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This Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta is made with the creamiest pumpkin sauce that goes perfectly with any type of pasta you love. It’s the perfect recipe to make for a cozy night in or for a date-night. It can also be made gluten-free by using your favourite gluten-free pasta.
Easy vegan pumpkin pasta
I’m a lover of all kinds of pasta dishes, but this one has got to be one of my favourites during Fall. It’s super creamy and isn’t made with coconut milk. Instead the sauce is made from raw cashews that get blended up and create the creamiest texture.
Unlike coconut milk, cashews wont add any taste to the sauce. They also add in some extra nutition and give this pasta a little bit of extra protein, fibre and some healthy fats.
This is one of those sauces that make die-hard dairy fans go “this is Vegan? Really? There’s no cream in here? Or butter? What? HOW!?” Yeah. That’s right. And take it from someone who loves a good traditional Alfredo sauce, this pumpkin Alfredo is LIFE.
One thing I love about this vegan pumpkin Alfredo is that it’s super creamy, but not made with coconut milk like many creamy vegan sauces. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love a good coconutty-noodle dish, but this recipe uses a homemade cashew cream….which is just amazing.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ready in 20 minutes. Yup, you heard that right. This Vegan Pumpkin Afredo Pasta is ready in just under 30 minutes, making it perfect for those busy nights.
- Creamy but healthy sauce. The pumpkin alfredo sauce is healthier than your typical alfredo sauce that is made with loads of cream and butter. This sauce is simply made with cashews which are a helthier alternative.
- Fall favourite. If you want to embrace Fall and enjoy all the best flavours of Fall, this pasta is definitely one you need to try.
Ingredient notes
- Pasta: use any type of pasta you like in this recipe and any shape you like. If you want to make this gluten-free just use a gluten-free pasta. You can also use a grain-free pasta or a pasta with some more protein in it like chickpea pasta. You can also use a pasta replacement like spaghetti squash.
- Pumpkin puree: you can make this homemade by roasting some pumpkin and pureeing the inside, or you can just buy canned pumpkin. Just make sure to buy 100% pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Cashews: use raw unsalted cashews. Roasted cashews or cashews that have any oil coating on them wont work.
- Sage: this is a classic herb to pair with pumpkin. If you don’t like sage or can’t find it, you can also use some parsley or thyme.
How to make Vegan Pumpkin Afredo Pasta
This recipe starts off by making the homemade cashew cream. This is done by simply blending raw cashews that have been soaked in hot water then drained with some water until smooth and creamy. Soaking the cashews helps to soften them so they blend up smoothly and you don’t end up with little bits of cashews.
Next cook the garlic and sage in a large pan then add some pumpkin puree and the cashew cream and mix it all together. Season it with some salt, pepper and nutmeg. You can taste it and adjust the seasoning as needed to suit your peresonal taste.
I like to use linguine pasta for this recipe but you can use any kind of pasta you love. Just cook it up accroding the package directions then add it to the sauce and toss together until evenly coated and warm.
Recipe add-ins and variations
If you don’t have cashwes or hand or have a nut allergy, you can replace the cashew cream with coconut milk. Simply use 1 1/4 cup of coconut milk in place of the cashew cream.
You can also make this recipe with a variet of add-ins if you want to mix it up. Here are some ideas:
- Shallots
- Mushrooms
- Kale/spinach
- Roasted butternut squash
- Crispy breadcrumbs
Expert tips
- You’ll want to make sure you’re using raw unsalted cashews for this recipe, and soak them in a bowl of water overnight, or in hot water for 2 hours. This will help them get nice and soft and plump. Then just blend up the cashews with some water and voila! magic! Super luscious cashew cream! You’ll want to make sure to blend this up for a good minute or two in a high powered blender so it gets SUPER creamy.
- If the sauce looks a bit liquidy in the beginning, don’t panic. As the sauce boils down it thickens. Give it a couple minutes and the sauce will become thick and creamy.
- Serve immediately. As the pasta sits for a while it will start to lose its silky creamyness as the pasta and pumpkin alfredo sauce cool. (as with any creamy pasta.) So it’s best to enjoy this dish right away.
- If you want to prep this dish ahead of time, it’s best to store the vegan pumpkin alfredo sauce and the pasta sepeartely. This will keep everhthing more fresh. When you’re ready to serve, simply add the sauce and the pasta to a large pan and toss together until heated through.
How to store
Store any leftovers in the fridge in a sealed container for 2 days. If you can, try to store the pasta and the sauce separately and then heat them up together in a pan. This will keep the pasta more fresh and creamy.
Other pasta recipes to try
Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This is the best ever Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta. Seriously, you won’t be able to get enough!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight then drained
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 sprigs of fresh sage
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 servings pasta of choice
Instructions
- Blend the cashews and water in a high-speed blender until smooth & creamy. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat, then add the garlic and sage and let cook for 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the pumpkin puree and cashew cream mixing until incorporated.
- Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg and let the sauce cook down for 2 minutes. Remove the sage from the pan.
- Add your cooked pasta to the pan and toss together.
Notes
I use this blender to make the cashew cream. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as needed. You can substitute fresh sage for dried sage if needed.
Make sure you’re using raw unsalted cashews for this recipe, and soak them in a bowl of water overnight, or in hot water for 2 hours. This will help them get nice and soft.
If the sauce looks a bit liquidy in the beginning, don’t panic. As the sauce boils down it thickens. Give it a couple minutes and the sauce will become thick and creamy.
Serve immediately. As the pasta sits for a while it will start to lose its silky creaminess as the pasta and pumpkin Alfredo sauce cool. (as with any creamy pasta.) So it’s best to enjoy this dish right away.
If you want to prep this dish ahead of time, it’s best to store the vegan pumpkin Alfredo sauce and the pasta sepeartely. This will keep everhthing more fresh. When you’re ready to serve, simply add the sauce and the pasta to a large pan and toss together until heated through.
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What would you recommend replacing the cashews with for a nut-free version?
Hi Lyla, you can use full fat coconut milk instead!
This was sooo good! I didn’t have fresh sage so I used dried, and it still turned out absolutely delicious. I’ll be making this again.
So happy you enjoyed it!
I always feel like one of those people who gives a recipe 5 stars but didn’t actually follow the recipe that precisely. The recipe was a starter . . . and what came out in the end was fantastic. Here is what I actually did, I had a cup of cashews soaking so doubled the recipe, but then mistakenly quadrupled the pumpkin. Ooops. But I was using home cooked pumpkin so it didn’t turn out too strong and the alfredo was a lovely shade of yellow!! I added 1 tsp of Better than Bullion Not Chicken broth base to the blender to add some depth rather than just plain salt. I did not have sage, in any form, so I used dried rosemary leaves, about 2 tsp to saute with the garlic. Left them in. So delicious!!! Pouring over my roasted pumpkin and gnocchi that’s just about ready from the oven. Thank you for this recipe!!
Happy you enjoyed it Bethany!
I am obsessed with this recipe. So delicious, and so easy! And tastes really creamy. I’ve been eating it with Banza linguine so I get some protein in there and it makes for a great healthy meal!
Hi!
Just wondering what add ins or toppings you would recommend? Maybe some veggies and/or beans?
Thanks
Hi gabby, you can add in any of your favourite veggies like some spinach or rapini or some white beans!