Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

bowl of pumpkin pasta next to a white skillet

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 98kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

This Pumpkin Pasta Sauce is the perfect topping for a Fall-inspired meal. It takes less than 20 minutes to make, and is naturally dairy-free and vegan. (But feel free to add some shredded Parmesan on top, if you'd like to.)

Print Recipe Add to Collection

Equipment

Vitamix

Ingredients

16 ounces spaghetti noodles (or pasta of choice)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion , chopped
2 garlic cloves , minced
1 teaspoon fresh minced sage , plus extra for garnish
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes (no salt added)
1 cup pumpkin puree
salt & pepper , to taste
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 cup canned coconut milk (optional)

Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. While the noodles are cooking, prepare the sauce by adding the olive oil to a separate skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion until softened, stirring often, about 8 minutes.
Add in the garlic and sage, and cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 more minutes.
In a blender, combine the tomatoes, pumpkin, 1 teaspoon of salt, a 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, maple syrup, and the cooked onions, garlic, and sage. Blend until very smooth. For an extra-creamy sauce, add in the coconut milk, too. (Highly recommend!)
When the pasta is done cooking, drain the noodles. Pour the blended sauce back into the large skillet, and heat it up, so it's ready to serve. Toss with the noodles, and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. I usually have to add at least a 1/2 teaspoon more salt, but that will vary based on how much salt the pasta absorbs while cooking. You can also adjust the flavor by adding a touch of lemon juice for more tartness, or another teaspoon of maple syrup for more sweetness.
Serve warm, with any extra pasta toppings you love. This recipe is vegan as written, but you can top it with a little Parmesan cheese if you don't need a dairy-free recipe. Leftover sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is for roughly 3/4 cup of sauce, not including the pasta. This information is just an estimate, and not a guarantee.

If you don't want to use coconut milk, you can leave it out for more of a marinara sauce texture, or use another milk that you like instead!

I purposefully only use 1 cup of pumpkin puree in this recipe, because I wanted to use the rest of the can for a different recipe. If you want to use an entire can of pumpkin puree in this recipe, you can! And if you have a little less pumpkin to use up, it will work here, too. This recipe is very flexible, so adjust as needed.

Nutrition