Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta
This easy pumpkin Alfredo pasta is rich, creamy, and perfect for a weeknight. Turn simple pantry ingredients into a restaurant-style meal!
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pasta such as fettuccine pasta or any other pasta
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter* store-bought or homemade
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ¼ cups vegan heavy cream I used Silk heavy whipping cream or a thick vegan milk such as soy milk or cashew milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried sage or 1 tablespoon crumbled/chopped fresh sage or thyme
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or pre-ground but freshly grated tastes the best here
- ¾ cup vegan Parmesan cheese I used my own recipe here but you can also use storebought vegan Parmesan cheese, either works!
- ¾ cup to 1 cup reserved pasta water start with ¾ cup in sauce
Instructions
- Prepare pasta as per instructions on the box in a large pot of well salted water until al dente. Drain pasta (reserving 1 cup of pasta water) and set aside until needed.
- In a pan over medium heat, melt the vegan butter. Add in the minced garlic, stirring together until garlic is fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. You don't want the heat too high since you don't want the garlic to burn.
- Begin to slowly pour the heavy cream, whisk slowly to combine with the butter and garlic. Add in your pumpkin and whisk thoroughly too until pumpkin is smoothly incorporated into the sauce.
- Add in your sea salt, ground black pepper, sage/thyme and your nutmeg. Stir vigorously to combine.
- Add in your reserved pasta water, stirring to combine. Then add in al dente pasta and the reserved pasta, tossing it together with the sauce until pasta is thoroughly coated with sauce. Turn heat off and allow the pasta to simmer in the sauce, stirring occasionally, for an extra 3-5 more minutes. Taste and extra add pasta water, sea salt and vegan Parmesan if needed. Feel free to stir in some more vegan heavy cream too.
- Serve with additional vegan Parmesan on top and some crispy sage (see notes) if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
If you'd like to add some some crispy sage on top: In a large pan, melt 2 tablespoons vegan butter or coconut oil on medium-high. Add 1 bunch of fresh sage leaves and cook for 1 minute, watching carefully so the butter/oil doesn’t burn, until crispy. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate, and season with a pinch of salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. Crumble slightly and add on top of the general pasta or on top of each individual bowl.
If you use my homemade vegan butter or miyokos vegan butter it actually browns! So you can enjoy browned butter pumpkin pasta. If doing this, brown the vegan butter alone for about 5 minutes, then add in the garlic for an additional 2-3 minutes. Proceed with the rest of the recipe
How much liquid you use will vary depending on the temperature you use. The hotter your pan the faster your sauce will thicken. Fortunately this is such a forgiving sauce so adding the full cup of pasta still results in a delicious creamy and flavourful sauce!
To store: Store leftover pumpkin Alfredo pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat with a splash of vegetable broth or vegan milk to loosen it up, or warm it in the microwave.
To freeze: You can freeze this creamy pumpkin pasta for up to 3 months in an airtight container or freezer bag. Let it thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat it according to the instructions above.
Nutrition
Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 303mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 4901IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg