Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
Aaron has declared this vegan pumpkin pasta recipe one of his favorite meals ever. That’s some high praise considering I’ve been feeding him my latest recipe creations every week for the last six years! I had a feeling this carb-y dish would be a winner with its extra rich and creamy pumpkin sauce, but I think the thick pappardelle noodles are what helped to seal the deal. I splurged on “fancy” handmade pasta at the grocery store (I usually buy regular penne) and while I’ve always been a capellini girl, I may have crossed over to Team Pappardelle. They are just so perfectly chewy!
There are definite mac n’ cheese vibes happening with the pasta, which isn’t surprising considering it was inspired by my butternut squash mac n’ cheese from a few years back. I have to say, though—I like this pumpkin pasta better! It’s only 9 basic ingredients, with the star being a cute little roasted sugar pie pumpkin. I haven’t tried using canned pumpkin here, but other types of squash like butternut or kabocha will likely work equally well.
In addition to the fresh pumpkin, the sauce is also made from roasted garlic and onion, soaked cashews, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, white miso, and a little extra virgin olive oil. You can go light on the oil because the cashews and pumpkin naturally get super smooth and creamy when you blend them. And because I know some people will ask: don’t skip the white miso! I find that the combination of nutritional yeast and white miso is the key to getting that crave-worthy cheesy flavor with some umami-rich depth.
Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
This easy vegan pumpkin pasta recipe has the most creamy pumpkin sauce with very little added oil. It's only 9 simple ingredients to boot!
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Vegan Servings: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins
This easy vegan pumpkin pasta recipe has the most creamy pumpkin sauce with very little added oil. It's only 9 simple ingredients to boot!
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the pumpkin in half and discard the seeds and stem. Place the pumpkin, onion, and garlic on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Turn the pumpkin cut-side down and use a fork to pierce a handful of holes in the skin. Cover the baking sheet with tin foil and bake until the pumpkin is very tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven.
- Add the vegetable broth to a blender. Once the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scoop out 1 1/3 cups pumpkin flesh and add it to the blender along with the onion, garlic, cashews, olive oil, nutritional yeast, white miso, and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package. Once al dente, turn off the heat and reserve 1/3 cup pasta water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the reserved water to the blender with the sauce and blend until incorporated. Pour the sauce over the pasta, then toss gently to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve hot, sprinkled with fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, and roasted pumpkin seeds.
Notes [4]
It may initially seem like there’s too much sauce for the pasta, but rest-assured, it’s just right. The pasta will absorb some of the sauce.
If you don’t plan to enjoy all of the pasta in one sitting, I recommend storing the pasta and sauce in separate containers and mixing just prior to serving. This will yield the creamiest texture.
Leftover pasta and sauce can be kept in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for up to 5 days.
To make this recipe gluten-free, use your favorite gluten-free pasta.
Copyright © 2021 Amanda Maguire for Pickles & Honey
Seriously stunning photos you two! I’m loving the creamy pumpkin sauce and those THICK noodles! I want to live in that bowl of pasta. 😉
haha I could live in that bowl of pasta too. 😉
Good timing! I was planning to make pasta tonight and now I know exactly what sauce I’ll be using!
Yay! I love it when that happens.
I was just going to say that I’ve made something like this with butternut squash, but then I remembered it was your butternut squash mac and cheese! lol I love that recipe, so I can’t wait to try this pumpkin pasta, especially since you said you like it even better!
So glad you made and loved our butternut squash mac & cheese recipe! I think you’re going to love this pumpkin pasta. We can’t get enough of it.
Pumpkin is one of my favorite things to cook with in the fall and winter. I am so pumped about this recipe!
Mine too! Pumpkin helps get me through winter in Boston. 😉
This pumpkin pasta looks delicious! I love pumpkin and would eat it all year if I could find it. 😉
Thank you, Alli! Our Whole Foods usually has canned pumpkin year-round, but the fresh pumpkin is definitely seasonal. I’m okay with that though because it makes it all the more special. 🙂
Looks delicious and easy! I bet the sage is a great compliment.
Yes, the sage is a perfect compliment!
Pumpkin is really in everything this season! I do get it, tho, cause all of these recipes are so amazing! Can’t wait to try this pasta one =)
Pumpkin in all the things! haha I highly recommend trying it in this pasta recipe. It’s one of our all-time favorite meals.
Made this for dinner last night and it was amazing!
That’s great to hear, Hannah! Thank you for letting me know. 🙂
Wow, so creamy and delicious! Also, your photography is simply gorgeous!
Thanks, Evi! 🙂
UMMM- YUMMMM. What could I use to sub out the miso? No soy for me. 🙁
Try the chickpea miso from South River Miso Company. 🙂
OMFG Amanda – this is…beyond words amazing. I was licking the spoon – a taste for me + a taste for the pasta! hahaha so damn good!
I love the pure joy that comes through in your comments. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe love, friend.
This was the hit of the week, everyone loved it! Made it with Butternut because I couldn’t find Pumpkin but was nonetheless amaze-balls! YUMMM
That’s awesome! I bet it was so good with butternut. I need to try that next!
This looks yummy! Hard to find small sugar pumpkins in our area at the moment (I know strange). Can we sub for canned organic pure pumpkin purée? Will the taste be the same-ish?
If so, will this recipe call for 1 can?
Thx!
Hi AJ, You’ll need about 1 1/3 cups pumpkin, so 1 can should be plenty. I’ve had success using canned pumpkin in a pinch. The flavor isn’t quite as awesome (roasting is the best!), but it’s still very delicious and super easy. 🙂
made this tonight for me and my vegan daughter! I had one pumpkin left from all the ravaging the squirrels did on my summer harvest…i used the whole sugar pumpkin…thankfully you suggested covering it with foil, because this is what has been missing from me roasting squash and scratching my head ‘why it hasn’t cooked yet and it’s been well over an hour’…made your recipe as is…no substitutions except sprinkled with some fresh chopped chive and sage from my garden…and I used almond milk to smooth my sauce out a bit more…
me and 17 year old daughter loved it! we served our sauce with gemelli shaped pasta because there’s more ridges to catch the sauce…
xo Eva
That sounds so wonderful, Eva! I love that you used fresh chive and sage from your garden, plus gemelli shaped pasta to catch more sauce. I’m going to need to try that asap!