Dairy Free Chicken Sausage and Broccoli Pasta – 30 Minutes!

This dairy free chicken sausage and broccoli pasta is an easy dinner recipe idea made with a cashew cream sauce and lots of green veggies! Super flavorful and ready in about 30 minutes.

The best dairy free chicken sausage pasta

Keeping a package or two of chicken sausage in the refrigerator is one of my favorite ways to make sure we get a complete meal on the table even on busy nights.

And this chicken sausage pasta has been a true weeknight star recently! Made with gluten free pasta, a super creamy dairy free cashew cream sauce that is reminiscent of Alfredo sauce (YUM), and lots of veggies!

We love broccoli and baby spinach but you could substitute those with whatever you have on hand. I have some recommendations below if you need some inspiration.

Dairy free pastas are a specialty around here, and I’m so excited for you to try this one. Some other NK favorites are this Creamy Tomato Sausage Pasta, Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta and Vegan Vodka Pasta.

Why you’ll love this dairy free pasta

It is:

• Creamy
• Comforting
• Filling
• Easy to make
• Flavorful (lots of garlic!)
• Reminiscent of Alfredo pasta
• Dairy free and gluten free
• Family friendly
• Great for leftovers
• SO delicious!

Ingredients and substitutions

The ingredients for this easy pasta recipe are super simple, but there are a few substitutions you may want to make based on what you have on hand.

Here’s what you need

• Raw cashews – Raw cashews are what you’ll use instead of cream or heavy cream in this recipe. When blended with water they transform into the most delicate, creamy sauce that is the perfect dairy free substitute.
• Gluten free pasta – I used fusilli pasta for this recipe, but feel free to use whatever kind you like. Spaghetti, rigatoni, penne, or fettuccini would all be delicious!
• Broccoli – The broccoli florets are cooked with the pasta during the last few minutes of cooking time which keeps this recipe super simple. You could easily swap the broccoli for peas, kale, or green beans.
• Olive oil – Olive oil is used to sauté the chicken sausage, garlic, and chili flakes. You could also use avocado oil or ghee.
• Spices – Onion powder and garlic powder are used to get the most flavor out of the creamy cashew cream sauce.
• Chicken sausage – Feel free to use whatever type of fully cooked chicken sausage you like. Italian, sweet Italian, chicken and apple, and roasted red pepper would all be great options.
• Chili flakes – Chili flakes are added to the chicken sausage for a bit of heat. If don’t want the pasta to be spicy leave them out.
• Garlic – Lots of chopped garlic helps up the savory flavor.
• Chicken broth – Chicken broth or veggie broth can both be used to blend the cashew cream sauce. If you have neither water can be used instead.
• Nutritional yeast – Since we’re making this recipe without cheese, nutritional yeast stands in for that same “cheesy” umami rich layer of flavor.
• Baby spinach – Baby spinach is added right add the end to gently wilt.
• Parsley and dairy free parmesan – Optional, but dairy free parmesan and chopped parsley add a special touch to the finished pasta dish. The dairy free parmesan I used in these pictures is by Violife and it shreds just like the real thing. Or try this homemade dairy free parmesan!

Can you use raw ground chicken sausage instead of fully cooked chicken sausages?

Yep! You totally can.

If using raw chicken sausage you’ll want to remove it from the casing, break it into pieces, and brown in the skillet until cooked through before adding the garlic and chili flakes.

How to make this chicken sausage pasta spicy

There’s already some chili flakes in the recipe, but to make it more spicy simply up the amount or add a little bit of cayenne powder to the cashew cream sauce.

How to make

This easy pasta recipe is made with just one skillet and a fool proof sauce that comes together in your blender!

Here’s the step-by-step

• Soak the cashews. Before you start cooking – in a heat proof bowl, cover raw cashews with just boiled water to soak.
• Cook the pasta and broccoli. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta until underdone by about 3 minutes – it will continue to cook with the sauce later in the recipe. Two minutes before draining the pasta add the broccoli florets.
• Cook chicken sausage. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add sliced chicken sausages in a single layer and cook until nicely caramelized. Flip and cook on the other side.
• Add garlic and a big pinch of chili flakes, and cook another minute, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn.
• Make cashew cream sauce. Drain soaked cashews and add to the blender with broth, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Blend on high for at least a minute – until entirely smooth and creamy.
• Combine all pasta ingredients in skillet. Return skillet to the stove top and add the cooked pasta and broccoli along with the cashew sauce and a few big handfuls of baby spinach. Warm pasta, tossing occasionally, until heated through and spinach is wilted.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with dairy free parmesan and parsley if desired and serve!

How to make a vegan version of this pasta

This pasta can easily be made vegan / vegetarian with 2 simple swaps.

• You can leave out the chicken sausage all together or replace it with a vegan sausage option.
• Use veggie broth or water instead of chicken broth to make the cashew cream sauce.

Storage and re-heating

Refrigerator: This pasta will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days in a sealed container.

Freezing: I would not recommend freezing this pasta. I haven’t tried but I think that the texture of the pasta and sauce would not hold up well when thawed.

To re-heat: The cashew cream sauce will thicken as it sits in the refrigerator. To re-heat, warm the pasta on low in a skillet or the microwave, and add water to the sauce a little bit at a time, stirring in between, until desired consistency is reached. Re-season with salt if needed.

If you enjoyed this recipe, we’d love it if you would take 5 seconds to rate and review it below! It’s also super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe. 

Thank you for sharing your kitchen with NK. We’re so grateful you’re here!

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