• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Lettuce Veg Out
  • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegan and Gluten Free
    • Breakfast
    • Dinner
    • Snacks
    • Desserts
    • Appetizers
    • Side Dishes
  • Vegan Nutrition
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Nutrition
  • About
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Nutrition
  • About
×

Home > Vegan Recipes

Vegan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce Recipe

10/21/21 by Nicole | 3 Comments

Jump to Recipe Video Print
5 from 4 votes. Leave a review!

This vegan pumpkin pasta sauce is super easy to make! It creates an incredibly delicious, ultra-creamy sauce that’s perfect for a quick, warm and hearty meal.

Serve with any pasta you like! You can also take this recipe to the next level by preparing some fried sage and/or sautéed vegetables. This simple addition makes a gourmet meal that’ll impress anyone you make if for.

Close up of a plate of penne pasta tossed with pumpkin sauce and garnished with fried sage leaves. Bunch of sage, dish of red pepper flakes, 2 wood forks and a second plate of pasta blurred in the background.

Get the Veg Out newsletter for vegan recipes + nutrition content!

This post contains affiliate links (including Amazon Associates) and I earn from qualifying purchases.

Is Pumpkin Pasta Sauce Vegan?

Many pumpkin pasta sauce recipes are not vegan as they commonly use dairy-based ingredients like butter and cream.

Luckily, it’s super easy to make vegan pumpkin sauce that’s just as creamy and delicious as a non-vegan option. The first time I made this, my family didn’t believe it was vegan and were sure I used dairy!

Top view of two plates and a bowl all filled with creamy pumpkin pasta sauce over penne noodles and garnished with fried sage leaves, sauteed spinach, mushrooms and chickpeas and wood forks on the two plates. Around the plates decorated with mini pumpkins, bunches of sage and a wood dish of red pepper flakes.

Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Sauce Ingredients

There are two parts to this recipe. The first is the sauce itself which is unbelievably quick and easy to make, coming together in as little as 5 minutes.

You can stop there and serve the sauce with your favorite pasta, or you can level up the recipe by serving with fried sage and/or some sautéed veggies.

Vegan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

  • Canned pumpkin puree: The sauce base is made from pumpkin puree which is creamy and delicious. If you don’t have access to pumpkin puree in a can, make your own by boiling, steaming or roasting pumpkin before blending it (use a blender or food processor).
  • Canned coconut milk: This is what gives the sauce its rich, creamy taste and texture. Make sure to buy the “regular” coconut milk rather than a “light” option. The light options contain less coconut and more water, so you’ll end up with a watery, not-so-creamy sauce.
  • Garlic or garlic powder: I love to use lots of fresh, minced garlic for this sauce. It adds a ton of flavor especially when cooked in some oil before adding other sauce ingredients. However, for the ultimate quick-and-easy recipe, you can skip the garlic (and a step that requires you to cook garlic) and simply stir 1 teaspoon of garlic powder into the other sauce ingredients.
  • Olive oil: Use some oil to sauté the garlic before adding other sauce ingredients. Use any liquid oil you like; I just typically use olive (or avocado) oil.
  • Onion powder: For some extra flavor, and zero effort, onion powder is a tasty way to boost the flavor in this sauce.
  • Salt and black pepper: Add salt and black pepper to your taste. Salt is critical for this recipe as it enhances the few simple flavors that you’ll use. I recommend tasting your sauce before serving, then add extra salt or pepper if needed!
Top view of an arrangement of ingredients in glass and wood dishes. From top going left then down: pumpkin puree; coconut milk; minced garlic; raw penne pasta; vegetable oil; salt + pepper; onion powder.

Fried Sage (Optional)

  • Vegan butter (or oil): To fry sage, you’ll need some vegan butter or cooking oil. Keep in mind the butter/oil flavor comes through in the fried sage. Since the sage won’t soak up much butter or oil, I like to use what’s leftover to sauté the vegetables (if making)!
  • Fresh sage: Pumpkin and fresh sage are best friends. They pair so well together, and the sage really takes simple sauce flavors to a higher level!

Sautéed Vegetables (Optional)

  • Onion: As noted, you can use any vegetables you like but I highly recommend onion as its potent flavor adds a lot of character to the recipe.
  • Mushrooms and spinach: Again, you can use any vegetables you like but mushrooms and spinach are a tasty combo.
  • Chickpeas: For some added protein, drain and rinse a can of chickpeas (or any bean you like). If you don’t want to prepare additional vegetables, you can toss chickpeas directly into the sauce and pasta before serving. This will boost the recipe’s protein content with minimal effort!
  • Salt, pepper and nutmeg: Season the vegetables however you like. Salt and pepper are a must for me, but I also love nutmeg in this pumpkin sauce. Don’t worry, it won’t taste sweet or like a pumpkin dessert.
Top view of an arrangement of ingredients in glass dishes. From top moving left then down: chickpeas; sage; sliced onion; spinach; sliced mushrooms; vegan butter; salt + pepper + nutmeg.

How to Make Dairy Free Pumpkin Sauce

I’m not kidding when I say this is the easiest recipe ever. The sauce comes together in 5 minutes. Beyond that, all you need is some cooked pasta and you’ll have a tasty meal!

Of course, you can also make the optional fried sage and/or sautéed veggies to take this simple recipe to the next level.

Step 1: Make Pumpkin Sauce

Peel and mince (or crush) the garlic. Use as much or little garlic as you like!

Warm some oil in a medium-large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes. This takes out the sharp, raw garlic taste and leaves a mellow, roasted garlic flavor with minimal effort.

You can also skip this and simply toss in 1 teaspoon garlic powder with the other ingredients.

Once you’ve cooked the garlic, add your remaining sauce ingredients including pumpkin puree, coconut milk, salt, pepper and onion powder. Stir until combined. By the time you’re done stirring, the sauce should be heated through!

That’s it! It’s so easy, but so yummy!

Compilation of 4 images each showing the top down view of a large pot. Top left: red spoon stirring minced garlic in oil. Top right: pot filled with pureed pumpkin and a hand pours a jar of coconut milk into pot. Bottom left: spices added on to of coconut milk and pumpkin puree. Bottom right: red spoon stirring creamy, light orange pumpkin sauce.

Step 2: Cook Pasta to Serve

You’ll need to prepare a package of your favorite pasta to serve with the sauce. Follow package directions to get the best result.

Toss some sauce on the pasta and you're ready to serve.

If desired, prepare the optional fried sage and/or sautéed vegetables.

Top view of a large pot filled with cooked penne pasta being toss around with creamy pumpkin pasta sauce by a large red spoon.

Step 3: Fry Sage (Optional)

Fried sage is easy to make. Start by removing the sage leaves from the stem. Wash the leaves and pat them dry (use paper towel or a kitchen towel).

Warm some vegan butter in a large pan (you’ll need the surface area) over medium heat. Once it’s warm and melted, add the sage.

Fry your sage leaves until the edges begin to darken, about 1 minute. Use tongs to flip the sage over, then fry on the other side until the whole leaf is a dark color and feels crisp.

Remove the sage from your pan and place onto a plate.

Keep the fried sage separate from your pasta/ sauce until ready to serve.

Compilation of 4 images each showing the top down view of a large pan. Top left: large red spoon stirring melted butter in pan. Top right: sage leaves sizzling in butter. Bottom left: hand holding tongs flipping sage leaves. Bottom right: close up of fried sage leaves

Step 4: Sauté Vegetables (Optional)

You can use any vegetables you like, but I love the combo of onion, mushrooms and spinach with this pumpkin sauce. I also like to add chickpeas for some extra nutrition.

If you’ve made the fried sage, use the leftover sage-infused butter that remains in your pan. If you skipped the sage, add 1-2 tablespoons of vegan butter or oil to your pan before cooking the vegetables. Make sure the butter or oil is warm in the pan over medium or medium-high heat.

Side-by-side images showing close ups of mushrooms and onions being cooked in a large pan. Left shows spices being added to raw mushrooms and onions. Right shows tongs tossing around the cooked vegetables.

Add the sliced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Toss around and cook until your spinach wilts.

Side-by-side images. Left shows fresh spinach added on top of fried onions and mushrooms. Right shows a hand tossing chickpeas into the cooked vegetables (onions, mushrooms and spinach).

When you’ve fully cooked the spinach, remove the pan from heat. Taste your veggies and add extra salt, pepper and/or nutmeg to taste.

Serve on top of your pumpkin sauce pasta or toss directly in with the pasta and sauce.

Top view of two plates each covered with penne pasta coated in creamy pumpkin sauce. Top plate garnished with fried sage leaves and a wood fork; bottom plate topped with sauteed onions, mushrooms, spinach and chickpeas with wood fork to the left. Bunch of sage and dish of red pepper flakes between the plates to the left.

How to Create a Balanced Vegan Meal

This pasta sauce is mostly pumpkin puree and coconut milk. Pumpkin provides healthy carbohydrates and a serving of vegetables, whereas coconut milk provides satiating fats.

Assuming you serve the sauce over pasta, that’ll provide additional carbohydrates.

For a balanced meal, I recommend adding some plant-based protein and additional veggies. You can easily do this by making the optional sautéed vegetables with chickpeas (detailed in the recipe card below).

To save time, you could simply toss a drained and rinsed can of chickpeas or beans into the pasta and sauce! This makes for an ultra quick and easy meal. It’s lower in veggies but that’s perfectly fine every now and again.

Close up of a plate of penne pasta coated with creamy pumpkin sauce and topped with sauteed onion, mushrooms, spinach and chickpeas. A second plate of pasta sits blurred in the back.

How to Refrigerate and Freeze Pumpkin Sauce

Leftover sauce, on its own, can be refrigerated in an airtight container. You can also freeze the sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

To reheat refrigerated sauce, use a microwave or warm it up in a pot on your stove over medium heat. To reheat frozen sauce, thaw in the fridge overnight, or defrost on your counter for an hour or 2. Place thawed sauce into a pot over medium heat until warmed through.

If the sauce is already tossed on pasta, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pot over medium heat.

If you’ve made fried sage, keep it separate from the pasta until serving. Otherwise, it’ll get soggy. It will stay fairly crisp while refrigerated in an airtight container for a day or two. Fried sage won’t freeze well.

Typically, if I make sautéed vegetables, I toss it with the pasta and sauce before serving. Therefore, I store and reheat the veggies along with my pasta. If you’ve kept them separate, store in the same way as the pasta (but don’t freeze sautéed vegetables).

Top view of two partially cropped plates of pumpkin sauce coated penne. Bottom plate garnished with fried sage leaves; top plate garnished with sauteed mushrooms, spinach and chickpeas. Two crossed wood forks sit to the right, between the plates along with a few bunches of sage leaves, wood dish of salt and wood dish of red pepper flakes.

If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!

Square cropped image of a close up of a plate of penne pasta tossed with pumpkin sauce and garnished with fried sage leaves.

Vegan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

This vegan pumpkin pasta sauce recipe is super creamy and the easiest recipe ever! Keep it simple and serve with your favorite pasta; or take your meal to a higher level with optional fried sage and/or sautéed vegetables.
5 from 4 votes. Leave a review!
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep Time 5 mins
Total Time 5 mins
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 252 kcal
Cuisine Vegan

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Large pot
  • Can opener
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Large pan (optional)

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin Sauce

  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1 ¾ cups coconut milk (14 oz/ 400 mL can)
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

To Serve

  • 350 grams package pasta , cooked

(Optional) Fried Sage

  • 2 tablespoons vegan butter
  • ½ cup sage leaves (about 20 leaves)

(Optional) Sautéed Vegetables

  • ¾ cup onion , sliced
  • 1 ½ cups mushrooms , sliced
  • 2 cups spinach , raw
  • 2 ¼ cups chickpeas (19 oz/ 540 mL can, drained and rinsed)
  • salt (to taste)
  • black pepper (to taste)
  • nutmeg (to taste)
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Step 1: Make Pumpkin Sauce

  • Peel and mince (or crush) 5 cloves of garlic (use less, or more, to taste).
    5 cloves garlic
  • Warm some oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
    1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • Add the remaining sauce ingredients, including pumpkin puree, coconut milk, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
    2 cups pumpkin puree, 1 ¾ cups coconut milk, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Stir until combined.
  • Taste and add extra seasonings as desired.

Step 2: Cook Pasta to Serve

  • Cook your favorite pasta according to package directions.
    350 grams package pasta
  • Coat with the prepared sauce and serve!
  • 350 grams of dry pasta is a good amount if serving with the additional vegetables. Without the veggies, 400 grams of pasta is a better amount.

Step 3 (Optional): Fry Sage

  • If making fried sage, remove the stems from sage leaves and wash. Pat the leaves dry.
    ½ cup sage leaves
  • Warm vegan butter (or oil of your choice) in a large pan over medium heat.
    2 tablespoons vegan butter
  • Once the butter melts, add your sage. Fry until the edges become crisp (they turn a darker color). Flip the sage over and fry for another 30-60 seconds, until the whole leaf is a dark color and crispy.
  • Remove from the butter and serve on your pumpkin pasta!

Step 4 (Optional): Sauté Vegetables

  • Once the sage is out of your pan, use the leftover sage-infused butter to sauté some vegetables. If you’ve skipped the sage, simply use a tablespoon of your favorite oil or vegan butter alternative.
    2 tablespoons vegan butter
  • Slice the vegetables. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas.
    2 ¼ cups chickpeas
  • Cook the onion for 2-3 minutes, until it starts to soften.
    ¾ cup onion
  • Then, add the sliced mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes before adding spinach.
    1 ½ cups mushrooms, 2 cups spinach
  • Add salt, black pepper and a pinch of nutmeg to taste.
    salt, black pepper, nutmeg
  • Let the spinach wilt, then remove the pan from the heat.
  • Taste your vegetables and add extra salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.
  • Serve on top of the pumpkin sauce pasta, with the fried sage!

Video

Notes

Nutrition information calculated for sauce recipe only and does not account for pasta, vegetables or any other ingredients.
Accuracy of nutrition information cannot be guaranteed (certain ingredients may not have all nutrients listed in the database); amounts may vary (and will vary depending on brands of ingredients used); all nutrition fact values rounded to the nearest whole number.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Serving (¼ of recipe)Calories: 252 kcalCarbohydrates: 17 gProtein: 3 gFat: 22 gSaturated Fat: 16 gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1 gMonounsaturated Fat: 3 gSodium: 607 mgPotassium: 473 mgFiber: 5 gSugar: 8 gVitamin A: 19066 IUVitamin C: 7 mgCalcium: 45 mgIron: 3 mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Vegan Main Meal Recipes

Like this recipe? You should also try:

  • Vegan Orange Chicken Recipe
  • Green Curry with Tofu
  • Vegan Chili Recipe (Three Bean, Gluten Free)
  • Vegan Soba Noodle Stir Fry (with Peanut Sauce)

About Nicole Stevens

Nicole is a vegan Registered Dietitian (RD) and founder of Lettuce Veg Out.

She helps people thrive on a vegan diet with balanced recipes and easy-to-understand nutrition science.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katelyn

    October 09, 2022 at 8:19 pm

    Creamy, flavourful, and delicious!

    Reply
    • Nicole

      October 10, 2022 at 7:46 am

      Thanks so much Katelyn! Hope you're doing well 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jeannette

    October 21, 2021 at 1:18 pm

    The easiest, creamiest most delicious pasta!!
    Thank you so much Nicole!

    Reply

Reply to comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nicole! As a vegan Registered Dietitian, I empower vegans to live a balanced life and gain confidence in the kitchen.

More about me →

Latest Vegan Recipes

  • Vegan Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe
  • Vegan Chipotle Mayo (Aioli) Recipe
  • Cashew Mayonnaise Recipe (Vegan)
  • Apple Pie Baked Oats Recipe

Footer


About

  • About Lettuce Veg Out
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Service
  • Contact Nicole

Email Updates

© 2016–2023 Lettuce Veg Out

Manage your privacy
To provide a quality experience, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies allows us to process data such as browsing activity or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting, or withdrawing consent, may affect site features and functions.
Functional Always active
Necessary to enable a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
Required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
Manage options
{title} {title} {title}