Creamy Pumpkin Pasta (Vegan)

Get this creamy, comforting sage pumpkin pasta recipe on your table in under 30 minutes – A super satisfying and wholesome cozy fall meal that’s dairy-free, vegan, & easily gluten-free + oil-free!

Creamy, Velvety, and Comforting Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

During the crisp fall months, our kitchens churn out pumpkin-based treats like nobody’s business. Now, it’s time to turn things savory and stay cozy this fall with a super creamy, hearty, wholesome, delicious (honestly, there aren’t enough positive adjectives!) pumpkin pasta recipe.

This vegan pumpkin pasta sauce combines fresh or canned pumpkin with fresh sage and several basic pantry ingredients and spices for a sauce that’s loaded with sweet, savory, smoky flavor. And, unlike our pumpkin pasta bake, it’s ready in under 30 minutes – great as a low-fuss meal on busy and/or lazy weeknights, date nights, or even the holidays.

Even better, as velvety and delicious as this pumpkin and sage pasta is, it’s actually super healthy, fairly low-fat, and loaded with several vitamins and minerals (like vitamins A and C), antioxidants, fiber, and even plant-based protein (if you use silken tofu).

It’s also incredibly versatile – swap out the ‘creamy’ base, make it gluten or oil-free, and add to it with extra protein and/or veggies – the sky is the limit. No matter what, this pasta with pumpkin sauce is a delicious, indulgent fall meal the entire family will enjoy.

Have leftover pumpkin puree? No fall would be complete without turning out multiple batches of vegan pumpkin choc chip muffins, cookies, and plenty of pumpkin spice lattes.

The Ingredients and Substitutes

Sage Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

• Pumpkin puree: Use canned pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling) or make your own. Butternut squash puree or sweet potato puree would also work.
• Aromatics: A combination of white or yellow onion plus plenty of garlic helps to make a super flavorful base for this pumpkin pasta sauce recipe.
• Sage: Pumpkin and sage pasta is a match made in heaven.
• Silken tofu: To create a super creamy vegan pumpkin sauce pasta loaded with plant-based protein. However, you could replace it with cashew cream, canned coconut milk, or another vegan heavy cream alternative.
• Vegetable broth: Use high-quality, rich vegetable broth – regular or reduced sodium.
• Plant-based milk: Use any unsweetened dairy-free milk. E.g., soy milk, oat milk, etc.
• Seasonings: This sauce uses simple pantry spices to pack a flavorful punch.
  • Italian seasoning (or single herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, etc.)
  • Ground cumin (a savory, earthy flavor enhancing pumpkins earthiness)
  • Smoked paprika (for a subtle smokiness that compliments the pumpkin well)
  • Salt & black pepper (to add to taste – use sea salt/ kosher salt, not table salt)
• Lemon juice: (Or white wine vinegar) adds depth and brightens the pumpkin sauce.

Other Ingredients

• Oil: Use any neutral cooking oil like vegetable oil, avocado oil, etc.
• Pasta: Pair the pumpkin pasta sauce with any of your favorite pasta – short shapes or long noodles. E.g., penne, rigatoni, fusilli, linguine, pappardelle, fettuccine, etc. High-protein or gluten-free pasta and even low-carb zucchini noodles will work, too.
• To garnish: We used flat-leaf parsley and raw or toasted pepitas (for crunch).

Alternatively, garnish the pumpkin sauce pasta with crispy sage (method below), vegan feta, toasted breadcrumbs, crispy chickpeas, and/or vegan bacon bits.

What Could I Add to this Recipe for Pumpkin Pasta Sauce?

• Nutmeg: Just a pinch perfectly complements the pumpkin with ‘something special’.
• Alternative seasoning: Use cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper + optional chili flakes.
• Nutritional yeast OR vegan cheese: For a pumpkin mac and cheese-type flavor.
• Red pepper flakes: To garnish the pasta in pumpkin sauce for little bursts of heat (and some color). Or use cayenne pepper to infuse heat throughout the sauce.
• Tomato puree: 1-2 tbsp adds a rich, acidic, tomatoey depth to the sauce.
• Pumpkin spinach pasta: Add 2-3 handfuls in the last few minutes (just enough to wilt). Kale also works – for color and nutrients.
• Other veggies: Boost the nutrients with cooked broccoli, cauliflower, peas, corn, Brussels sprouts, green beans, red pepper, sautéed mushrooms, etc.
• Vegan sausage: Brown your preferred vegan sausage and stir it back in when serving.
• Crispy sage: This makes an elegant garnish. To make it, warm vegan butter (or olive oil) over medium heat in a skillet. Once hot, add the sage and fry until crisp.

How Else Can I Use the Pumpkin Sauce?

Along with enjoying this creamy vegan pumpkin sauce for pasta (duh!) and over vegan tortellini/ravioli, you can also enjoy it spread in a plant-based lasagna, in a risotto, as a fantastic fall vegan pizza sauce, a dipping sauce for veggies and potatoes, in grain bowls, etc.

How to Make Sage Pumpkin Pasta

• 1) First, peel and dice the onion and roughly chop or mince the garlic and sage leaves. Meanwhile, heat a large heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat with a swirl of olive oil (or a splash of vegetable broth).
• 2) Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté until they are lightly brown, then add the sage and sauté for 20-30 seconds, stirring constantly.

• 3) Transfer the mixture to a blender along with the pumpkin puree and silken tofu and blend until completely smooth, then return it to the saucepan.

If you’re using coconut milk or another liquid-y ‘cream,’ there’s no need to use a blender. Just whisk everything in the saucepan until smooth.

• 4) Add the vegetable broth, plant-based milk, and all the seasonings, and leave to simmer for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, covered with a lid.

• 5) Then, add the juice of half a lemon, stir, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.

Now, taste and adjust the salt or any seasoning to your liking.

• 6) Meanwhile, as the pumpkin and sage pasta sauce cooks, cook the pasta in salted water for about 1-2 minutes less than the packaging states, until al dente. Then drain it, saving one cup of pasta water to the side.  
• 7) Finally, serve the pasta in pumpkin sauce, optionally adding a small amount of the reserved pasta water to make it saucier and help it cling to the noodles. Garnish with raw or toasted pepitas and fresh parsley, and enjoy!

Pro Recipe Tips

• Don’t overcook the pasta: It’s best to cook it 1-2 minutes less than its packaging advises for perfectly al dente results.
• For more flavor: Cook the pasta in vegetable stock instead of water.
• Season to taste: After blending the sauce, taste it and adjust any of the seasonings to taste.
• Reserve some pasta water: This starchy water can help loosen the pumpkin pasta sauce and help it cling to the pasta.
• Adjust the flavor: After simmering, taste and adjust any seasonings to your liking.   
• To use homemade pumpkin puree: You’ll need about 1 ½ cups of puree per ‘can’.
• Adjust the thickness: Adjust the amount of broth and plant-based milk you add to the sauce to adjust how thick/thin it is.

Serving Suggestions

This vegan pumpkin pasta is warm, cozy, satisfying, and can be enjoyed alone or made into an even heartier meal with the addition of:

• Garlic bread, focaccia, fluffy dinner rolls, or warm crusty bread
• Shaved Brussels sprouts salad or kale salad
• Cooked vegetables – like steamed/roasted green beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, zucchini, etc.
• A protein (like crispy tofu or chickpeas, tempeh, vegan sausage, etc.)

Storage Instructions

Allow the leftover vegan pumpkin pasta (or just the sauce) to cool, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Can You Freeze Vegan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce?

Depending on what you use as the creamy ‘base’ for the vegan pumpkin pasta sauce (e.g., silken tofu, cashew cream, etc.), it can cause some textural difference upon freezing and thawing. For that reason, it’s best to freeze the sauce alone.

Transfer it to Ziplock/Stasher bags, spread flat with excess air removed, for 2-3 months. Then leave it to thaw in the fridge overnight and re-blend it for a few seconds if needed before reheating it.

Reheat the sauce or combined creamy pumpkin pasta in a microwave (1-2 minutes) or over low on the stovetop. Add an extra splash of broth/plant-based milk if needed to loosen the consistency.

More Cozy Vegan Pasta Recipes

• Creamy carrot pasta
• Curry pasta
• Vegan mac and cheese
• Tofu Bolognese
• Vegan fettuccine alfredo
• Butternut squash pasta with roasted veggies
• Easy pelle alla norma (Eggplant pasta)

Photos by Alfonso Revilla