Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
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Pumpkin season means one thing in my kitchen: this sauce. 🎃
It’s basically pumpkin soup that decided to become pasta sauce instead. Blended smooth, a little sweet from maple syrup, cheesy from nutritional yeast, and finished with fresh herbs.
No cashews to soak, no simmering for an hour. Just blend and heat.
⚡ Why You’ll Love This
- Ready in about 30 minutes, most of it hands off
- Blender does the work, no whisking a roux
- Freezer friendly leftovers, sauce reheats fine
- Nut free option included if you skip the coconut cream
🥕 Key Ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree makes the sauce, not the star flavor by itself. Thyme and garlic do a lot of the heavy lifting here. I also love using fresh sage, so good!
- Nutritional Yeast gives the sauce a savory, cheesy edge without any actual cheese.
- Arrowroot Powder is the thickener. The sauce looks thin right after blending, don’t panic, it thickens once it hits the pan.
- Coconut Cream adds richness. Leave it out and swap the almond milk for soy milk if you need this nut free.
👩🍳 How To Make Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
- Saute the aromatics: Mince the garlic, chop the onion, and add both to a pan with the olive oil. Saute over low heat.
- Add the herbs: Once the garlic starts to brown, stir in the thyme. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Blend the sauce: Add the onion mixture and everything except the arrowroot starch to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth.
- Add the arrowroot: Pulse in the arrowroot until incorporated. It’ll look thin here. That’s normal.
- Thicken it up: Transfer to a large pan and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes, until nice and thick.
- Taste and serve: Adjust seasoning, then toss with the pasta. Top with vegan parmesan and fresh parsley if you’re feeling it.
🌟 Ingredient Swaps
- Nut free: use soy milk instead of almond milk and skip the coconut cream entirely.
- No arrowroot on hand: tapioca starch or a neutral flour like brown rice flour should work as a substitute, though only arrowroot has actually been tested here.
- Thicker sauce: whisk in an extra tablespoon of arrowroot or starch until it’s exactly where you want it.
🥡 Storing Leftovers
This pasta keeps in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water if the sauce has thickened up too much.
❓ Common Questions
Can I use canned pumpkin? Yes, canned pumpkin puree works exactly the same as homemade here.
Is this recipe nut free? It can be. Use soy milk instead of almond milk and leave out the coconut cream.
What can I use instead of arrowroot? Tapioca starch or a neutral flour like brown rice flour should work, though the exact amount hasn’t been tested.
📚 Keep Reading
🌟 Did you make this recipe? 🌟
Leave a star rating below when you try this recipe! We can’t wait to hear what you think! Sharing it on Instagram? Tag us @simpleveganbytes so we can see your creations!
Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
A creamy pumpkin sauce with thyme, and nutritional yeast, blended smooth and tossed with pasta. Ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Sauce
- 12 ounces pasta
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tablespoons coconut cream
- 1 ½ cups filtered water , or almond milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree, homemade or canned
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast, optional for cheesy flavor
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, or less to taste
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot starch
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- black pepper, to taste
For Serving
- fresh parsley, chopped, or other herbs
- vegan parmesan, optional, for serving
- nutritional flakes
- red pepper flakes, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions (al dente).12 ounces pasta
- Mince the garlic, chop the onion, and add both to a pan with the olive oil. Saute over low heat.
- Once the garlic starts to brown, add the thyme. Let cook for about 5 minutes so the flavors blend together.1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- Add this mixture and all remaining ingredients except the arrowroot powder to a blender or food processor. Process until smooth.3 tablespoons coconut cream, 1 ½ cups filtered water , 1 cup pumpkin puree, ¼ cup nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, ½ teaspoon fine salt, black pepper
- Add the arrowroot powder and pulse a few times until well incorporated. The sauce will look thin at this stage, don't worry, it thickens as it cooks.3 tablespoons arrowroot starch
- Transfer the sauce to a large pan and heat over low heat. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, or until nice and thick.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
- Combine with the cooked pasta and serve immediately with toppings if desired.
- If you like this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating, thank you!
Notes
- This recipe can be made nut free by using soy milk in place of almond milk.
- Once prepared, this pasta will store in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
- If you want the sauce thicker, whisk in an additional tablespoon of arrowroot powder or starch until it reaches your desired consistency.
- This recipe has only been tested using arrowroot, but tapioca starch or a neutral flour like brown rice flour should also work.
