Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
A smooth, plant-based pumpkin pasta sauce made by roasting winter squash with tomatoes, red bell pepper, and garlic until tender and lightly caramelized. The roasted vegetables are blended with dairy-free cream to create a rich, velvety sauce, then tossed with pasta and finished with fresh herbs, vegan feta, walnuts, and optional chili flakes.
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Ingredients
For the Roasted Pumpkin Sauce
- 4 garlic cloves left whole until prepared for roasting
- 7 oz plant-based cooking cream such as oat or soy cream
- 1 red bell pepper
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed
- 3 small tomatoes or 1 large tomato
- 2 –3 tbsp olive oil preferably extra-virgin
- 21.2 oz pumpkin or winter squash such as butternut, seeded and cut into cubes
For the Pasta and Garnishes
- Fresh parsley or sage finely chopped as desired
- 14 oz dried pasta such as fusilli or penne
- Vegan feta cheese for topping
- Chili flakes optional
- Walnuts preferably toasted, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 392°F (200°C).
- Wash the pumpkin or winter squash, cut it in half, remove the seeds, and dice the flesh into cubes. Wash the red bell pepper, remove its seeds, and cut it into pieces.
- Rinse the tomatoes, remove the stem area, and cut them into quarters. Peel the garlic cloves.
- Transfer the squash, bell pepper, tomatoes, and garlic to a baking dish. Drizzle everything with 2–3 tablespoons of olive oil, then season lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Roast for approximately 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and have developed slight caramelization around the edges.
- During the final 5–10 minutes of the vegetable roasting time, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.
- Add the 14 oz dried pasta and cook according to the package directions until al dente, timing it so the pasta finishes at roughly the same time as the roasted vegetables.
- Allow the roasted vegetables to cool briefly after removing them from the oven.
- Place the vegetables in a blender, or transfer them to a suitable container for an immersion blender. Add the 7 oz plant-based cream.
- Blend thoroughly until the mixture becomes completely smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and black pepper if necessary. If the sauce is thicker than desired, blend in a small quantity of water until the preferred consistency is reached. Continue blending a little longer for an especially silky texture.
- Drain the cooked pasta and transfer it back to the pot or into a large serving bowl. Reserving a small amount of the pasta cooking water is useful in case the sauce requires thinning.
- Pour the creamy pumpkin sauce over the pasta and toss thoroughly until every piece is evenly coated. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if a looser consistency is needed.
- Portion the pumpkin pasta into individual bowls or plates.
- Finish each serving with finely chopped parsley or sage, crumbled vegan feta, and walnuts. Sprinkle with chili flakes if additional heat is desired.
Notes
Toasted walnuts provide additional crunch and a deeper nutty flavor. Freshly ground black pepper gives the sauce a more pronounced finish, while extra-virgin olive oil works particularly well for roasting the vegetables. Oat cream produces an especially smooth result, although another plant-based cooking cream, such as soy cream, may also be used.