Have you ever just dreamed up a recipe in your mind only to make it and be completely blown away?! Enter this vegan creamy pasta sauce, because yes, dreams really do come true. For this recipe I wanted to use up the last of the local (in-season) tomatoes from Ontario. I wanted to create something that was not only delicious, but also dairy-free. The roasted tomatoes in this recipe truly make it taste so much better and even though this recipe takes a bit longer to make, it's worth it. 

Roasting Tomatoes Changes Everything!

I think that whenever you roast anything, it makes it tase a million times better, yes? Well, that is no different than with this recipe, because roasted tomatoes are actual life goals. I managed to score some local, in-season Ontario grown organic San Marzano tomatoes and I was so excited. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them when I got them, make this vegan creamy pasta sauce, duh!

Intuitive Eating and Food Intolerance:

As you may know, I am a big advocate for intuitive eating. One of the questions I get from women just starting to go through the IE journey and heal their relationship to food is about food intolerances. They worry that because they avoid certain foods for health reasons that they aren't being true to their body and are doing IE wrong. This couldn't be further from the case. If you avoid certain foods because they don't make you feel good, or you find they make you break out or whatever, it is totally normal and OK to not eat them. That is the very definition of listening to your body and its needs. 

If Fear is at The Root of The Issue

If on the other hand, you are avoiding gluten or dairy (or anything else) because you are scared to eat them, that can be an issue. The reasons behind the fear (and the intention) are really what is most important. If you are scared to eat the food because you fear you will gain weight or you can't be trusted around it (for fear of a lack of control) then this indicates that there is still work to do with your relationship to food. 

My Own Personal Issues With Food

For example, when I was in the midst of my orthorexic days, I feared certain foods would not only make me gain weight, but I thought they would physically harm me. I feared that I would get cancer from them, even only eating just a bit. I was consumed by food labels and forgot that food should indeed still be a pleasurable experience. Food is to be enjoyed and it is also meant to nourish at the same time. I had lost that and thought that food was the be all and end all of my existence. My self worth was tied to what was on my plate and I judged myself and others for their eating choices. I didn't have an intolerance to dairy, but believed I was made better for abstaining from it. Morality was the factor here, not my actual preferences or needs. 

Vegan Creamy Pasta Sauce: 

As I alluded to at the beginning of this post, it does take a little while to make because of the roasting. But trust me, its SOOOO worth it. The roasting brings out all the flavour and also all the lycopene. Yes, its true the lycopene from tomatoes is increased once the tomatoes are cooked. So think of that when you are waiting for them to be cooked. In essence, you are doing it for your health ;) 

Don't Forget the Roasted Garlic

The addition of the roasted garlic and soaked cashews make this vegan creamy pasta sauce even better. Plus, the roasted garlic is done while you're roasting the tomatoes so there are no extra steps there. You can make this ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for a few days before using it. Or keep it as part of your meal prep. And don't stop at just pasta sauce, because  you are going to want to spread it on everything. I won't judge you one bit, even if you end up just licking it off the spoon. 

Looking for another garlic pasta recipe? Check out this easy 20 minute garlic lemon pasta!

What Type of Tomatoes to Use in This vegan creamy pasta sauce

By using only two cups of tomatoes, you will have some left over, thats great! Just throw them in with your pasta, or eat them off the tray, either way they are delicious. If you can't find San Marzano tomatoes, use another kind, like Roma. The best tomatoes to use are ones that are local and in-season in  my opinion.  

Alright, lets get to the good stuff!

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Please let me know if you try my vegan creamy pasta sauce by tagging me on Instagram and comment below how you liked it!