This vegan pumpkin pasta recipe is easy to make with just a few simple, everyday ingredients. Serve the decadent pumpkin cream sauce over your favourite pasta for a plant-based meal that’s pure comfort food.

A white bowl of creamy vegan pumpkin pasta.
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What You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make this amazing pumpkin cream sauce:

  1. Pumpkin. The recipe calls for canned pumpkin puree. I like Farmer’s Market canned pumpkin best but any brand works.
  2. Coconut milk. You’ll need canned, full-fat coconut milk to create the rich and creamy base of the recipe. And don’t worry if you don’t love coconut, the garlic, paprika and pumpkin add enough flavour that the coconut gets overpowered.
  3. Vegan butter. There’s nothing like garlic sautéed in butter! If you don’t have vegan butter, you can use olive, avocado or coconut oil. If you prefer to keep the recipe oil-free, use a little splash of vegetable broth.
  4. Paprika. A little pinch of paprika is so good with the pumpkin and garlic!
  5. Garlic. Garlic is a must when it comes to pasta, don’t you think? The recipe calls for 2 cloves but feel free to add more if you’re a big time garlic lover!
A plate and serving bowl of creamy vegan pumpkin pasta.

What Kind of Pasta to Use

The pumpkin cream sauce can be served over any pasta, such as:

  • regular or whole-wheat penne, linguini or bows
  • zucchini noodles
  • chickpea pasta
  • edamame noodles
  • brown rice pasta or another gluten-free pasta of choice

It can also be served over rice or roasted vegetables.

How to Make Pumpkin Pasta

Making this creamy coconut pumpkin sauce couldn’t be easier! Saute the garlic then simmer everything stovetop until it thickens up a bit then stir in your cooked pasta and serve!

Garlic being sautéed in a black skillet.
Vegan pumpkin cream sauce being stirred in a skillet on the stovetop.
Pumpkin and coconut milk being mixed into a skillet.
Dumping cooked pasta into a skillet of pumpkin cream sauce.
Creamy pumpkin pasta on a small white plate.

This pumpkin pasta recipe is easy to make with just a few basic ingredients. Cook your favourite pasta then slather with the extra creamy and delicious pumpkin cream sauce for a deliciously simple but decadent vegan meal.

This dairy-free, nut-free and soy-free dish comes together in less than 20 minutes. All you need to do is prepare some pasta, easy, and make the sauce which is ready in 5 to 10 minutes.

This recipe has been shared from with permission from Frugal Vegan by Katie Koteen and Kate Kasbee.

More Vegan Comfort Food

Love this cozy pumpkin pasta? Here are some more yummy recipes to try:

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A white bowl of creamy vegan pumpkin pasta.

Vegan Pumpkin Pasta

  • Author: Katie Koteen and Kate Kasbee
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegan

This pumpkin cream sauce is warm, savory and perfectly suited to sweater season. For those who aren’t fond of coconut, fear not. The taste is barely detectable beneath the flavorful layers of pumpkin, garlic and paprika.

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb (454 g) penne pasta
  • 1 ½  tbsp (22 g) vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 (15-oz [425-g]) can pumpkin purée
  • 1 (13 ½ -oz [382-g]) can coconut milk
  • ¾ tsp paprika
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • Fresh or crispy sage leaves, for serving, optional

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, melt the vegan butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute or two, until fragrant.
  3. Stir in the pumpkin purée, coconut milk, paprika and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
  4. Drain and rinse your pasta and combine it with the pumpkin cream sauce. Stir to thoroughly combine.
  5. Garnish with fresh or crispy sage leaves if using, and serve immediately.

Notes

This recipe has been re-printed with permission from Frugal Vegan by Katie Koteen and Kate Kasbee, Page Street Publishing Co. 2017. 

Keywords: pumpkin pasta, cream sauce, easy, comfort, plant-based

UPDATE NOTE: This recipe was originally published on August 28, 2017. It was updated in November 2019 with new photos and text.