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    Home » Recipes » Main Courses

    Published: Nov 13, 2019 · Modified: Sep 27, 2022 by Mariska Ramondino · This post may contain affiliate links

    Vegan Pumpkin Pasta with Spinach (Easy + GF)

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan Pumpkin Pasta with spinach
    Healthy Pumpkin Pasta (for a Meatless Thanksgiving)
    Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Pasta With Spinach

    This earthy plant-based pumpkin pasta sauce is a quick and savory stovetop recipe featuring veggies such as onion, spinach and infused with dried sage, marjoram, and garlic.

    It's perfect for a hearty and quick weeknight dinner, yet it's luxurious enough to serve when you have friends over or as a Thanksgiving pasta dish!

    Enjoy as-is or with a large salad on the side!

    A table with a large white pan filled with creamy pasta next to two plates also filled with the same food.

    Yes, it's pumpkin season. And although you can enjoy this squash year-round, it always has a special place in my kitchen coming fall.

    This pumpkin pasta sauce makes good use of canned pumpkin puree—a typical fall pantry staple in my house. The sauce is ready in 20 minutes flat, and the flavors don't disappoint.

    It's creamy, savory, filled with tender sweet pieces of onions, packed with quickly wilted spinach, and nicely balanced with dried sage and marjoram.

    It's not a one-pot pasta dish. You're still going to cook the noodles separately, but it's because you want that al dente bite that'll contrast the silky texture of this sauce—It'll be worth it.

    How to make this pumpkin pasta sauce

    Ingredients like pasta, salt, pepper, pumpkin puree, olive oil, garlic, coconut cream, yellow onion, spinach leaves, dried sage, marjoram displayed on a white background.

    It's a straightforward recipe, so I only have a few notes:

    Pasta selection: although pretty much any pasta shape will work, I'm going to suggest sticking to a shorter noodle, like penne, so that you have the right proportion of cooking liquid to pasta.

    To make it gluten-free, go for gluten-free pasta. I love the organic brown rice noodles from Jovial because their texture holds well during cooking. Don't overcook the noodles; You want an 'al dente' texture—chewy but still firm. Know that gluten-free varieties probably cook faster so factor in some extra cooking time if you opt for regular pasta.

    The herbs: one tablespoon of dried sage and marjoram might seem a lot, but we're seasoning two cans of pumpkin puree. These herbs' assertive flavors will also bring out the pumpkin's softer nature and reveal a more meaty and earthy squash that works so well in this sauce.

    Coconut cream/milk: the recipe calls for one tablespoon of coconut cream. But the sauce needs more liquid to smooth out the flavors, and you can get it from leftover pasta water. But I highly suggest adding about 5 to 7 tablespoons of coconut milk for a more luxurious pumpkin pasta sauce.

    Extra seasoning: add salt to taste, a tad of garlic powder at the end, and be royal with fresh black pepper.

    Pasta for Thanksgiving

    A close-up of two stacked wooden bowls with the bowl on top filled with a pumpkin spinach pasta.

    Yes, you can eat pasta on Thanksgiving. I think it's one of those comfort dishes that's suitable to serve for pretty much every occasion, and the Holiday season is no exception.

    It can be your main dish or a pasta side dish. A sage pumpkin pasta that still has all the traditional fall flavors but is ready in 20 minutes—talk about a stress-free menu.

    Serve with extra (vegan) Parmesan cheese on the side!

    What goes well with pumpkin pasta

    To keep it on the lighter side:

    • Try this Kale apple salad;
    • A hearty arugula salad, or any tossed green salad with olive oil & balsamic;
    • Farmer's bread or sweet Rosemary Drop Biscuits;

    Make a smaller portion—dinner for two

    This dish serves a more prominent family or group of people. But just in case you want to make dinner for two or yourself (with some leftovers), then all you need to do is make a few adjustments.

    • Cook one 12-ounce pack of pasta instead of two and use only 3-quarts of water for boiling;
    • Use only one 16-ounce package of pumpkin puree—unless you like the extra sauce;
    • Decide for yourself how much spinach you want in this dish. I would lower it to 2 or 3 cups packed.
    • Taste test when adding the dried herbs. Start with ½ tablespoon of sage and ½ tablespoon of dried marjoram.
    • Keep the rest of the ingredients the same;
    • The coconut milk is optional. But just adding a few tablespoons makes the sauce super silky.
    A close-up of a large wooden bowl filled with creamy pasta and spinach.
    A close-up of a fork with creamy pumpkin pasta over a filled wooden bowl.

    Leftovers and Storage

    This pasta is best served immediately when hot, but if you have any leftovers, store everything in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Then, briefly reheat over the stove.

    More pasta or squash dishes you might like

    • A healthy and gluten-free vegetable pasta
    • Sweet and spicy red pasta sauce with creamy cannellini beans
    • Butternut Squash-Zucchini and Rosemary Soup 
    • Red Kuri Squash Soup
    • Pumpkin Spice Energy Balls

    Want to make it later? PIN IT to your recipe board on Pinterest. Don't forget to SHARE and SUBSCRIBE to my monthly newsletter to stay in touch! Enjoy!

    A close-up of a large wooden bowl filled with creamy pasta and spinach.

    Vegan Pumpkin Pasta

    Mariska Ramondino
    An easy pumpkin pasta recipe made with a creamy and herb-infused pumpkin pasta sauce and veggies—perfect for weeknight dinners (family size) or a vegan Holiday main dish!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Main Courses
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 Servings

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 boxes brown rice pasta 12 ounces/340 grams each
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 3 garlic cloves chopped
    • 1 large yellow onion chopped (305 grams)
    • 2 cans organic pumpkin puree (I used canned) 16 ounces/454 grams each
    • 4 - 5 cups packed chopped spinach 80 grams
    • 1 tablespoon coconut cream 20 grams, plus ½ cup extra coconut milk, based on preference and optional
    • 1 tablespoon dried sage
    • 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

    Instructions

    • Fill a large pot with 4 to 5 quarts of water and bring to a rolling boil (to cook the pasta). Add salt to taste. When water is boiling, add the pasta noodles and cook until al dente.
    • Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion. Cook and stir for 5 minutes and until the onion is translucent, not browned.
    • Add the spinach. Cook and stir for one minute or until wilted. Season with one teaspoon salt.
    • Change the heat to medium-low. Then stir in the pumpkin puree and coconut cream—season with sage, marjoram, and garlic powder.
    • At this point, the pasta should be boiling in the water and almost ready. Transfer some of the pasta water (about ½ cup) into the pumpkin puree sauce.
    • Cook and stir for a few minutes until the sauce is sufficiently warm.
    • Optional: spoon in additional coconut milk for a more luxurious sauce (about 5 to 7 tablespoons).
    • Season to taste with salt and royally with black pepper.
    • Drain the pasta when ready and transfer to a large serving bowl.
    • Pour the pumpkin puree pasta sauce over the hot pasta noodles.
    • Stir until everything is well combined. Serve immediately while still hot!

    Notes

    Cooking tip: If your pumpkin puree sauce is ready before the pasta, keep it on the lowest heat setting and occasionally stir to keep it warm.
    Storage: This pasta is best when served hot immediately, but if you have any leftovers, store everything in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Briefly reheat over the stove.
    Seasoning: Season the pumpkin puree sauce royally with freshly ground black pepper and additional salt to taste before serving.
    Add-ons: Stir in ¼ cup salted roasted sunflower seeds (optional). Serve with (vegan) Parmesan cheese on the side.
    Make it gluten-free: The sauce is already gluten-free. Just serve over gluten-free pasta.

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    Nutrition (% Daily value)

    Calories: 488kcal (24%)Carbohydrates: 101g (34%)Protein: 11g (22%)Fat: 6g (9%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 53mg (2%)Potassium: 443mg (13%)Fiber: 12g (50%)Sugar: 6g (7%)Vitamin A: 19736IU (395%)Vitamin C: 16mg (19%)Calcium: 76mg (8%)Iron: 3mg (17%)

    Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.

    Keywords : dairy free, gluten-free, nut-free, pasta, plantbased, pumpkin, vegetarian
    Tried this recipe? PIN it for laterMention @mychefsapron or tag #mychefsapron!

    This post was originally published in November 20119 and has been updated with an updated recipe, new pictures, and new information.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Taylor says

      September 25, 2020 at 9:24 am

      This sounds delicious! We haven't every tried a pasta dish like this before, but now I'm curious about what we'd think. I think I'd really enjoy this one!

      Reply
    2. Kait | Slumber & Scones says

      September 25, 2020 at 2:52 pm

      I've never been a fan of pumpkin as a sweet food, but I love other squashes, so I bet I would enjoy this pasta! The color is gorgeous, and it looks absolutely delicious.

      Reply

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