This easy creamy pumpkin pasta sauce is packed with fall flavors. A creamy and delicious twist on an Italian pasta sauce and has no tomato sauce and no heavy cream, almost like a pumpkin alfredo. A delicious autumn meal that your whole family will love.
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Welcome to pumpkin season! This creamy pumpkin pasta sauce is a delightful surprise and a great way to add vegetables to your meal. It's an easy recipe that comes together in just 20 minutes, like my 20-minute chicken teriyaki, using simple ingredients to achieve cozy, comforting flavors.
The pumpkin flavor is subtle and harmonious, blending beautifully with the other elements to create a taste sensation that's sure to surprise. It transforms traditional Italian cuisine by infusing it with the rich, earthy notes of pumpkin. The ultimate pasta dish for any occasion.
If you enjoy pumpkin recipes, try my vegan pumpkin ice cream, gluten-free pumpkin bread and my gluten-free pumpkin cookies.
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Why You'll Love This Pumpkin Sauce
The perfect way to enjoy the essence of fall in a single dish. the pumpkin flavor shines through, creating a cozy, satisfying meal.
- Quick and easy: this recipe takes just 20 minutes to whip up, making it ideal for weeknight dinners when you're craving a taste of fall.
- Versatile: whether you're a vegan or cheese lover, we've got you covered with substitution options.
- Irresistibly creamy: the combination of pumpkin, coconut milk and a touch of nutritional yeast creates a creamy, luscious sauce that's hard to resist.
Recipe Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need to make pumpkin pasta sauce:
Ingredient Notes:
- Pasta: I use gluten-free pasta but feel free to use any pasta.
- Olive oil: for lightly sautéing the shallots and garlic. You can also use vegan butter or ghee.
- Shallots: adds a mild oniony flavor to the sauce.
- Garlic cloves: adds an incredible depth of flavor without overpowering the creamy pumpkin sauce.
- Fresh sage leaves: bring an earthy and savory note.
- Pumpkin purée: the star of the show, this key ingredient gives the sauce that lovely pumpkin flavor (do not use pumpkin pie filling).
- Full-fat coconut milk: makes the sauce incredibly creamy (no need for heavy cream or half-and-half).
- Nutritional yeast: adds a cheesy, nutty flavor (vegan-friendly). Parmesan cheese works well too.
- Vegetable broth: (or chicken broth) to reach your desired sauce consistency with added flavor. Pasta water works well too.
See recipe card below for all ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Pasta: I use gluten-free penne pasta. Swap with any type of pasta with this delicious sauce.
- Fresh pumpkin purée: while canned pumpkin works perfectly, you can use fresh pumpkin purée if you prefer. Make sure it's well drained to avoid excess moisture. You can also swap with cooked butternut squash purée.
- Dried sage: don't have fresh sage? Substitute with 1 teaspoons of dried sage. Use sparingly as it's more concentrated.
- Red pepper flakes: If you're not a fan of heat, omit the red pepper flakes and use a pinch of paprika for a smoky touch.
I have not tested this recipe with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please share how it turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Easy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, following package directions. Reserve a cup of pasta cooking liquid before draining, or use vegetable broth to thin.
- Sauté the shallots over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until they become translucent.
- Add the garlic, sage, paprika, sea salt and black pepper. Sauté for an additional minute, releasing those enticing aromas.
- Reduce to medium-low heat. Whisk in the pumpkin purée.
- Add coconut milk and stir.
- Add nutritional yeast. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh or crispy sage leaves, red pepper flakes and salt to taste.
Expert Tips
- Cooking the sauce: to avoid watery sauce, make sure to cook until it thickens and reduces. This will intensify the flavors and create a perfect, creamy consistency.
- Fresh sage leaves: frying a few leaves until they're crispy can be a fantastic garnish for your pasta dish.
- Pasta water vs vegetable stock: reserved pasta cooking liquid works great in this sauce. Vegetable stock will add extra flavor when creating that silky texture.
- Homemade pumpkin purée: make sure it's well-drained or cook it a bit longer to remove excess moisture.
- Reheating: it's best to gently reheat leftovers in a pan with a splash of water or broth rather than the microwave. The microwave can dry out the sauce.
Common Questions
Not all recipes work great with homemade pumpkin purée as it can have a higher water content compared to canned. It does however work well in this recipe. Any excess moisture can easily be cooked out in the pan.
Spicy cayenne, coconut milk, nutmeg, onions, pasta and fresh sage are just a few flavors that really meld well with the earthy sweetness of pumpkin.
No, they aren't quite the same thing. Some canned pumpkin is actually made with a blend of different winter squashes rather than the orange pumpkin we are most familiar with seeing. If you're using fresh pumpkin, I recommend making sure it's well drained or allowing it to cook a bit longer to cook off some excess liquid to have a flavorful sauce that's not watery.
As with all pasta dishes, it is best served as soon as it's made, though leftovers will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days and are easily reheated on the stovetop. The sauce can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge. When ready to enjoy, cook the pasta, warm up the sauce and toss together.
Place in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will keep for 3-4 days. When reheating, it's best to use a pan with a splash of water or broth rather than the microwave, which can risk drying out the sauce.
More Pumpkin Recipes to Try
More Gluten-Free Sauces to Try
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Recipe
Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound (16 ounces) gluten-free pasta, I use penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, or avocado oil
- 2 large shallots, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon paprika, or smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 15 ounce (425 grams) can pure pumpkin purée
- 13.5 ounce (382 grams) can full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup (15 grams) nutritional yeast, or parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup (65 grams) vegetable broth (optional), or pasta water, to thin
Garnish with fresh or crispy sage leaves, red pepper flakes, additional salt to taste.
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, following package directions. Reserve a cup of pasta cooking liquid before draining or use vegetable broth to thin.
- In a large skillet or large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallots for 2-3 minutes until they become translucent.
- Add the garlic, sage, paprika, sea salt and black pepper to the skillet. Sauté for an additional minute, releasing those enticing aromas.
- Reduce to medium-low heat. Whisk in the pumpkin purée, coconut milk and nutritional yeast. Stir constantly until the sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in al dente pasta, and if needed, use reserved pasta cooking liquid or vegetable broth to thin to desired sauce consistency.
- Garnish with fresh or crispy sage leaves, red pepper flakes and salt to taste.
Notes
- To avoid watery sauce, make sure to cook until thickens and reduces.
- Reserved pasta water works great to thin sauce. Using vegetable stock instead would add flavor.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reaheat leftovers in a pan with a splash of water rather than microwave. The microwave can dry out the sauce.
Sarah Lefant
Wow this is the first time I've tried a pumpkin pasta sauce before and it's safe to say I'm hooked! Amazing recipe everyone loved it! I will definitely be making this one again!
Jacqui Wilson
Oh, I'm so happy you enjoyed it. Definitely a surprising ingredient but I find pumpkin works so well in a sauce.
Val G.
Who would have thought pumpkin and pasta work so well together? I made this recipe and it was super easy and delicious! The pumpkin gave it a warm, cozy, creaminess that made it a perfect dinner for a cold, autumn evening. Thanks!
Jacqui Wilson
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Janice B.
This is delicious and the kids loved it! Super creamy. I added fried sage leaves and they went really well with the pumpkin. Thanks for another great recipe!
Jacqui Wilson
Thanks Janice. I'm so happy the family loved it!