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    Home » Recipes » Mains

    Vegan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

    Published: Sep 1, 2019 · Modified: May 3, 2021 by Rosa · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

    7.2K shares
    JUMP TO RECIPE

    For a savoury pumpkin dish, look no further than this absolutely mouthwatering pumpkin pasta sauce. Pairs perfectly with noodles of your choice, or brown rice if you’re avoiding wheat. This sauce is quick and easy to whip up, making it a great choice on busy weeknights, or any time you’ve got a pumpkin craving!

    close up of fettuccini pasta in pumpkin sauce

    I know you will absolutely LOVE this vegan pasta sauce.

    First of all, we’re talking pasta here! What’s not to love??

    But secondly, the sauce and pasta are ready in 20 minutes flat! Perfect for busy weeknights, or lazy days.

    This pumpkin pasta sauce is not only vegan, but it’s gluten free and be sure to use gluten free noodles if needed.

    Plus, it’s oil free, making it low in fat compared to cream based or nut based sauces. AND it’s nut free too!

    So you’ve got a delicious, absolutely mouth watering sauce made using pantry staples like canned pumpkin and vegetable broth, with little to no prep required that is allergen friendly and ready in 20 minutes!! WIN!

    two plates of noodle spirals

    Is pumpkin healthy?

    Aside from being utterly delicious, this pumpkin pasta sauce is quite nourishing and pumpkin has a ton of health benefits!

    Pumpkin is actually considered a superfood that is nutrient dense and filled with vitamins. It’s rich in Vitamin A, lutein (said to aid in eye health) and antioxidants.

    This superfood is also said to improve joint health and inflammation!

    Now my favourite part: pumpkin is super low in calories! YES!!

    So go ahead and use this pumpkin pasta sauce on EVERYTHING!

    How to make pumpkin pasta sauce

    This simple vegan pasta dish uses 9 pantry ingredients that don’t need any prep work. No washing, peeling, chopping or slicing! WOO HOO!

    All you need is some low sodium vegetable broth, canned pumpkin puree and the perfect blend of seasoning. (See below for the full recipe card.)

    Combine everything in a small sauce pan and simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavours to blend nicely. Then stir in the plant milk for a lovely creamy finish.

    Voila! Pumpkin pasta sauce done!

    Meanwhile, cook your pasta according to package directions for ‘al dente‘ pasta.

    Once your pasta is cooked and drained, combine with the pumpkin sauce and garnish your plate with green onion, vegan parmesan cheese, or chili flakes for extra heat.

    pumpkin pasta sauce over bowl of spaghetti twirls

    Expert Tips

    1. Salt your water. Make sure to add enough salt to the boiling water for best texture and flavour. Here’s a handy guide to help you salt your water perfectly each time.
    2. Cook your pasta al dente. Do not overcook! Al dente means that the pasta is still firm once cooked, giving optimal texture in every bite. To ensure your pasta does not over cook, start taste testing a few minutes before the package says it will be ready. It should be tender, but still firm. Other than the pasta being far more delicious when cooked this way, it has the added side effect of eating less pasta since it’ll take you a touch longer to eat it. 😉
    3. Store your leftover pasta and sauce separately. Pasta will absorb the sauce as it sits in the refrigerator, resulting in much softer/mushy pasta when reheating. If you like soft pasta, then go for it. Otherwise store them separately.

    Variations/Substitutions

    • The sauce is great on wheat pasta, zoodles, brown rice, or even chickpea or lentil pasta for a healthier noodle choice.
    • If you’re cooking for picky eaters or children, skip the cayenne pepper, or depending on their tastes, you might want/need to skip the sage and ginger for their plate too. I recommend scooping out a bit of the pumpkin pasta sauce before seasoning, and set aside. Then season the rest. Don’t skip the sage or ginger for the remainder of the sauce. That’s really what is amplifying the flavours of this sauce.
    • If you can’t do soy (but you can do nuts) swap the soy milk for unsweetened cashew or almond milk. Or if you want to add extra richness to the sauce, use the canned kind of coconut milk. Keep in mind, this will add more fat, so I like to use the “light” version.

    How to store and reheat

    To store your leftovers, place the pasta and sauce in separate sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

    You may reheat together in a skillet. Or if you don’t want to change the texture, place the plain pasta in boiling water for 30 seconds or so and drain it. Just enough to heat through without cooking it further. Reheat the sauce in a small sauce pot or skillet and combine with the pasta and enjoy!

    I don’t recommend freezing pasta as it will get very soft when thawing and reheating. You may, however, freeze the sauce if you have extra. Place it in an airtight container in your freezer for up to 2 months.

    spaghetti spirals in two plates with green onion on top

    This amazing vegan pasta sauce is:

    • creamy & velvety
    • rich & delicious
    • with a little bit of heat
    • and all while remaining dairy free, oil free, and virtually fat free!

    You’ve got to try this!

    More amazing fall recipes!

    • Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
    • Air Fryer Spaghetti Squash
    • Pumpkin Black Bean Burgers
    • Creamy Autumn Soup
    • Vegan Pumpkin Risotto
    • Butternut Squash Soup
    • Easy Pumpkin Spice Hummus
    • Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese

    If you tried this recipe, please let me know about it in the comments below. I always love hearing from you! Don’t forget to Subscribe to This Healthy Kitchen to be among the first to get my new recipes! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to see more delicious food and get all the latest updates.

    Buon appetito,
    Rosa

    close up of fettuccini pasta in pumpkin sauce

    Vegan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

    Delicious vegan pumpkin pasta sauce is perfect for a super quick and easy weeknight meal using simple ingredients to deliver a whole lotta yum!
    4.95 from 38 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe Add to Collection Go to Collections
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Canadian, Italian
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 325kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 cups low sodium vegetable broth
    • 2 cups pumpkin puree
    • ½ teaspoon dried sage
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
    • ½ cup soy milk or milk of choice
    • 1 lb pasta of choice I like fettuccine
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In a medium sauce pan, add your vegetable broth, pumpkin puree and all the seasonings, and simmer over medium low heat for about 5-6 minutes. Then turn off the heat and stir in your milk. Set aside and keep covered.
    • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil, and cook your pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to the pot. Then pour the sauce over the pasta and mix immediately so the pasta doesn't stick together. You may reserve some of the sauce to garnish each plate, or you can mix it all in, your choice.
    • Serve garnished with chili flakes and vegan Parmesan cheese if desired.

    Notes

    I like Barilla brand pasta because they do not use GMO ingredients. You can read more about that here.
    Salt your water. Make sure to add enough salt to the boiling water for best texture and flavour. Here's a handy guide to help you salt your water perfectly each time.
    The sauce is great on wheat pasta, zoodles, brown rice, or even chickpea or lentil pasta for a healthier noodle choice. Cook wheat pasta 'al dente' for best texture. (Al dente means that the pasta is still firm once cooked, giving optimal texture in every bite.)
    To make this gluten free, sub for your favourite gluten free pasta and cook according to package directions for 'al dente' pasta.
    Store your leftover pasta and sauce separately for best texture.
    If you're cooking for picky eaters skip the cayenne pepper.
    If you can't do soy (but you can do nuts) swap the soy milk for unsweetened cashew or almond milk. Or, for extra richness, use canned coconut milk. Use light for lower fat.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 325kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 263mg | Potassium: 373mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 12950IU | Vitamin C: 4.9mg | Calcium: 71mg | Iron: 2.5mg
    DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?Mention @this.healthy.kitchen on IG and tag #thishealthykitchen!
    *Nutritional information is an estimate, calculated using online tools and does not include optional ingredients unless otherwise indicated.
    7.2K shares

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    1. Shi

      November 14, 2022 at 11:57 pm

      5 stars
      Yumm!

      Reply
    2. Cara

      October 13, 2022 at 4:31 pm

      5 stars
      I have acid reflux and found this while looking for a healthy alternative to red sauce. I skipped on the chili/cayenne and used almond milk since I couldn’t find soy anywhere. The sauce came out a little too watery, so I’ll try using one cup of broth and one 15oz can of pumpkin puree in the future. I added some umami seasoning from Trader Joe’s and parmesan on top. It made a lot of servings, so I may try freezing half of it and play around with the leftovers. Sharing this with all of my friends with GERD.

      Reply
      • Rosa

        October 14, 2022 at 9:41 am

        Hi Cara, thanks for taking the time to leave a review. So glad you found something that works with your dietary restrictions. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Ashley

      February 13, 2021 at 11:49 pm

      5 stars
      I am new to the vegan lifestyle..like…only 13 days of new. My son expressed a need for more time with just me. Tonight was the first night of helping me in the kitchen (one of the ways we are getting one on one time). I chose this dish to be our first. He took the reins and followed the recipe. He did accidentally double the cayenne pepper, but it ended up being fine. I got to teach him about salting the pasta water. We used chickpea noodles, and explain tasting the food as you go, so you can make adjustments. The dish was a huge success! Its so savory and full of flavor! I’m not a pumpkin flavor fan, but this was delicious! Its so easy to make and so quick. My son was very proud of himself and let dad know he was the chef. Thank you for the wonderful dish and the memory that came with it. I cant wait to try more of your recipes

      Reply
      • Rosa

        February 14, 2021 at 8:37 am

        Thanks so much for the review Ashley! Such a beautiful memory, so flattered this dish was a part of that. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Gena

      December 09, 2019 at 11:55 pm

      5 stars
      I added arrowroot powder to thicken. Pretty spicy but tasty. I used fresh roasted pumpkin! Yum.

      Reply
      • rosa

        December 10, 2019 at 7:29 am

        Fresh pumpkin sounds great. So glad you enjoyed this recipe Gena, thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Robyn

      December 03, 2019 at 8:11 pm

      5 stars
      I made this tonight to use on butternut squash ravioli. It was so easy to make and I had everything except the sage so I substituted mint( the type from the spice isle) it was absolutely delicious! So much flavor for so little effort! Thanks for sharing this recipe.

      Reply
      • rosa

        December 04, 2019 at 5:59 pm

        Thanks so much for the feedback Robyn. I’m glad you enjoyed. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Sam

      November 04, 2019 at 8:52 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious and easy to make! Great recipe.

      Reply
      • rosa

        November 05, 2019 at 6:35 am

        Thanks Sam! Glad you enjoyed. 🙂

        Reply
    7. vin spano

      September 01, 2019 at 4:58 pm

      5 stars
      made the sauce and thought , this is spicy ( almost like a curry that can be made in ten minutes ) so I decided to skip the pasta and used cous cous I had in the freezer. Mixed it with pineapple ( for Taste ) and green peas ( for color ) and some vegan meatballs I had in the freezer. Added the sauce and then sliced a banana lengthwise to compliment the pineapple and add to the presentation. Superb. Thanks.

      Reply
      • rosa

        September 01, 2019 at 6:55 pm

        Hi Vin, thanks so much for taking the time to share your process. I’m thrilled you enjoyed this recipe, and I love the creativity here. 🙂

        Reply
    8. Lucie

      September 01, 2019 at 9:59 am

      5 stars
      Omgosh this looks so good I want a roll of that pasta 🍝

      Reply
      • rosa

        September 01, 2019 at 11:57 am

        Thanks so much Lucie! It’s so tasty, enjoy! 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Rosa! Welcome to This Healthy Kitchen where you'll find tasty and nutritious, plant based recipes with tons of gluten free and oil free options too! Always made using wholesome ingredients, and under 400 calories per serving. Occasional cheat days included. 😉

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