You can also use soft tofu instead of silken tofu.
Onion - for flavor. You can use 1 teaspoon of onion powder instead, but I highly recommend that you use fresh onion.
Garlic - for flavor. You can use 1 teaspoon garlic powder instead.
Olive Oil - to fry the onion and garlic. You can use any other oil that you want to use like canola oil, avocado oil, or coconut oil. You can use 1/4 cup of vegetable broth instead to make it oil-free.
Lemon Juice - for a balance of flavors. You can omit it if you choose.
Nutritional Yeast - for a slightly cheesy umami flavor. You can omit it if you want or use a teaspoon of soy sauce instead for an umami flavor.
Salt - for flavor
Pepper - for flavor. I like a lot of fresh ground black pepper and some red pepper flakes to give it a little spice.
Pasta Water - use some of the starchy pasta water to thin out the sauce. (You could also use veggie broth if you choose.)
Pasta - pour this tofu pasta sauce over any type of pasta that you want. See my guide to vegan pasta brands. Use gluten-free pasta to make the dish gluten-free.)

A pan of silken tofu pasta sauce mixed with pasta.

🔪 Helpful tools

Blender - you will need a blender, immersion blender, or food processor to blend up the tofu, onions, and spices.

🥄 Instructions

Cook your pasta of choice according to package directions. (Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water.)
While your pasta is cooking, peel and dice an onion and mince 3 cloves of garlic. Then saute them over low heat in 3 tablespoons of olive oil with a sprinkle of salt until they turn translucent.
Cut open the package of silken tofu and drain off any excess water then add the tofu to the blender. (There is no need to press silken tofu.) Then add the sauteed onion and garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
Add 1 cup of the starchy pasta water to the blender and blend until smooth. Add an additional 1/2 cup of the pasta water and blend again until very smooth.

A collage of 4 images showing sauting onion and garlic then adding it to silken tofu and blendin it to make a creamy pasta sauce.

Pour the tofu cream sauce back into the frying pan used to saute the onions and warm it over low heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Toss in the cooked drained pasta and stir to coat the pasta in the sauce and serve hot.

A collage of two images showing mixing cooked pasta in with silken tofu pasta sauce.

👩🏻‍🍳 Pro tips

Saute the onion and garlic over low heat to bring out the sweetness of the onion and to ensure you don't burn them.
The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools, so you want it to be fairly thin when it's hot.

A close up of a plate of tofu cream sauce over pasta and sprinkled with fresh parsley.

❓ Frequently asked questions?

What is silken tofu?

Silken tofu is a very soft smooth tofu that is shelf-stable and doesn't need to be refrigerated. It is packed in a small amount of liquid that should be drained off. Silken tofu should not be pressed. You will just crush the tofu if you try to press it, and no extra liquid will come off of it anyway.

Can I use soft tofu instead of silken tofu?

For this tofu cream sauce, you can swap out the silken tofu for refrigerated soft tofu. This may not work for all recipes.

What else can I make with silken tofu?

I use silken tofu to make vegan sour cream, chocolate cream pie, and silken tofu scrambles.

🥡 Storage and reheating

Refrigerate: This silken tofu pasta sauce will keep well in the fridge for 3 - 5 days in an airtight container.

Freeze: I don't recommend freezing the tofu pasta sauce since tofu becomes grainy in the freezer.

Reheating: Reheat the pasta in the microwave for about 3 minutes or add a few tablespoons of water and reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop.

Silken tofu pasta sauce over pasta with tomatoes and a red tea towel behind it.

🌟 More easy vegan pasta sauces

📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!

5 from 26 votes

Print Recipe