This easy vegan salsa pasta with tender roasted zucchini is seriously delicious and completely vegan. Amazing ready in under 25-minutes, chewy pasta, blistered juicy tomatoes, and a creamy spicy vegan salsa sauce, all topped with fresh basil. Yum.

This easy vegan salsa pasta with roasted zucchini and tomatoes is incredibly simple to make and so so tasty. Think spicy, juicy salsa pasta sauce clinging to tender chewy pasta. It’s creamy, savory, rich, and doesn’t require a lot of complicated ingredients.

Top 8 great things about this easy vegan shortcut salsa pasta with roasted zucchini and tomatoes recipe

Easy to make
Super simple ingredients
Ready in under 25 minutes
Delicious chewy pasta and spicy creamy sauce
Meal prep friendly – can be made in advance and reheated in the oven
A family favorite pasta recipe
Vegan
Can be gluten-free

Shortcut salsa pasta recipe

I call this my shortcut salsa pasta because I usually make it when I have leftover homemade salsa dip. But you can also use store-bought salsa dip for a super easy quick cooking hack. Either way, it’s going to taste amazing.

It makes it a quick, ready in fifteen minutes salsa pasta.

How to make easy 5-minutes homemade vegan salsa dip in a blender

You don’t need a lot of ingredients for this easy salsa dip. All you need is:

Prep 5 minutes

Makes 4 cups

2 14oz cans diced tomatoes
1 medium red onion, cut into quarters
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch fresh basil or cilantro
1 fresh jalapeño, seeds removed and roughly chopped
Juice from 1/2 lemon or lime
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp sea salt to taste

Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until everything is finely chopped.

You may need to scrape down the mixture a few times to make sure everything is blended.

Scrape everything into a clean container and store in the refrigerator.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use ready-made salsa dip from the grocery store as pasta sauce?

Yes! Any type of salsa sauce or dip will work in this recipe. Just choose the level of spice that best suits you. For me, I always choose mild spicy salsa, but you can use whichever you prefer.

Do I have to use golden zucchini?

No, any type of zucchini will work. I make this pasta with regular zucchini whenever I don’t have golden zucchini in my home. Both work equally well.

Can I add other vegetables to pasta?

Absolutely. You can add as many vegetables as you like. Just roast them in the oven with the tomatoes and zucchini.

Is it okay to substitute the zucchini with other vegetables?

Of course. You can use almost any type of vegetable that can be roasted in the oven. Other great vegetables you can use in pasta is:

Eggplants
Any type of squash
Pumpkin
Peppers
Mushrooms

What kind of pasta is best?

There’s no right or wrong pasta to use in this easy salsa pasta recipe. You can use pasta screws, rigatoni, penne, and even linguine. Anything goes.

How to make pasta gluten-free?

You can buy gluten-free pasta made from lentils, beans, and even rice pasta. There’s plenty of delicious gluten-free pasta options at the grocery store.

How can I add plant-based protein to pasta?

You can add extra protein in several ways. One easy way is to substitute regular pasta with lentil pasta which is full of plant-based protein. Another option is to add chickpeas or black beans to the dish. They go deliciously with the savory salsa sauce and add extra vitamins.