I’ve tested plenty of plant-based pasta recipes over the years, and this vegan pumpkin pasta sauce is my favorite for the fall and winter seasons. It makes a great main course (or substantial side dish) for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve. Give it a try if you’re looking for easy yet flavorful vegan dinner or lunch ideas, like this creamy tempeh pasta, which is another delicious option.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Pumpkin purée adds a warm, cozy flavor to this vegan pasta sauce. I like to use canned, but homemade purée works too. If using canned, make sure to choose pure pumpkin purée as opposed to pumpkin pie filling (the cans often look similar, so it’s easy to grab the wrong one).
Hemp hearts (also called shelled hemp seeds) give this vegan pasta sauce a creamy texture and a subtle nutty flavor while adding omega-3 fatty acids, complete protein, and iron. If you don’t have hemp hearts, you can substitute cashews (I recommend soaking them in boiling water for 1 hour, then drain and discard the liquid before adding them to the blender. Unless you have a high-powered blender in which case you can skip that step). You can also substitute silken tofu.
Nutritional yeast adds an umami, “cheesy” flavor to this sauce. You can omit it if necessary.
Sage and nutmeg complement the flavor of the pumpkin in this pasta sauce nicely. I used dried sage, but finely chopped fresh sage works too.
How to Make Vegan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
Add the hemp hearts, pumpkin purée, water, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, onion powder, sage, and nutmeg to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Heat on the stove or in the microwave to your desired temperature, then toss with 5 servings of hot cooked pasta (approximately 12 oz or 340 g dry pasta), or store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months. Garnish with finely chopped chives and black pepper before serving, if desired.
Vegan Pumpkin Pasta Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup hemp hearts (also called shelled hemp seeds, or see notes below for substitute options)
- 1 cup pumpkin purée (I used canned)
- 1 cup water (I like it thick. You can add an extra tablespoon or two of water if you prefer a thinner consistency)
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 garlic clove (or substitute 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage (or substitute 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage leaves)
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Optional garnishes: black pepper and finely chopped chives
Instructions
- Add 1 cup hemp hearts, 1 cup pumpkin purée, 1 cup water, 1/3 cup nutritional yeast, 1 garlic clove, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon dried sage, and 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg to a blender.
- Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Heat on the stove or in the microwave to your desired temperature, then toss with 5 servings of hot cooked pasta (approximately 12 oz or 340 g dry pasta), or store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.
- Garnish with finely chopped chives and black pepper before serving, if desired.
Notes
- You can substitute cashews instead of the hemp hearts, if you prefer. If you have a high-powered blender then you can add them directly to the blender. If your blender is less powerful, I recommend soaking the cashews in boiling water for 1 hour, then drain and discard the soaking liquid before adding them to the blender. You can also substitute silken tofu.
Nutrition Estimates
Did You Try This Recipe?
Let me know how it turned out in the comments!
