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    Creamy Rigatoni with Roasted Cauliflower

    March 3, 2020 By Rene 12 Comments

    This Creamy Rigatoni with Roasted Cauliflower is made with a simple and delicious vegan cream sauce, plenty of fresh herbs, & crispy roasted cauliflower.

    Jump to Recipe
    This Creamy Vegan Rigatoni with Roasted Cauliflower is made with a simple and delicious cream sauce, plenty of fresh herbs, and crispy roasted cauliflower. A tasty vegan dinner that is a crowd pleaser | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganpasta #vegandinner

    Pasta night just got a whole lot tastier. This pasta is layered with flavors, perfectly creamy and has plenty of crunch from the bread crumb topping and crispy cauliflower. It is seriously addicting and perfect when you want comfort food that is slightly lightened up.

    Jump to:
    • How to Make Roasted Cauliflower
    • How to Make Creamy Sauce
    • How to Serve
    • NEED SOME MORE PASTA INSPO?
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    How to Make Roasted Cauliflower

    The roasted cauliflower in this recipe is one of my favorite things, like, ever. You could put this cauliflower on salads, in bowls, or just eat it straight off the baking sheet. It is seriously that good and super simple to make.

    All you need is olive oil, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt & pepper. Add everything to a baking sheet and toss to coat. Roast for 30 minutes, or until crispy, flipping halfway.

    This Creamy Vegan Rigatoni with Roasted Cauliflower is made with a simple and delicious cream sauce, plenty of fresh herbs, and crispy roasted cauliflower. A tasty vegan dinner that is a crowd pleaser | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganpasta #vegandinner

    How to Make Creamy Sauce

    While your cauliflower is roasting, you can cook up the pasta and make the sauce. The sauce is a classic white sauce filled with plenty of fresh herbs, vegan parmesan, vegan cream cheese and vegan chicken broth. Just cook everything down in a stock pot and stir until creamy. Add in the pasta and taste to adjust seasonings.

    TSV TIP: I used Kite Hill Chive Cream Cheese. You could use one with a flavor or a plain cream cheese.

    This Creamy Vegan Rigatoni with Roasted Cauliflower is made with a simple and delicious cream sauce, plenty of fresh herbs, and crispy roasted cauliflower. A tasty vegan dinner that is a crowd pleaser | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganpasta #vegandinner
    This Creamy Vegan Rigatoni with Roasted Cauliflower is made with a simple and delicious cream sauce, plenty of fresh herbs, and crispy roasted cauliflower. A tasty vegan dinner that is a crowd pleaser | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganpasta #vegandinner

    How to Serve

    To finish off the pasta and give it even more flavor we are going to whip up a quick bread crumb topping. Combine bread crumbs, olive oil and garlic powder on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until perfectly browned.

    To assemble, layer bowls of pasta with bread crumbs, parsley and cauliflower and dig in. You are going to absolutely LOVE this pasta - it is a crowd pleaser that everyone will ask for again and again.

    This Creamy Vegan Rigatoni with Roasted Cauliflower is made with a simple and delicious cream sauce, plenty of fresh herbs, and crispy roasted cauliflower. A tasty vegan dinner that is a crowd pleaser | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganpasta #vegandinner

    NEED SOME MORE PASTA INSPO?

    • Spicy Sausage Pesto Pasta
    • Cauliflower Alfredo with Broccolini
    • Jalapeño Popper Mac and Cheese

    📖 Recipe

    This Creamy Vegan Rigatoni with Roasted Cauliflower is made with a simple and delicious cream sauce, plenty of fresh herbs, and crispy roasted cauliflower. A tasty vegan dinner that is a crowd pleaser | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganpasta #vegandinner
    Print Pin
    5 from 6 votes

    Creamy Rigatoni with Roasted Cauliflower

    This Creamy Rigatoni with Roasted Cauliflower is made with a simple and delicious cream sauce, plenty of fresh herbs, and crispy roasted cauliflower. A tasty vegan dinner that is a crowd pleaser!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American, Italian
    Keyword pasta
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour
    Servings 4 large servings
    Calories 669kcal

    Ingredients

    FOR THE CAULIFLOWER

    • 1 head cauliflower cut in florets
    • 3 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
    • ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
    • salt & pepper

    FOR THE BREAD CRUMBS

    • ¼ cup bread crumbs
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

    FOR THE PASTA & SAUCE

    • ¾ lb rigatoni
    • 2 tablespoon vegan butter
    • 1 shallot diced
    • 2 cloves garlic diced
    • 1 sprig fresh rosemary diced
    • 12 oz non-dairy milk unsweetened, I used soy
    • 1 cup broth I used vegan chicken broth*
    • 2 tablespoon flour
    • ¼ cup vegan parmesan
    • 2 tablespoon vegan cream cheese I used chive cream cheese
    • 2 tablespoon fresh basil diced
    • 2 tablespoon fresh parsley diced, plus more for topping
    • ½ lemon juiced
    • red pepper flakes optional

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Add the cauliflower ingredients to the baking sheet and toss to coat evenly. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway and cooking until crispy.
    • Add the bread crumb ingredients to another baking sheet and toss to combine. Place in the oven with the cauliflower and cook until browned (2-3 minutes). Remove from the oven and transfer to a bowl.
    • While the cauliflower is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt to the water before adding the pasta. Cook the pasta according to package instructions and drain.
    • Place the empty pot back on the stove over medium heat. Add the butter, garlic, shallot, a pinch of salt & pepper and the rosemary to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes. Add the milk, broth and flour. Whisk until smooth and bring to a boil.
    • Lower heat and add parmesan and cream cheese. Whisk until smooth and allow to cook until slightly thickened. Turn the heat off.
    • Add the basil, parsley and lemon juice to the sauce and stir to combine. Add the pasta and toss until coated.
    • Serve pasta with the garlic bread crumbs, cauliflower, additional parsley and red pepper flakes.

    Video

    Notes

    *You can get this at Whole Foods or online, here.
    **This pasta is best served right away and doesn't make the best leftovers - the pasta will continue to absorb the sauce as it sits in the fridge. I would recommend cutting the recipe in half if you don't plan on eating this all at once.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 669kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 315mg | Potassium: 875mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Iron: 4mg

    This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Please know I would never link a product unless I have personally used it and loved it!

    If you make this recipe be sure to snap a photo + post it + and tag #thissavoryvegan and  @thissavoryvegan!

    This Creamy Vegan Rigatoni with Roasted Cauliflower is made with a simple and delicious cream sauce, plenty of fresh herbs, and crispy roasted cauliflower. A tasty vegan dinner that is a crowd pleaser | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganpasta #vegandinner
    « Vegan Baked Tacos with Chipotle Ranch
    Weekly Vegan Dinner Plan #94 »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Tassja Selkirk

      February 24, 2022 at 1:48 pm

      5 stars
      This is EXTREMELY tasty. emphasis on EXTREMELY !

      Reply
      • Rene

        March 02, 2022 at 8:56 am

        Hahaha - thanks so much Tassja!

        Reply
    2. Kate

      July 14, 2020 at 5:36 pm

      5 stars
      Every meal I make from your site is amaaaaazing and this was no exception.

      Reply
      • Rene

        July 15, 2020 at 7:59 am

        Thank you so much Kate! So glad you found another favorite!

        Reply
    3. GHR

      March 11, 2020 at 2:17 pm

      5 stars
      Beautiful dish and very satisfying. Didn't have the vegan parm cheese, but it still came out amazing! What I'm most in love with is the Paprika Cauliflower

      Reply
      • Rene

        March 12, 2020 at 5:16 pm

        I agree! I have been making the cauliflower for all kinds of dishes. It is my new fave! So glad you liked it!

        Reply
    4. Mardy

      March 10, 2020 at 10:39 am

      5 stars
      I’m embarrassed to say my husband and I ate the entire pot in one sitting! This is definitely going to be in our rotation, thank you so much!

      Reply
      • Rene

        March 10, 2020 at 10:51 am

        Haha - no shame in that! So glad you guys liked it 🙂

        Reply
    5. Sherry

      March 07, 2020 at 5:39 pm

      Delicious!
      My husband says this is definitely a repeat and he would order it in a restaurant!!

      Reply
      • Rene

        March 09, 2020 at 11:34 am

        Woo who! So glad it was hubby approved 🙂

        Reply
    6. Tammy

      March 06, 2020 at 2:28 pm

      5 stars
      This is so. freakin'. GOOD! Seriously! I made it the DAY it came out because I had everything on hand. Well, except I used penne for the pasta. Amazing, just amazing! It wasn't too bad the next day for lunch ~ had to add a bit of dairy free milk to thin out the sauce (I suppose a bit of vegan butter would work too). This is a keeper. Super filling and rich tasting (without being heavy), with a side salad!

      Reply
      • Rene

        March 06, 2020 at 6:38 pm

        So glad you liked it! I am obsessed with it too 🙂

        Reply

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    I’m Rene! So-cal native, dog mom and lover of all things spicy. Learn more.

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