This creamy pumpkin pasta sauce without cream gets its rich, velvety texture entirely from pumpkin puree, sautéed onion, and a splash of almond milk, no dairy cream required, and it comes together in about 20 minutes.
If you love easy pumpkin dinners, you will also want to try my Roasted Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Lasagna, Pumpkin and Turkey Pasta, and Vegan Cheese Sauce Pasta.
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This is a pasta I make just as happily for the kids on a Tuesday as I would for a special date night in.
My kids genuinely love this pumpkin sauce, which is not something I expected the first time I made it. It is naturally vegan and easy to make gluten-free with your favorite GF pasta.
Ingredients
Here is all you need to make this delicious Fall pasta recipe:
- Penne pasta: A hearty pasta that pairs well with the creamy pumpkin sauce.
- Extra-virgin olive oil or your preferred mild flavored oil: Adds a touch of richness and enhances the overall taste.
- Margarine (or butter if not vegan/dairy-free): Provides a luscious, creamy texture to the sauce.
- Onion (sweet, white, or shallot): Adds a savory depth of flavor to the sauce.
- Sea salt: Enhances the taste and balances the flavors.
- Crushed black pepper: Adds a subtle kick of heat and complements the other spices.
- Pumpkin puree: The star ingredient that gives the sauce its rich, velvety texture and delightful pumpkin flavor.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds warmth and a hint of spice to the sauce.
- Ground nutmeg: Imparts a fragrant, earthy note to the sauce.
- White wine: Adds a touch of acidity and complexity to the sauce (can be substituted with water if desired).
- Milk (almond milk works well): Creates a creamy base and adds a subtle sweetness to balance the savory elements.
- Freshly chopped sage: Provides a fresh and herbaceous flavor that complements the pumpkin sauce beautifully.
Equipment you need to make this pasta
- A cutting board and a sharp knife for prepping vegetables
- A large pot for boiling pasta
- A large skillet for sautéing the ingredients
- A colander for draining the pasta
- Tongs or Pasta Spoon: To serve the pasta.
How to make creamy pumpkin pasta
Full printable recipe is below, but this is the summary.
First thing is to gather all the ingredients.
Start by heating the butter and oil in a large skillet (I used margarine and extra-virgin olive oil). Add in the onion (I used purple onion) and cook until it shimmers and is translucent.
Add in some flour if you're using to thicken the sauce (or a bit of cornstarch mixed with a bit of water stirred together to dissolve). You could even make the sauce without thickening it.
Next, add in the wine and cook until it reduces. Add in the spices, salt and pepper.
Add in the pumpkin puree and the milk (I used unsweetened almond milk). While you prep the sauce, the pasta is cooking. Once the pasta is ready, reserve some of the cooking water.
Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the sauce. Stir to combine it all together and add a bit of the pasta water to thin out, if needed. Stir in the chopped fresh sage. Taste the sauce adjust the seasoning to your taste (more salt and pepper or add a little kick with some spice, like cayenne pepper).
Quick Tip: Don't forget to reserve some of the pasta water before draining. The pasta water is great to adjust the sauce's texture. It could make it creamier.
I used penne pasta, but you could use spaghetti or even rigatoni. Whatever pasta you like would really work.
Recipe Tips
- Reserve pasta water before draining. It is the easiest way to adjust the sauce to exactly the texture you want, creamier and looser with more water, thicker with less.
- Use plain pumpkin puree, not pie filling. Pie filling already contains sugar and spices that will throw off the balance of this savory sauce.
- Taste and adjust the spices. I always end up adding an extra dash of cinnamon or nutmeg after the first taste. Start light and build up to your preference.
- Undercook the pasta slightly. About a minute short of al dente is right, since it keeps cooking once combined with the hot sauce.
- Top with texture. Toasted pine nuts or grated Parmesan (if not keeping this vegan) add a nice contrast to the smooth sauce.
Variations for the best pumpkin sauce for pasta:
Here are some variations and substitutions you can try with this recipe:
- Pasta: Feel free to use your favorite pasta shape instead of penne. Rigatoni, farfalle, or fusilli would work well.
- Oil: If you prefer a different oil, such as grapeseed or avocado oil, you can use that instead of extra-virgin olive oil.
- Margarine: Use butter if you're not following a vegan or dairy-free diet.
- Onion: Experiment with different types of onions or shallots to vary the flavor.
- Pumpkin Puree: If you don't have pumpkin puree, you can use butternut squash puree as a substitute.
- Spice Variations: Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or smoked paprika for an extra kick of flavor.
- Wine: If you prefer not to use wine, you can substitute it with vegetable or chicken broth.
- Milk: Almond milk can be substituted with other non-dairy milk alternatives like coconut milk or soy milk.
- Sage: If you're not a fan of sage, try using fresh Italian parsley as a garnish.
Substitutions and Variations
- Extra richness: substitute heavy cream for the milk if you are not keeping this dairy-free.
- Thicker sauce: whisk in a teaspoon of flour or a cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with a little water) while sautéing the onion, if you want an extra-thick, more traditional sauce texture.
- Spicier: add a pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne.
- No pumpkin puree? butternut squash puree works as a swap.
- No wine? use vegetable or chicken broth instead.
- Not a sage fan? fresh Italian parsley makes a lighter garnish.
What to Serve With This Pasta
- A simple side salad with mixed greens and a light vinaigrette
- Focaccia or crusty bread
- Roasted Balsamic and Honey Brussels Sprouts
- Grilled tofu, chicken, or shrimp for extra protein
Storing and Freezing
- Refrigerate: Airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.
- Freeze the sauce alone: Store separately from the pasta in an airtight container up to 3 months. Freezing the pasta already mixed with sauce is not recommended.
Some other pumpkin recipes you'll enjoy:
- Roasted Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Lasagna
- Pumpkin Cranberry Scones
- Sourdough Pumpkin Coffee Cake
- Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes
Did you make this and love it? Please RATE THE RECIPE below:)
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Pumpkin Pasta Sauce (Under 20 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or mild flavored oil you like
- 2 Tablespoons margarine I used Earth Balance, use butter if you're not vegan/dairy-free
- 1 small onion minced (I used purple. Sweet, or white onion or shallot works fine)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk I used almond milk, use real milk if you're not vegan/dairy-free
- 2 Tablespoon fresh sage chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cook the pasta making sure it's not quite al dente (so about 1 minute less than the cooking time, because you'll be combining in pan with the sauce and heating together and it will cook a little more).
- While the pasta is cooking, prep the pumpkin sauce.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have become translucent and have totally softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add the wine (water, if you're not using wine), cinnamon, nutmeg, and simmer until it reduces (about 3-5 minutes). Stir in the pumpkin puree and add in the milk. Stir to combine. Check seasoning, and add some more salt and pepper, if needed.
- When pasta is cooked reserve some of the pasta water (½ cup is good), drain well and immediately add the pasta to the pan with pumpkin sauce. On medium heat, give it a nice stir to combine it all together. If it's too thick, loosen it with a little bit of the reserved pasta water and stir it all together.
- Spoon it out onto plates. Add some more crushed black pepper (if you like). Sprinkle on the chopped fresh sage. Enjoy!
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Notes
- Pumpkin: I used canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling). You could make this with your own homemade pumpkin puree.
- Spices: Adjust them to your taste. I add the spice and taste and then always end up adding another dash of cinnamon or nutmeg or both. I like mine to have more of the spice flavor, so adjust yours to your taste.
- Milk: I used unsweetened almond milk. You could use whatever nut milk you like or use heavy cream or regular whole milk (if you're not vegan or dairy-free).
- Sage: The pasta really comes together with the fresh sage. IF you can't get your hands on any, make it with some fresh thyme. If everyone likes the fresh sage, stir it into the sauce before combining with the pasta. If not everyone enjoys it, sprinkle it on the plates for those that like it.
- Use plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Adjust spices to taste; a second dash of cinnamon or nutmeg is common.
- Substitute heavy cream or whole milk for the almond milk if not keeping this dairy-free.
- Store: Airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days, or freeze the sauce alone up to 3 months.
- Serve: Enjoy this pasta as soon as it cooks. The sauce will not stay creamy as it cools down.
Great recipe. The sauce is very creamy! Made it now a few times and used farfalle pasta the last time!
I just made made this and it is absolutely delicious! The whole family loved it so thank you so much for sharing!!! 🙂
Hi Julianne-THANK YOU and so happy you enjoyed! XXX
This looks so delicious! I wish I could get pumpkin puree here! I am just going got have to make it fresh. Thanks for sharing. 🙂