Easy Lemon Pasta Recipe for a Quick Weeknight Dinner

Looking for a vegetarian or vegan pasta dish that's bursting with flavour and easy to make? This lemon pasta with bell peppers and cherry tomatoes recipe is perfect for you!

This lemon pasta with bell peppers and cherry tomatoes is perfect for a light lunch or a quick and easy weeknight dinner. The tangy lemon pasta sauce adds a bright, refreshing flavor to the dish, while the fresh veggies provide a variety of textures and flavours. If you're looking for a pasta salad recipe, simply chill the dish in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving. Give this recipe a try and enjoy a delicious and healthy pasta dish!

The vegan pasta sauce is the best sauce for lemon pasta

But what really makes this recipe for lemon pasta so special is the creamy and tangy tofu ricotta pasta sauce. Made with nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and tofu, this sauce is a vegan-friendly alternative to traditional ricotta cheese, and adds a rich and flavorful element to the dish that really sets it apart.

How To Make Lemon Pasta

Gather Your Ingredients

To make this dish, you'll need the following ingredients:

• 3 bell peppers (1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow)
• 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
• 1 packet penne pasta (200 to 240 grams)

For the Lemon Pasta Sauce, you'll need:

• 2 Lemons (juice and the rind)
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Cracked pepper
• 1.5 cups of ricotta cheese (or vegan ricotta, see my recipe)
• ⅔ cup of parmesan cheese (or vegan parmesan, see blog notes for vegan alternative)

To make the Vegan Parmesan (⅔ cup), blend the following ingredients for 20 seconds:

• 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ½ cup raw cashews
• 2 tablespoons salt

And finally here's the step by step how to make this delicious pasta with lemons: lemon pasta:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. Remove the stems and seeds from the bell peppers and dice them into small pieces.
3. Half the cherry tomatoes.
4. In a large bowl, combine the pasta sauce ingredients (except for the parmesan cheese) and mix until well combined.
5. Add the cooked pasta, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes to the bowl with the pasta sauce and toss until everything is coated in the sauce.
6. Add the parmesan cheese (or vegan parmesan, if desired) and mix until well combined.
7. Serve with a lemon wedge on the side and extra parmesan cheese, if desired.

How to make this lemon zest pasta vegetarian?

To make this lemon pasta recipe vegetarian, simply substitute dairy ricotta cheese and dairy parmesan cheese for the vegan alternatives listed in the recipe. This will give the dish a creamy texture and rich flavor that pairs perfectly with the tangy lemon pasta sauce.

Can I substitute with other vegetables?

This vegan lemon pasta can be made with most vegetables. I often like to make this lemon pasta with broccoli or another one of my favourites is to make the pasta with spinach. You can see one of my favourite vegan pasta recipes with spinach and garlic here. It's seriously one of the best vegan lemon garlic pasta recipes!

Can I substitute the cashews to make this a nut free vegan pasta?

If you need to substitute the cashews in the vegan Parmesan recipe, you could try using almonds or sunflower seeds. Both of these options have a similar texture and mild flavour that can work well as a substitute for cashews. However, keep in mind that the taste and texture of the Parmesan may vary slightly depending on the substitution you use. Also, make sure to adjust the amount of salt used in the recipe to taste, as different nuts and seeds have varying levels of natural saltiness.

More Vegan Pasta Recipes

If you loved this recipe for vegan pasta, you should check out more of my vegan pasta recipes. Vegan pasta dishes are a speciality of mine because they are quick, healthy, delicious and the perfect weeknight dinner recipes!