This Creamy Pumpkin Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta is so good and simple to make! The season for all things pumpkin is still in full swing in our house, and this dreamy pumpkin sauce has a subtle and decadent savory pumpkin flavor to satisfy your cravings!
At first, I was skeptical about a pumpkin sauce for pasta, but after tasting how delicious it is with coconut milk and tangy sun-dried tomato, I was in love! The recipe is very simple to make, too. As the pasta cooks, you make the sauce in a separate pan.
How This Creamy Pumpkin Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Comes Toger
Start by cooking the pasta. I like a short cut pasta for this dish, and chose mezze rigatoni but any will be fine. Just be sure to cook it to al dente and not overcook it. You want the pasta to be able to hold up to the sauce. I also like to add around 1 tbsp of salt to the pasta cooking water along with the pasta, to season it.
Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and heat a large pan on medium heat. Add the butter to the pan, and once it’s melted, add the sprigs of rosemary. Once it has cooked for 2 to 3 min, remove the rosemary using a slotted spoon or tongs. In go the onions, along with the olive oil. Stir the onions, and let them cook on medium low around 8 to 10 min.
You want the onions to become translucent, and some browning is okay. However, if they are starting to get too brown, add a small amount of water. Then add the vegetable broth, and allow it to simmer until around half the broth has evaporated. This will allow the onions to cook further in the broth, and the broth adds more flavor.
Next, stir in the pumpkin puree and coconut milk. If your can of full-fat coconut milk has separated, meaning the thinner coconut “water” has separated from the thick coconut cream, just whisk it all together in a mixing bowl. Then measure out the 1 cup that you need for the recipe. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
Then, very carefully transfer the sauce to a blender, along with half of the sun-dried tomatoes and blend. Return the sauce to the pan, scraping out as much sauce from the blender as you can. Add in the cooked pasta and stir, adding a bit of pasta cooking water to thin the sauce if you like.
If you’re a huge rosemary lover, you can finely chop 1/2 teaspoon of rosemary leaves and add that into the pasta, along with the remaining sun-dried tomatoes (finely chopped) then serve. Vegan parmesan and red chili flakes are great to serve with this pasta. This recipe makes about 4 servings, but depends on portion size.
Tips for this Recipe
The sun-dried tomatoes add great flavor, but they are fine to omit.
When re-heating any leftovers, you may want to add a splash of water or vegetable broth to loosen up the sauce.
Other Delicious Creamy Pasta Recipes
Creamy Tomato Pasta with Broccoli
Creamy Avocado Parsley Pasta with Tomatoes
Creamy Pumpkin Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. pasta of choice
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 small red onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and finely chopped
- Vegan parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente, in salted water. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Meanwhile, add the butter to a large pan on medium heat. Once melted, add the rosemary and let it cook for 2 to 3 min, then remove the rosemary using a slotted spoon or tongs. Add the red onion, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook onions for 8 to 10 min, stirring periodically. A bit of browning is fine, but add a tablespoon of water if needed, to prevent burning. Add vegetable broth and cook until broth is halfway evaporated.
- Stir in the pumpkin puree and coconut milk, along with the garlic powder. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then very carefully transfer it to a blender. Add half of the sun-dried to the blender. Carefully blend then pour sauce back into the pan, using a spatula to get as much sauce from the blender as possible.
- Add the cooked pasta and remaining sun-dried tomatoes, and stir well. If you want a thinner sauce, add some of the pasta cooking water, 1 to 2 tbsp at a time, until the sauce is how you like it.
- Serve and top with shredded / grated vegan parmesan. If you're a rosemary lover, you can finely chop 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary to add into the pasta.