This simple vegan pumpkin pasta is made with solely eight components—together with plant-based cream cheese, which supplies it a stunning, creamy consistency. It’s a small batch recipe, which serves two individuals, and it’s the proper factor to make when you could have a half cup of pumpkin purée left over from baking!
At this level within the fall—after thirty-one days of October—chances are you’ll be prepared for a break from pumpkin themed recipes.
However I’ve obtained one other for you. Hear me out?
If you happen to spend the autumn months, as I’ve been recognized to do, creating batches of orange-hued pumpkin bread or waffles, then chances are you’ll typically end up with an opened can of pumpkin purée sitting in your fridge, with only a half cup or so of pumpkin left.
Sure, you would make in a single day oats. However what for those who’re craving one thing savory?
This creamy vegan pumpkin pasta is the reply. It’s additionally a handy, low-key dinner that options solely eight components and is ideal for busy weeknights.
A small batch recipe
If you happen to learn this web site usually, then you already know that the majority of my recipes are scaled to serve 4 individuals or extra.
That is how I cook dinner at residence, though I dwell alone. Since I’m a meal prep fanatic, I’d at all times relatively make the entire batch and freeze or retailer some than make much less.
The Vegan Week
Embrace the enjoyment of consuming selfmade meals on daily basis with the hearty and healthful recipes in The Vegan Week.
Whether or not you could have three, two, and even only one hour of time to spare, The Vegan Week will present you learn how to batch cook dinner different, colourful, and comforting dishes over the weekend.
From time to time, although, I’ve a small quantity of a sure ingredient that I want to make use of up. In that case, I make a single serve recipe, or a recipe that serves two.
The situation that I described above, the place I’ve an open can of pumpkin and only a small quantity of purée left, is a fairly frequent incidence in my residence.
My efforts to get artistic with that half cup or so of pumpkin purée is how this pumpkin pasta got here to be.
Over time, I discovered the correct mixture of straightforward components—components that I virtually at all times have at residence—to make it work.
The recipe makes one beneficiant or two medium-sized parts, relying on how hungry you might be and what you’d wish to serve the pasta with. After I make it, I often take pleasure in one portion for dinner and one other for lunch the next day, with some toppings and easy veggie sides.
Plant-based cream cheese is the star of this creamy sauce
I’ve been recognized to rely closely—virtually completely, actually—on my all-purpose cashew cream for pasta dishes.
It exhibits up in wintery mushroom pasta, one-pot orzo, skillet lasagna, and extra.
A lot as I like the cashew cream, it has a minimum of one downside: a few of my readers have cashew or tree nut allergy symptoms. So, after I use cashew cream time and time once more in my recipes, I’m aware of the truth that I’m excluding some people who can’t eat it.
There are additionally occasions after I run out of cashews and have to seek out another for creamy, dairy-free dishes.
That’s really how this recipe initially got here to be. I’d run out of cashews, however I did have a container of Kite Hill cream cheese in my fridge.
I’ve blended vegan cream cheese and water as an alternative choice to cashew cream earlier than, and I figured it was value a shot right here.
The cream cheese, combined with the pumpkin purée and just a bit little bit of tomato paste for umami, labored fantastically.
So, that’s the quite simple, three-ingredient pasta sauce that I’m sharing with you at the moment (OK, 4 components, for those who embody pasta water).
It provides the pasta a pinkish, orange hue, and a pleasant, savory taste.
The best way to make 8 ingredient creamy vegan pumpkin pasta
The method of creating the pumpkin pasta is really easy—you received’t even want to cut an onion! Listed here are the steps.
Step 1: Boil your pasta
Convey a pot of salted water to a boil and add your pasta.
Any pasta form will work right here. I often use a brief or medium form, however you can too use spaghetti, lengthy fusilli, mafaldine, or one other lengthy noodle.
Likewise, you should use a sort of pasta that fits your dietary preferences and well being priorities. Gluten-free pasta can be positive, as will complete grain or bean-based pasta.
Earlier than you drain the pasta, put aside a cup of the pasta cooking water. That’ll change into a part of the sauce.
Step 2: Mix the sauce
After I make the sauce, I take advantage of my blender or a meals processor for pace and effectivity.
If you happen to don’t really feel like dirtying an equipment, which I can positively perceive, then you’ll be able to whisk the sauce in a bowl as a substitute.
If you happen to do that, although, I like to recommend doing it in a selected order, so that you just don’t get any lumps or flecks of cream cheese within the sauce.
Place the cream cheese within the bowl first. Add the recent pasta water, tablespoon by tablespoon, whisking as you go.
When you could have a clean liquid, you’ll be able to stir within the pumpkin and tomato paste. Hold whisking till you could have a clean sauce.
Step 3: Sauté just a little garlic
Warmth a teaspoon of olive oil in a big, rimmed skillet or a medium sized pot over medium low warmth. Add a clove or two (or as many as you need!) of minced garlic to the cooking vessel.
Swish the garlic round within the scorching oil for about thirty seconds, or till it’s good and aromatic, however not burning.
Step 4: Add the pasta and sauce
Subsequent, you’ll add the creamy pumpkin sauce and the pasta to the skillet or pot. Stir and warmth the components by way of.
If the pasta must be just a little looser, add a tablespoon or two of additional pasta water. Then, style the pasta. Regulate salt as wanted, and likewise add a squeeze (a few tablespoon) of lemon juice.
Step 5: Serve
You’ll be able to serve the pasta precisely as it’s, maybe with a inexperienced facet veggie that you just love.
Some vegetable facet concepts embody my oven roasted eggplant cubes, miso butter Brussels sprouts, or crispy broccoli Caesar salad.
You too can high the pasta with a few of my favourite crispy roasted chickpeas or my cashew parmesan cheese. Each of those toppings will add some further plant protein.
What kind of cream cheese is finest for the recipe?
With quite a few vegan cream cheese choices stocked in shops recently, chances are you’ll be questioning which is finest for the vegan pumpkin pasta.
I’ve two private favorites, each of which is able to work within the recipe. One is the Kite Hill model cream cheese, which I discussed already. It has an almond base.
The opposite is Tofutti cream cheese, which is tofu-based.
An honorable point out goes to Monty’s authentic cream cheese, which is made with cashews and is scrumptious—it’s only a bit difficult to seek out in shops.
In the end, it is best to use the kind of vegan cream cheese that fits your preferences, funds, and dietary concerns.
One of many issues that I like about utilizing cream cheese on this recipe is that there are alternatives out there to swimsuit varied meals allergy symptoms and dietary preferences—nut-free, soy-free, and many others.
Can I take advantage of a selfmade vegan cream cheese within the recipe?
In a phrase, sure!
I intend for the pumpkin pasta to be a fast and straightforward recipe, which implies that I go for the store-bought cream cheese as a rule.
Even so, I’m an enormous believer in making selfmade plant-based fundamentals and vegan cheeses. Cream cheese is a rewarding and versatile ingredient to make from scratch.
I can suggest two selfmade cream cheese recipes for this pasta. One is my 5-ingredient tofu cream cheese, which is so nutrient-dense.
The opposite is my go-to cashew cheese, which has a really wealthy texture and tangy taste, because of cashews and lemon juice.
Neither of those two choices can be fairly as silky clean as store-bought cream cheese, however each will add taste and richness to the sauce.
To protect smoothness, you should use the blender or meals processor choice for mixing for those who use selfmade vegan cream cheese.
Substitutes for pumpkin purée (aka learn how to make creamy vegan not-pumpkin pasta)
After all, the entire hook of this recipe is that it’s a chance to make use of up pumpkin purée, in all of its creamy and beta carotene-rich goodness.
However what if the pasta appeals to you in its quickness and comfort, however you don’t have pumpkin at residence?
No drawback. A half cup of puréed, cooked candy potato will work each bit as properly.
It could be a bit richer in texture than pumpkin, during which case you’ll be able to skinny the sauce with just a little further pasta water.
If in case you have butternut squash or one other cooked winter squash at residence, you can too use a half cup of puréed butternut squash, kabocha squash, or acorn squash.
Meal prep and storage
Sometimes, this can be a small batch recipe that I make and revel in inside a day or so.
But there’s no motive to not retailer the pasta, for those who like. It will maintain in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
Extra flash within the pan pasta recipes
This may increasingly really be the quickest pasta recipe that I’ve shared on this area, nevertheless it’s in good firm.
If you happen to take pleasure in flash within the pan pasta suppers as a lot as I do, listed here are a number of others for you to try:
Whereas pumpkin season hangs round although, let’s concentrate on this savory celebration of the beloved gourd—my new low-stress dinner favourite.
Creamy 8 Ingredient Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
Writer –
Yields: 2 servings
- 4 ounces pasta form of alternative (I particularly like medium and quick pasta shapes for this recipe)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée (120g)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (30g)
- 2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese* (30g)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated on a microplane
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- cashew parmesan cheese (non-compulsory, for topping)
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Convey a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta. Cook dinner the pasta in response to pasta maker’s directions, or till it is cooked to your liking. Reserve 1 cup / 240ml of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
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In a blender or meals processor, mix collectively the pumpkin purée, tomato paste, cream cheese, and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Alternatively, you’ll be able to whisk these components togehter in a mixing bowl. Start by including scorching pasta water by the tablespoon to the cream cheese, whisking as you go, in order that it turns into a clean liquid. Then, stir within the remaining sauce components.
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Warmth the olive oil within the pot over medium low warmth. Add the garlic. Cook dinner the garlic for 30 seconds, stirring always, or till the garlic is aromatic and scorching however not browning. Pour the blended pumpkin combination into the pot, then add the pasta. Warmth and stir for 2 minutes, or till the pasta is warmed by way of and saucy. If you would like to skinny the pasta sauce, add a number of extra splashes of pasta water to the combination.
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Prime with cashew Parmesan cheese, if desired, and serve.
With the winter holidays on the best way, many people can be doing a variety of elaborate cooking and baking.
Within the midst of all that, it’s good to have a simple recipe to maintain in your again pocket, and particularly a recipe that can aid you to make use of up components that you’ll have left over from different dishes.
This pasta is it. I hope you’ll take pleasure in it, too.
xo
