This savory vegan pumpkin pasta is a fall-inspired cozy meal that you can make tonight for dinner in just 20 minutes! Fresh sage leaves, pumpkin puree, and a creamy coconut base give this pasta a decadent flavor that’s sure to please everyone!
If you think you don’t like pumpkin, let alone combining pumpkin and pasta together, this pumpkin sage pasta recipe is going to change your mind! It’s rich, creamy, and so flavorful. What’s not to love?
My husband has never been a fan of pumpkin-flavored anything, but now he loves pumpkin pasta! When I told him that I was going to make pumpkin pasta for dinner, his smile instantly turned into a look of uncertainty. All it took was one bite for him to change his perception. This recipe converted him to a pumpkin lover and it will do the same for you!
Besides being absolutely delectable, this simple fall-inspired vegan pasta is so easy to make, and it’s ready in only 20 minutes!
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
First, in a large pan, saute a small diced red onion over medium heat until the onions are translucent and all the liquid has been absorbed (Photo 1). While you’re sauteing, boil water in a separate pot and cook the noodles. The noodles should be done cooking around the same time that the sauce is ready.
Next, deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of white wine (I used pinot grigio) and let it cook for a few minutes until most of it has cooked down (Photo 2 & 3).
Add the minced garlic, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, nutritional yeast, fresh sage, a pinch of cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Stir and let the flavors meld (Photos 4-6).
Add the canned coconut milk and pumpkin puree to the pan and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce cook for about 5 minutes (Photos 7-9).
Lastly, drain the noodles and add them to the pan with the vegan pumpkin sauce. Toss to combine and coat every noodle with the sauce. Garnish the pasta with fresh sage and enjoy!
What Type of Pumpkin Puree Should I Use?
First of all, make sure that you pick up pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, to make this pumpkin sauce recipe. Pumpkin puree should only contain pure pumpkin. Pumpkin pie filling is already seasoned and it usually contains sugar which you don’t need for this sauce.
My first choice for pumpkin puree is this organic pumpkin puree in a carton because it’s organic and there are no additives or preservatives. This canned version is my second choice because the can lining is BPA-free and it’s also organic and contains only pureed pumpkin.
What Type of Noodles Should I Use?
Any noodles would be delicious tossed in this vegan pumpkin pasta sauce but I prefer noodles that have pockets or ridges to catch the sauce. This recipe makes a lot of sauce, so there’s a lot of sauce for the noodles to soak up!
- Gluten-Free Bow Tie Pasta
- Pumpkin Shaped Pasta(These would be perfect for Halloween dinner!)
- Cavatappi
- Elbows
- Orecchiette
- Shells
- Fusilli
- Radiatore
- Penne
How To Serve It
This vegan pumpkin sauce is insanely delicious tossed with your favorite variety of freshly cooked noodles, but this pumpkin sauce is very versatile and it can also be served with the following options:
- Ravioli – You can use store-bought vegan ravioli and drizzle this savory pumpkin sauce over the top for a quick dinner.
- Gnocchi – Toss hot vegan gnocchi in this pumpkin sauce for an incredibly satisfying and easy meal!
- Lasagna – Use this recipe for spinach artichoke vegan lasagna and substitute this pumpkin sauce for the tomato sauce in the recipe. Can you imagine how delicious creamy spinach artichoke dip and savory pumpkin sauce would taste together? Holy yum!
- Vegetable Noodles – If you’re looking to cut carbs, you could serve the pumpkin sauce over spaghetti squash noodles or zoodles (zucchini noodles).
How Long Does It Last In The Refrigerator?
Store the pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Learn more about storing pumpkin puree, here.
Can You Freeze It?
This sauce freezes perfectly! Pour the sauce into a freezer-safe container and freeze it for 2-3 months.
How to Reheat it
From the Fridge: You can reheat the pasta in the microwave or in a pan on the stove top. Add a little bit of water or plant milk to the pasta to help loosen up the sauce if it’s too thick.
From the Freezer: Remove the pasta from the freezer and put it in the fridge to defrost for 24 hours. Then you can reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stove top. If the sauce is thick, you can add a little bit of water or plant milk to thin the sauce.
Ways To Adapt This Recipe
This pasta is delicious just like this, but you could switch it up with these simple variations:
- Add Vegan Meat: You can add sauteed slices of vegan sausage (we like Field Roast apple maple vegan sausage) to the pasta to make it more substantial, it’s a delicious addition!
- Bake it: Make a vegan pumpkin pasta bake by putting the pasta into a casserole dish and top it with buttered bread crumbs and then bake it for 25 minutes at 400 degrees or until the crumbs are golden.
- Add Fresh Greens: Mix in a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves or thinly sliced massaged kale to this pasta right before you serve it for a pop of color. I like to do this as an easy to way get more greens in.
- Add a Little Heat: Make a spicy pumpkin pasta by adding 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper or 2 tbsp of your favorite hot sauce to the vegan pumpkin sauce for a spicy kick!
- Add Roasted Vegetables: Mix roasted broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus, or bell peppers with the vegan pumpkin sauce to add more fiber and to make the meal even more filling.
- Add Plant-Based Protein: You could add fresh or frozen green peas or roasted pumpkin seeds for an extra boost of plant-based protein.
Substitutions & FAQ
- Pumpkin Puree Substitutions: You could also use sweet potato puree or butternut squash puree instead of pumpkin puree.
- Homemade Pumpkin Puree Recipe: If you want to make pumpkin puree from scratch, use this recipe.
- Coconut Milk Substitutions: This vegan pumpkin pasta sauce recipe is made with no cream, butter, parmesan, milk, ricotta, or cream cheese, so I used full-fat canned coconut milk to make it taste rich and creamy. You can use light coconut milk or coconut milk from a carton, but the full-fat canned coconut milk gives the best flavor and richness to this sauce. You can also use unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened cashew milk if you don’t have coconut milk.
- Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free noodles to make this recipe gluten-free.
Success Tips
- Use noodles that will catch the vegan pumpkin sauce in its ridges, like bowtie, orecchiette, cavatappi, or shells.
- Make sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They’re not the same.
- Use fresh sage if possible because it really adds a lot of flavor to this recipe. If you can’t use fresh sage leaves, dried sage will work too. Roughly, 1 tbsp of fresh sage = 1 tsp of dried sage.
- This recipe makes a lot of pumpkin sauce. I like my pasta to be really saucy, so I only made 8oz of pasta to go with it. You can use a 1lb package of pasta but it will be a little bit drier.
- Store leftover pumpkin sauce in an airtight container for 4-5 days or freeze it for a future meal.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes You’ll Love!
Cheesy Vegan Macaroni and Cheese
Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Hummus Pasta
Want more easy vegan recipes? First, read this Step-by-Step Guide to Veganismand then join our vegan Facebook community below!
Savory Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
Equipment
- Large Saute Pan
- Large Pot
Ingredients
- 8 oz gluten-free bow tie noodles
- 2-3 tbsp low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 small red onion diced
- 1/2 cup white wine (I used pinot grigio)
- 4 medium garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp fresh sage roughly chopped
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (more to taste)
- 1/4 tsp himalayan pink sea salt (more to taste)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 16 oz carton pumpkin puree
- 14 oz can full-fat coconut milk
Instructions
- In a large pan, saute a small diced red onion in 2-3 tbsp of low-sodium vegetable broth over medium heat, until translucent and all the liquid has been absorbed.
- While the onions are sauteing, boil water in a separate pot and cook the noodles. The noodles should be done cooking around the same time that the sauce is done cooking.
- Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of white wine (I used pinot grigio) and let it cook for a few minutes until most of it has cooked down.
- Add the minced garlic, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tbsp fresh sage, a pinch of cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir and let the flavors meld for 1 minute.
- Add the canned coconut milk and pumpkin puree to the pan and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce heat up for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Drain the noodles and add them to the pan with the pumpkin pasta sauce. Toss to combine and garnish with roughly chopped fresh sage.
Notes
- Use noodles that will catch the vegan pumpkin sauce in its ridges, like bowtie, orecchiette, cavatappi, or shells.
- Make sure to use pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They're not the same.
- Use fresh sage if possible because it really adds a lot of flavor to this recipe. If you can't use fresh sage leaves, dried sage will work too. Roughly, 1 tbsp of fresh sage = 1 tsp of dried sage.
- This recipe makes a lot of pumpkin sauce. I like my pasta to be really saucy, so I only made 8oz of pasta to go with it. You can use a 1lb package of pasta but it will be a little bit drier.
- Store leftover pumpkin sauce in an airtight container for 4-5 days or freeze it for a future meal.
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