Creamy Leek Pasta With Butter Beans (Vegan)
This comforting leek pasta with butter beans is covered in a rich creamy sauce. The sweet cashew nut sauce balances the subtle spiciness of leeks, creating a perfectly balanced and delicious bowl of pasta.
A few things can top the comfort of eating creamy pasta with a spoon. The next best thing to eating it is that it only takes 30 minutes to make it. Make it yours by choosing your favorite pasta for creamy sauces.
The creamy cashew nut sauce coats each piece of pasta, leek, and butter beans, which feels just luxurious in the mouth. The tender butter beans add a satisfying bite. Their earthiness complements the freshness of leeks. With every spoonful, the combination of creamy sauce, earthy leeks, and hearty beans creates a harmonious blend of tastes and textures.
This high protein vegan pasta recipe is ideal for post-workout sessions, boasting an impressive 36 proteins per serving. If you love high protein pasta recipes, see Quick High protein vegan pasta (15 minutes).
Table of Contents
Why you’ll love this leek pasta recipe
- Quick and easy – Once the nuts have been soaked, this recipe comes together in under 30 minutes. It’s easy to make as well, as the only thing that needs chopping is the leeks.
- Plant-based – Using a cashew nut-based cream, this is a fully vegan recipe.
- Store in the fridge – This will keep well in the fridge for up to four days. Simply add a few tablespoons of water and reheat in a pan, until sizzling.
- Your favorite pasta – Everyone has their favorite shape of pasta and you can make this recipe hit the spot for you by choosing your favorite.
Ingredients
- Pasta – We opted for small pasta just so we can fit all the dish components in one spoonful.
- Butter beans – Creamy, buttery, and chunky, these are some of the most delicious types of beans. They are also a healthy choice of protein – read more. We love cooking with butter beans, if you need more recipe inspirations, see our Vegan Aubergine Schnitzel, Easy Vegan orzo pasta (with cherry tomatoes and butter beans), and Curried Butter Beans (Vegan).
- Leeks – Often considered as a milder version of an onion, leeks add depth and richness to the dish.
- Cashew nuts – Soaked cashews create a creamy, nutty sauce that coats the vegetables, adding richness and a touch of indulgence. We often use it for pasta sauces, like this delicious creamy The best Vegan Cacio E Pepe.
- Garlic and onion powder – These flavor powerhouses enhance the savory profile of the dish.
- Dijon mustard – Adds a subtle kick to the sauce, which will complement the slight spiciness of leeks.
- Nutritional yeast – Often used as a cheese replacement in plant-based cuisine, nutritional yeast will add rich umami flavor to the pasta sauce.
- Water – Thin out the cashew sauce.
Recipe variations
- A different legume – This leeks pasta recipe would be equally tasty with a different legume, such as chickpeas or cannellini beans.
- Scratch the cashews and save time – Store-bought cream can be used instead of making cream from scratch. Season as instructed in the recipe for the cashew cream.
- Replace the leeks – Since the flavors of the creamy sauce and beans are fairly mild, the leeks can be replaced, or complemented by other vegetables: broccoli or peppers would be particularly delicious.
How to make the creamy leek pasta
Leeks
Leeks are often sold whole, but the tough dark green part is usually not used for cooking. However, the dark green parts of leeks are perfect for making stocks. To clean leeks, remove the top portion where the leaves turn dark green, as well as the bottom where the root is. The top layers may contain soil, which can be washed out by running the entire leek under water.
Cut cleaned leeks in half a cm wide rings. Thicker leeks are easier to handle if first cut it length-wise. Heat a large pan to medium-high heat and melt a tablespoon of butter (we are using vegan). Add the sliced leeks to the pan, salt them, and saute them for 15 minutes. The aim is to soften the leeks, not to caramelize them. The best way to achieve this is to add two tablespoons of water to the pan and cook covered. This way, the steam will not stay trapped in the pan and moisturize the leeks. If the water evaporates, add more.
The leeks are done when they are tender but still holding their shape. At this point, add the drained butter beans, warm them up, and set aside.
Pasta
While the leeks are sauteing, cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt generously – it should be as salty as seawater. Cook the pasta to your preferred firmness, drain, and set aside.
Cashew nut sauce
As the leeks are sauteing, make the cashew nut sauce by blending all ingredients for 2 – 3 minutes until it is completely blended and creamy. This will result in a creamy leeks pasta. Cutting this step short will result in a grainy pasta sauce that won’t give the same satisfaction.
Once done, add to the pan with leeks and beans to warm up. Do not keep on heat for more than a minute or two because it might become too thick. If this is the case, add a tablespoon of water.
Serve and enjoy! We like serving it in a bowl or a deep plate and eating it with a spoon.
More leeks and butter beans recipes
If you love this recipe, you’ll enjoy this Creamy cabbage and leeks. Also, have a look at these delicious butter beans recipes:
Creamy leek pasta with butter beans (Vegan)
Equipment
- 1 Blender
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 pot
- 1 Knife
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Pot lid
Ingredients
Leeks and beans
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 250 grams leeks (weighted cleaned)
- 240 grams butter beans 1 small can, drained
Cashew sauce
- 100 grams cashew nuts
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 200 ml water
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried onion
- 1/2 teaspoon dried garlic
Pasta
- 120 grams pasta
- 2 tablespoons salt
Instructions
Leeks
- Leeks are often sold whole, but the tough dark green part is usually not used for cooking. However, the dark green parts of leeks are perfect for making stocks. To clean leeks, remove the top portion where the leaves turn dark green, as well as the bottom where the root is. The top layers may contain soil, which can be washed out by running the entire leek under water.
- Cut cleaned leeks in half a cm wide rings. Thicker leeks are easier to handle if first cut it length-wise.
- Heat a large pan to medium-high heat and melt a tablespoon of butter (we are using vegan). Add the sliced leeks to the pan, salt them, and saute them for 15 minutes. The aim is to soften the leeks, not to caramelize them. The best way to achieve this is to add two tablespoons of water to the pan and cook covered. This way, the steam will not stay trapped in the pan and moisturize the leeks. If the water evaporates, add more.
- The leeks are done when they are tender, but still holding their shape. At this point add the drained butter beans, warm them up, and set aside.
Pasta
- While the leeks are sauteing, cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt generously – it should be as salty as seawater. Cook the pasta to your preferred firmness, drain, and set aside.
Cashew nut sauce
- As the leeks are sauteing, make the cashew nut sauce by blending cashews, water, dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic and onion powder, for 2 – 3 minutes until it is completely blended and creamy. This will result in a creamy leeks pasta. Cutting this step short will result in a grainy pasta sauce that won't give the same satisfaction.
- Once done, add to the pan with leeks and beans to warm up. Do not keep on heat for more than a minute or two because it might become too thick. If this is the case, add a tablespoon of water.
- Serve and enjoy. We like serving it in a bowl or a deep plate and eating with a spoon.
I had so much fun creating this recipe and sharing it with you! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you do, I’d love to hear your thoughts – please leave a comment and a star rating to let me know how it turned out! Your feedback not only makes my day but also helps other readers decide if they want to make it too. Happy cooking!