This Vegan Pumpkin Pasta with Sage is the ultimate comfort food. It's creamy, hearty, and absolutely delicious. The sauce is made with cashew milk and the pasta is gluten-free!
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Why This Recipe Works
I promise you, you'll be obsessed with this pasta sauce just as much as I am! It's so good and so creamy, and dreamy. There are so many ways to use pumpkin puree and adding it to pasta sauces is definitely a delicious one!
- It's really creamy without any heavy cream or vegan alternatives. I don't like overcomplicated recipes so I really enjoy that this one only has a few simple ingredients.
- The recipe is very versatile. This dish can be made non-vegan by adding real cheese like parmesan, or using real milk. Both versions are equally delicious so it all depends on your preference!
- Nutritional yeast adds extra nutrition! I know right, how unexcpected?! Nutritional yeast contains vitamin B12 which makes it really great for those lacking it.
Ingredients
The ingredient list for this recipe is surprisingly simple. You probably already have most of these ingredients and all you will need is the fresh sage leaves!
- Fettucine - I'm using gluten-free brown rice fettucine but you can use any you have on hand.
- Onion and garlic - This is where a lot of the flavor comes from. Yellow onion is prefered for this recipe.
- Dry white wine - You don't need much of it and all the alcohol evaporates but it adds so much flavor! I add this after sauteing the onion and garlic to deglaze the pan.
- Pumpkin puree - Make sure you're using 100% pumpkin puree with no additives or sweeteners (I almost bought a pumpkin pie mix once!)
- Fresh sage and rosemary - You could use dried herbs to keep the recipe pantry friendly.
- Cashew milk - You can use any milk you prefer here. I really like using cashew milk in savory recipes because it's mild and doesn't change the flavor of any dishes like coconut or almond milk would. It's also super creamy, much creamier than oat milk would be.
- Nutritional yeast - This is the "vegan cheese" of this dish. You can use regular cheese like parmesan or pecorino or any vegan cheese you like. I always have nutritional yeast on that's what I'm using
- Balsamic vinegar - This unexpected ingredeint is optional but recommended. You can't really taste it but it balances all the flavors really well. You can use fresh lemon juice instead.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Cook your spaghetti, fetuccine, or other pasta of choice according to package instructions. You can do this while the sauce is simmering. Save some pasta water for thinning the sauce if needed. Drain and rinse the pasta.
- To make the sauce, start by sauteeing the onions with a little bit of oil for 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, and rosemary, and cook for a minute more.
- Slowly pour in the wine and let evaporate.
- Add pumpkin puree and cashew milk and stir. Cook for a few minutes to let the sauce thicken.
- Sprinkle in nutritional yeast and add a small splash of balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, and toss with the cooked pasta.
- Enjoy sprinkled with more nutritional yeast and dried sage if desired.
Serving and Storing
Serving - This pumpkin pasta is best served right away because the sauce thickens up as it cools. The pasta will absorb some of it so it will be much thicker. To loosen the sauce a little, add a good splash of water before reheating. The fetuccine might soften and break up as you heat them up.
Storing - I recommend storing the sauce for 2-3 days in the fridge separately and cooking the pasta right before serving. Simply heat up the sauce with a good splash of water and fold in some freshly cooked pasta. If you store the pasta tossed with the sauce, it will become really thick in the fridge and will be hard to reheat while still keeping the pasta's shape.
FAQs
Yes! The taste will change slightly depending on what milk you use but almond or canned coconut milk are great options too.
Yes! There are also various brands making vegan parmesan, check out if there are any being sold near you. Nutritional yeast is deactivated yeast that's usually fortified with vitamin B12 which makes it great for vegans. It has a salty, umami, cheesy taste. It's great on pasta, in spreads, dips, and dressings.
Yes! Any cheese you like works, both vegan and regular. I really like using pecorino cheese too on pasta sometimes. There are also various brands making vegan parmesan, see if there are any being sold near you.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
You can find all my pasta recipes in the Pasta Recipes category but here are three of my personal favorites (you need the first sundried tomato pasta in your life):
- Sundried Tomato Pasta with Capers and Dill
- Butternut Squash Penne with Sage and Toasted Walnuts (skip Pecorino to make it vegan)
- Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta
📖 Recipe
Vegan Pumpkin Pasta with Sage
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 1x
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Pumpkin Pasta with Sage is the ultimate comfort food. It's creamy, hearty, and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
- 200g gluten-free spaghetti or fettuccine
- 1 tbsp avocado oil (or other cooking oil)
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage (or 1 tsp dried sage)
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried rosemary)
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 cup cashew milk
- ¼ tsp tapioca starch (optional)
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast plus more for serving (or parmesan/pecorino if not vegan)
- ½ - 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)
Instructions
- Cook your spaghetti according to the package instructions. Save 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain, rinse with water, and drizzle and toss with olive oil so it doesn’t clump up.
- To make the sauce, heat a large pot or a pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the oil, chopped onion, and sea salt and cook for 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, sage, and rosemary, and cook for another minute.
- Add the white wine and let evaporate for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the canned pumpkin and cashew milk and stir well. Lower the heat to low-medium and simmer for 7-10 minutes stirring frequently until the mixture thickens. You can mix ¼ teaspoon tapioca starch with a teaspoon of water and mix it into the sauce to thicken it but this is optional.
- Mix in the nutritional yeast, balsamic vinegar if using, and pasta. Add pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Serve immediately with more nutritional yeast on top.
Notes
Balsamic vinegar: It may seem like a weird ingredient to add to pasta but I add it a lot to sauces and risottos to add a sour or tart component to round up the flavors. You can’t really taste it in the sauce, it just adds that little something. You can add a little bit of lemon juice instead.
Storing: As any other pasta, this dish doesn’t store well. You could store the sauce in the fridge for a day or two in a jar and reheat it and mix with pasta when you’re ready to eat. You can store the pasta too for a few hours but once you reheat it, it will most likely turn mushier. It will still be tasty though!
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Gloria says
I am a pumpkin fanatic. This past looks and sounds delicious. I will give it a try for dinner one night this week.
Amanda Dixon says
This was delicious! The pasta sauce was so creamy, and I love the flavor the fresh sage added for fall.
Sharon says
The creamy sauce in this pasta is so delicious and flavorful. It's just so silky and smooth and perfectly paired with the pasta.
Karen says
This is absolutely delicious! My kids LOVE creamy pasta dishes but avoid dairy so this dish is perfect. The nutritional yeast adds so much savory flavor.
Liz says
Love pumpkin recipes! I've never tried anything like this! Excited to give it a try!
Patti@PattyCakesPantry says
I love that I can make the sauce a couple days ahead of time to make this a simple meal to put together on a weeknight. I can't wait to try this. I think we'll have this for meatless Monday this next week.
Chef Dennis says
I've never had pumpkin pasta it sounds like a delicious dish
Jamie says
I love the pumpkin flavor in this pasta! It's so warming and perfect for a cold day like today. Definitely making again!
Natalie says
Beautiful pasta dish. Looks incredibly creamy and so delicious. Flavors are amazing too. I'm definitely adding this recipe to my list to try this Fall. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Elaine says
I've heard so many great things about this recipe, so I guess it is time for me to make it myself ;-)