Pumpkin Pasta Sauce Recipe (Vegan)

A creamy pumpkin pasta sauce is made with a creamy coconut milk sauce, loads of pumpkin purée, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Pair it with your favorite pasta!

It’s no secret I love everything pumpkin, and when fall hits I’m ready to enjoy ALL the vegan pumpkin recipes!

Usually, I opt for recipes on the sweet side, but the great thing about pumpkin is that it is SO versatile and can easily be adapted for both sweet and savory recipes.

This pumpkin pasta sauce is ultra creamy with the addition of coconut milk, and it’s got a bold pumpkin flavor with the addition of one whole can of organic pumpkin purée.

I went a bit farther to really amp up the flavors of autumn and added sage, rosemary, and thyme. The herbs give this sauce a nice depth.

I have to admit that when I served this dish to my kids and husband, they were a bit skeptical, but now it’s become a favorite and one of our go-to vegan meal prep recipes during pumpkin season!

💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A super creamy flavor and luscious sauce without any dairy!
• Simple ingredients you can find in your local grocery store
• Whole food plant-based ingredients
• Big pumpkin flavor!
• Added herbs bring out the flavor of the pumpkin
• Quick and easy sauce to make in under 20 minutes
• Perfect as a main dish for vegans at Thanksgiving
• Serve at your next dinner party for a real show stopper!
• Healthy dish with added fiber from whole wheat pasta, vitamins and nutrients from the pumpkin, and healthy fats from the coconut milk!

🥣 Ingredients and Notes

• Yellow Onion-Finely dice the yellow onion to use as the base of the sauce.
• Garlic-Finely mince the garlic. This will add a nice flavor to the sauce.
• Vegetable Broth-Instead of using oil, vegetable stock is used to sauté the onions and garlic.
• Pumpkin Purée-I used one 15 oz can of pumpkin purée. Make sure you purchase a can of pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. It looks like a lot, but I promise it adds a great flavor without being overwhelming. You can also make your own pumpkin puree by roasting a whole pumpkin. In this case, you will need about 2 cups of pumpkin puree.
• Lite Coconut Milk-The coconut milk adds a creamy texture. I used the lite version to reduce the fat and calories, but feel free to use full-fat coconut milk.
• Sage-Sage is such a wonderful fall flavor with hints of lemon. It is frequently paired with squash, and it works just as nicely with pumpkin.
• Thyme-For more depth of flavor, thyme adds a slightly minty flavor and a dry aroma.
• Rosemary-Rosemary has a nice piney aroma. A little goes a long way, so don’t overdo it with rosemary!
• Salt and Pepper-Add to your preferred taste.
• Your Favorite Pasta-I used whole wheat linguine, but you can use any type of pasta to pair with your sauce.

📋 Pumpkin Pasta Sauce Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Cook until al dente.

Step 2: Finely dice one small yellow onion. Heat skillet to medium heat. Add vegetable stock or olive oil, and onions. Sauté until soft and translucent about 3-5 minutes. Add minced garlic. Sauté an additional minute.

Step 2: Add sage, rosemary, and thyme. Stir to combine, and sauté for an additional minute until fragrant.

Step 3: Add pumpkin puree, and coconut milk. Allow the sauce to come to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken.

Step 4: When the pasta is ready, drain, and add the pasta to the sauce. Toss until the pasta is completely coated in the sauce.

❓ Recipe FAQS

💭 Expert Tips

• To save time use canned pumpkin to reduce the overall time it takes to roast.
• Be sure you buy canned pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling!
• Use light canned coconut milk to reduce fat and calories. The sauce still comes out rich and creamy!
• Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic so that it combines nicely with the creamy sauce.
• The pumpkin pasta sauce will thicken as you allow it to simmer.
• Reserve a ½ cup of pasta water to add to the sauce to help the sauce coat and absorb the sauce.

📖 Variations and Substitutions

Gluten-Free – Use gluten-free pasta in place of whole wheat pasta. Brown rice, lentil, or chickpea pasta would work well with this recipe.

Spicy – If you like a little added heat in your pasta, add ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and serve with red pepper flakes.

Low Carb – Instead of using pasta, serve with spaghetti squash!

Alternative Non-Dairy Milk – While I highly recommend using coconut milk to achieve a creamy sauce in this dish. However, if you do not like the flavor of coconut milk, or have an allergy you can opt for almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk.

👩🏻‍🍳 Serving Suggestions

Fresh Herbs-I sprinkled fresh parsley on top. You could add fried sage leaves for more of that fragrant sage flavor.

Red Pepper Flakes-I love a little kick to nearly everything I eat. Adding a sprinkle of red pepper flakes adds a subtle touch of heat.

Pumpkin Seeds: Garnish with a ¼ cup of pumpkin seeds for added crunch and texture.

Nutritional Yeast-If you’re missing that sprinkle of parmesan cheese add a sprinkle of nutritional yeast, or try this recipe for vegan parmesan cheese.

If you would like a dessert, I suggest my sugar-free apple crisp!

❄️ How to Store and Keep

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3-4 days. When ready to reheat you can choose to warm in the microwave or stovetop.

I recommend adding a small amount of water or broth which helps the pasta from sticking together and brings back some moisture that is lost when the pasta is kept cold.

😋 More pumpkin recipes!