This creamy vegan Pumpkin Pasta is so easy and perfect for fall especially on busy weeknights. Pick your favorite pasta, toss it with my dairy-free pumpkin sage sauce and you have a healthy and satisfying autumn meal ready in minutes.
There's nothing easier (and better) than pasta. Right?
If you tried my Vegan Bell Pepper Pasta, this creamy pumpkin pasta has the similar idea.
You cook whichever pasta you have in your pantry, make a quick sauce and voila. Lunch or dinner is ready. My kids (and me), could eat this every day.
My easy pasta recipe made with vegan pumpkin pasta sauce is exactly what you need to prepare this fall. It's delicious, creamy and can be customised depending on what ingredients you have.
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Here's Why This Recipe Works
- it's made with just 8 ingredients and ready in under 30 minutes;
- no need to make your own pumpkin puree. The recipe uses canned pumpkin puree which makes the whole process easy-peasy;
- this vegan pumpkin sage pasta is healthy and great for children and adults alike
Ingredients
Here's an overview of the specific ingredients for this recipe. For the exact ingredients and measurements, please scroll to the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes
- pasta - pick any pasta that you have. If you use Farfalle like I did, cook them a little longer than spaghetti or penne for example. Farfalle has a thicker part in the middle of the "bow tie" and it cooks slightly longer than other pasta. You can also use gluten free pasta
- sage - if you don't have fresh sage, you can use dried sage or dried thyme
- plant-based milk - In this vegan pumpkin pasta I like to use neutral flavored milk, like almond milk or oat milk. Canned coconut milk has a rich flavor. However, you can use it too. I would suggest mixing it with other plant milk. That way the sauce will be rich and creamy without a coconut flavor. I also suggest buying plant milk that doesn't have any additional ingredients like oils or sugar. See my Vegan Grocery List for specific recommendations.
Instructions
1. Start off with cooking your pasta. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add salt and add pasta. I used bow ties. Cook pasta for 7-10 minutes or until it's fully cooked.
2. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts. You can either do it in a dry skillet or in a baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place pine nuts in a baking dish and toast them for 7-10 minutes until slightly golden brown.
Remove from the oven and set aside.
3. While you toast your pine nuts, it's time to make the pumpkin pasta sauce. Heat olive oil in a large pan and over medium heat. Add onion and sauté stirring occasionally for 7-10 minutes until the onion is translucent.
Add garlic and sauté for 30 more seconds.
4. Next, reduce the heat to low and add fresh sage, vegetable broth, canned pumpkin purée and plant-based milk. Simmer the pumpkin alfredo sauce for 7 minutes. Add salt, pepper and remove sauce from the heat.
5. Drain cooked pasta and add it into the pumpkin sage sauce. Toss to combine.
6. Arrange pumpkin pasta among the bowls, sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and serve.
Cook's Tip
When you drain your pasta, save some of the pasta cooking water. You can use it for thinning out the pumpkin sage sauce.
Also, make sure to season the pumpkin alfredo sauce really well. You don't want it to be too sweet, that's why start with the proposed amount of salt and then add more as per your liking.
To boost the nutrients in this vegan pumpkin pasta recipe, you can sprinkle already cooked pasta with some nutritional yeast. It's a wonderful alternative to vegan parmesan "cheese" and also a great source of B vitamins.
Frequently Asked Questions
It's up to you. Most recommendations state to cook pasta "al dente". However if you don't like your pasta to be slightly undercooked, go ahead and cook it until it's soft but not falling apart.
Yes, dried ground sage is fine. However, you need to use lesser amount of it. About â…“ teaspoon should be enough.
Absolutely. Butternut squash makes a wonderful and healthy alternative to pumpkin puree. So if you have cooked butternut squash puree, use it instead of the pumpkin puree.
Serving Suggestions
This humble pumpkin pasta is delicious and nutritious. It's wonderful as a stand alone meal for lunch or family dinner. If you want to pair with a salad, I recommend my Broccoli Mushroom Salad or Cauliflower Radish Salad.
Storing and Reheating
Pasta tossed in a dairy-free pumpkin sauce will keep for 1-2 days in the refrigerator. For the best results, I recommend freezing the sauce.
Luckily, this pumpkin pasta sauce freezes well. Make a big batch of it, distribute among freezer-friendly bags and store in a freezer for 2-3 months.
When you ready to serve, simmer the sauce in a small or medium pot and over a medium heat. You can add a few tablespoons of plant-based milk to reach the desired consistency. Add freshly cooked pasta and dinner is ready.
If you're looking for a quick overview of the recipe, please check out my Pumpkin Pasta web-story.
Similar Recipes
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Recipe
Best Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta I used bow ties. You can use gluten-free pasta
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage
- 1 ½ c pumpkin puree I used canned pumpkin, make sure it's not pumpkin pie filling
- ½ c vegetable broth
- ½ c plant-based milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
Cook your pasta
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add ½ teaspoon salt and add pasta. Cook pasta for 7-10 minutes or until it's fully cooked.
Toast the pine nuts
Make the pumpkin pasta sauce
- Heat olive oil in a large pan and over medium heat. Add onion and sauté stirring occasionally for 7-10 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add garlic and sauté for 30 more seconds.
Add the rest of the ingredients
- Reduce the heat to low and add fresh sage, vegetable broth, canned pumpkin purée and plant-based milk. Simmer the pasta sauce for 7 minutes. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, pepper and remove sauce from the heat.
Add pasta to the pumpkin sauce
- Drain cooked pasta and add it into the pumpkin sage sauce. Toss to combine.
- Arrange pumpkin pasta among the bowls, sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and serve.
Lauren says
I don't see pine nuts in the recipe.