Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
Makes enough for 1 to 1½ pounds of pasta. This creamy pumpkin pasta is velvety smooth and rich (without the dairy!) Sage and just a hint of cinnamon highlight the creamy pumpkin and make this hearty pasta dish one your family will ask for again and again!
Ingredients
Pumpkin Sauce
- 2 cups mushroom or vegetable broth
- 1 small sweet onion
- ⅓ cup raw cashews
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon dried sage
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch nutmeg
- ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- sea salt adjust to taste- amount will be different based on the broth used
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 can pumpkin puree (15oz/425g)
- ½-1 cup reserved pasta water
For Serving
- 1-1½ lb pasta of choice fettuccini, penne or cavatappi work great
- vegan parmesan optional
Instructions
- Add your broth to a bowl and set to the side where you can easily access it as needed.
- Chop the onion and dice the garlic cloves. Add the onion, garlic and cashews to a large skillet over medium heat with a light sprinkle of salt.
- Stir often to prevent cashews from burning and add a light splash of broth (from your reserved broth bowl) whenever needed to prevent sticking. Cook for 9-11 minutes until onion is translucent and slightly caramelized.
- Add a splash of broth and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pan and then add the contents of your pan, the remaining broth and sauce ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and add salt as needed. (Note: the amount of salt needed will vary based on the broth used. You want the sauce to be on the slightly salty side to balance out the pasta.)
- Pour sauce back into skillet and place over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until hot. Stir in the reserved pasta water, ¼ cup at a time, to get to your desired consistency.
- Toss the sauce with cooked pasta and serve as is or topped with vegan parmesan.
Notes
Note- This recipe makes enough sauce to heartily coat a pound of your favorite pasta or up to 1 ½ pounds.
Gluten Free - Simply swap the pasta with a gluten free grain or wheat free pasta to make this recipe completely gluten free!