One-Pot Pumpkin Pasta (Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo)
Servings: 4
Calories: 528kcal
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil (or oil of choice)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 large sage leaves, finely chopped
- 1 large sprig, or 2 small sprigs of rosemary, leaves finely chopped (about 1/2 tablespoon of leaves)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (see notes for gluten-free option*)
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can “lite” or reduced-fat coconut milk** (or oat milk)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée (1 15-ounce can has slightly more than 1 1/2 cups)
- 3 1/4 cups vegetable broth (I use low-sodium)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white or yellow miso paste
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 8 ounces pasta of choice (I used fettuccine, but see the notes below for other pasta options***)
- Garnishes: 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, vegan parmesan cheese (I love this brand), or Cashew Parmesan (recipe can be found in this blog post)
Instructions
- Heat a nonstick soup pot or large, deep nonstick skillet**** over medium heat. Add the olive oil and once it’s hot, add the diced onion. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the onion is softened and lightly browned.
- Add the garlic, and chopped sage/rosemary/thyme leaves. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Then add the flour, whisking constantly with a wooden spoon for 1 minute until well incorporated and the mixture forms somewhat of a paste. Stream in the lite coconut milk in stages, whisking after each addition to prevent clumps. Then cook for 2 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Add the pumpkin purée, kosher salt, black pepper to taste, and the nutmeg, and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Using an immersion blender, blend until the sauce is mostly smooth and creamy.
- Add the vegetable broth, miso paste, and nutritional yeast and stir to combine. Finally, add the pasta (broken in half if using a long pasta variety), and move the pasta around to submerge it in the liquid.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer. Once it’s simmering, cook for about 20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened onto the pasta and the pasta is al dente.
- Remove from the heat, and taste the pasta for seasonings, adding more salt as needed. Garnish with parsley and vegan parmesan cheese or cashew parmesan.
Video
Notes
* For a gluten-free option, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour or rice flour in the roux. And use the gluten-free pasta of your choice. I tested this recipe with this gluten-free spaghetti made of rice and corn. You do need to make sure you stir the pasta well and frequently during cooking to prevent the pasta from sticking.
** To make your own “lite” coconut milk, mix together 1 part full-fat canned coconut milk with 2 parts water, stir together until well combined. Then measure out 13.5 ounces (400 mL).
*** If you use a long pasta like fettuccine, you need to break the noodles in half (or smaller if you prefer) with your hands. Otherwise, they won’t be able to fully cook in the liquid. Also, this recipe is easier to make with a shorter pasta - you don’t have to break it up and it’s also easier to stir while cooking.
**** I really recommend using a nonstick pan, not a ceramic or steel pan. I made this recipe in my ceramic Le Creuset Dutch oven, and it required a lot more oil and some of the pasta was still stuck to the bottom of the pot.