This creamy, dairy-free, savory pumpkin pasta will be your new go to fall dish! An easy dinner recipe is made with simple ingredients that come together to make a comforting and unique dish. Plus, it’s simple to make and ready in under 20 minutes! Give it a try and don’t forget to leave a review.
What ingredients do I need to make this recipe?
- Pasta: I like to use linguine with this recipe, but any shape will do! I’ve also made this with cavatappi and shells. You can also use regular noodles or whole wheat!
- Pasta water: The key to this dish is the salty, starchy water that comes from boiling pasta! It adds flavor AND helps hold the pasta and sauce together.
- Pumpkin puree: NOT pumpkin pie filling. They look very similar and come in cans, but one is 100% pumpkin and the other has lots of spices and sugar, which you definitely do not want for this savory dish.
- Tomato paste
- Olive oil: You can also use vegetable oil, but I prefer olive oil to sauté the shallots and garlic in.
- Garlic
- Shallot
- Canned coconut milk: Make sure to get full fat! The fat is necessary to make this pasta perfectly creamy.
- Spinach
- Cayenne, nutmeg, salt, pepper
- Optional for topping: pancetta, shredded parmesan, chopped fresh parsley
Tips for making this dish:
- Do not skip reserving and adding in the pasta water! It brings the dish to another level.
- Salt your pasta water! This makes the flavor great and is especially important since you’ll be using the pasta water.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Follow the instructions on the package for al dente pasta.
- Add topping! I suggest some in the recipe that I like on here but feel free to add your own.
How do I make the pumpkin sauce?
1) Sauté the shallots and garlic in olive oil.
2) Stir in the pumpkin puree, tomato paste, coconut milk, and reserved pasta water.
3) Spice with nutmeg, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
What should I serve with this dish?
You can serve garlic bread, salad, or rolls. Really anything you’d usually serve with pasta!
Storage information:
I don’t usually recommend making pasta ahead of time. BUT what you can do is make the sauce ahead of time and keep it refrigerated in a sealed container. reheat it when you’re ready to use it. This way, you can make the pasta when it’s time to eat and simply toss the re-heated sauce with the pasta.
The sauce will stay good in the refrigerator for around 4 days.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
- Broccoli Cheddar Pockets
- Butternut Squash Pizza
- Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
- Honey Dijon Warm Brussels Sprout Salad
- Lemony Parmesan Linguine with Broccolini and Chickpeas
The Best Pumpkin Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 shallot
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 1 cup pasta water
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups fresh spinach chopped
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional for topping: Cooked diced pancetta shredded parmesan, and chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before straining.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add garlic and shallot and stir until aromatic.
- Add pumpkin puree, coconut milk, reserved pasta water, and tomato paste. Whisk until sauce is combined.
- Stir in cayenne and nutmeg. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss in pasta and spinach until coated and spinach is wilted.
- Optional: Top with cooked, diced pancetta, parmesan, and/or chopped fresh parsley
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