The Best easy vegan one pot Pumpkin Pasta recipe
The best 25-minutes easy vegan one pot pumpkin pasta recipe – Blissfully creamy vegan pumpkin sauce, juicy tomatoes, garlic, onions, and spices come together in this simple budget friendly one pot recipe and through a stroke of cooking magic create a mouthwatering pumpkin pasta with a creamy rich sauce. It’s absolute pasta and pumpkin flavor heaven in one simple 25-minute one pot…and it requires minimal effort, like almost zero effort.
Jump to RecipeCozy super creamy easy one-pot pumpkin pasta – a comfy, cozy, flavorful, secretly healthy vegan dinner that doesn’t taste healthy at all. It’s decadent, with a luscious silky pumpkin sauce that takes zero effort to make (because it actually makes itself. You just dump the ingredients into a pot).
This is one of those recipes that’s created when a stroke of luck meets my minimal effort lazy cooking and low-on-time cooking style. It’s a dump of all the ingredients into a pot, cover it with spices and vegetable stock, and let the cooking gods do their magic as the pot simmer and bubbles on its own for 20-minutes. The result of this dump-in-a-pot-and-leave-to-cook strategy somehow turns the diced pumpkins into a magical creamy sauce as the pumpkins turn mushy and melt into the vegetable stock creating a luxe sauce pumpkin sauce that clings to the pasta. And it’s so fabulously easy to make and so flavor-packed that it’s like a pumpkin party for your tastebuds.
Vegan pumpkin pasta sauce
This plant-based silky pumpkin pasta sauce is a simple, no-fuss, flavor-packed sauce that pretty much makes itself. All you have to do is dump all the ingredients into one pot and the sauce magically creates itself as the pumpkin cooks to tenderness and turns itself into a creamy delicious sauce.
Ingredients you need to make the best easy one-pot pumpkin pasta recipe that’s all vegan and gluten-free (plus, guilt-free as it’s super healthy and full of nutrients)
Pumpkin
– you can use almost any type of pumpkin you want for this recipe.
To make the best creamy pumpkin sauce I like to use either:
- sugar pumpkins, also known as sweet pumpkins,
- Hokkaido pumpkins
- or butternut squash
Don’t have pumpkins? (Or don’t want to chop pumpkins?)…don’t worry. Because you can still make this tasty vegan one-pot pasta recipe. Just use 1/2 cup pumpkin purée to get the same creamy sauce texture.
Onions
– any type of onion will do the trick. When I made this I used two yellow onions finely diced for this recipe, but you can just as easily use red onions, scallions, or even leeks. All of them add that oniony depth and freshness to the sauce that we want.
Garlic
– finely chopped or grated garlic gives the sauce a hint of the Mediterranean. If you don’t have fresh garlic you can substitute it with 2-3 teaspoons of garlic powder or dried granulated garlic.
Tomatoes
– it wouldn’t really be pasta without tomatoes, would it? There’s just something about the way tomatoes and pasta bring out the best in each other. And that’s exactly what happens in this plant-based pasta. Don’t have fresh tomatoes? Don’t worry. You can use a can of diced tomatoes or make the sauce extra smoky by using a can of fire-roasted tomatoes.
Pasta
– almost any kind of pasta will do great in this dish. Get creative and add any shapes you want. Or add extra protein by using lentil pasta in this vegan dish.
Kinds of pasta I like to use in this easy budget friendly vegan pasta recipe:
Farfalle – bow tie pasta that’s great for soaking up the sauce.
Macaroni – soaks up the creamy sauce that sticks to all the nooks and crannies.
Pasta penne – is always a great pasta for nearly any dish
Girandole – the type of pasta I used in the pictures. Girandole pasta is great as the sauce clings to the spirals (and any pasta that means I get more sauce with each bite is my kind of pasta).
The king or queen of pumpkin pasta recipes
Am I bold to call this tasty healthy vegan pumpkin pasta the King or Queen of pumpkin pasta? Maybe. Do I stand by it? 100% – or make that 1000%
This pumpkin pasta can knock the socks off any other pumpkin pasta I’ve tried. (Yes – Socks. Off)
What makes this the best vegan pumpkin pasta?
- It’s budget-friendly and only uses easy-to-get ingredients like pumpkin, pasta, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and herbs. Most of these things you probably already have in your kitchen or pantry.
- Loaded with the creamiest of creamy pumpkin sauces that require no work from you
- Healthy, full of nutrients, and a tasty low-calorie dinner the whole family will adore
- Vegan, nut-free, and soy-free
- Can be gluten-free – just use gluten-free pasta like lentil pasta, rice pasta, or corn pasta
- Quick 25-minutes one-pot vegan dinner
- This a cozy hug-in-bowl type of recipe that satisfies your tastebuds and makes you feel good
How to make the best easy vegan one-pot pumpkin pasta recipe
It doesn’t get much easier than making this pumpkin pasta. Anyone, no matter what level of cooking skills they have, can make this pasta and create a delicious meal in only 25-minutes.
This is more or less a chop, dump in a pot, simmer, and serve kind of recipe. It requires minimal work for absolute maximum tastiness.
Let’s break down the 3 easy steps to creating this simple vegan pumpkin pasta recipe:
Step 1: Add all the ingredients to a large pot, diced pumpkin, tomatoes, onions, garlic, spices and seasoning, nutritional yeast, and vegetable stock. Stir to combine and place the pot on the stove. Step 2: Cover with a lot of and bring the vegetable stock to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, leave the lid on, and let the pasta simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked tender.
Step 3: Once the pasta is tender, remove the pot from the heat and stir to combine all the ingredients. The pumpkins should be nice and mushy at this point and will turn into a creamier sauce as you stir.
Ladle the pasta into bowls and garnish with fresh basil. Serve and enjoy.
That’s it. You’ve got yourself a tasty homemade butternut squash pasta that’s a bowlful of pure coziness.
How to make one pot of pumpkin pasta in a crockpot
Place all the ingredients in your crockpot and stir to mix. Cook for 3-4 hours on high, or 5-6 hours on low. Stir together to combine and add extra salt if needed. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.
Enjoy.
How to make one pot instant pot pumpkin pasta
Add all the ingredients to the instant pot and stir to combine. Secure the lid and select the high-pressure setting. Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally (it should take 10-15 minutes). Carefully remove the lid and stir to mix everything well. Taste to see if more salt or other seasoning is needed.
Leave to rest for 1 minute to let the sauce thicken slightly. Stir well to combine everything and make the sauce creamy. Ladle the pasta into bowls and garnish with fresh basil. Serve and enjoy.
Vegan pasta topping ideas
Make your own toppings to add crunch and/or extra protein to your pasta. Here are a few easy pasta topping ideas:
- salted toasted cashews
- Roasted chickpeas
- Vegan butter and garlic roasted sage
- Hemp seeds
- Walnuts
- Vegan bacon broken into bits (get my favorite crispy and super easy vegan bacon recipe here)
Frequently asked questions
All pumpkins are edible but some definitely taste better than others.
Here are the 4 best pumpkins for cooking:
– Butternut squash
– Hokkaido pumpkin or Gold Nugget
– Long Island cheese pumpkins
– Pie pumpkin or Sugar Pumpkin
You can substitute regular pasta with gluten-free pasta such as lentil pasta, rice pasta, or corn pasta. Always check the packaging ingredients to make sure the pasta is gluten-free.
Yes. See the recipe instructions for how to make pumpkin pasta in a crockpot.
FAQ – All your Pumpkin pasta facts answered
Yes. That’s why it’s also one of the best meal-prep recipes. You can easily make this in advance, or just freeze any leftovers you may have. Top tip: make a double batch of this pumpkin pasta and freeze half for later for a super quick meal another day. Your future self will thank you.
Yes. This pumpkin pasta can easily be made in an instant pot. See the recipe instructions below on how to make instant pot pumpkin pasta.
Let the pasta cool completely and place the cold pasta in a sealed airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for 3-5 months.
Pumpkin pasta is best reheated in the microwave. To reheat, simply place the pasta in a microwave-safe bowl and add a little extra water to the pasta to bring the sauce back to life. Heat for about 1-3 minutes (depending on the serving size and microwave), checking and stirring after 2 minutes. Add more time if needed. The pasta should be warmed all the way through.
More healthy pasta recipes
- Secret Ingredient Creamy Pumpkin Soup
- Caramelized Spicy Pumpkin, Garlic, and Pepper Pasta
- Better Than Takeout Vegan Pumpkin Curry
Super creamy easy one-pot pumpkin pasta
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- ½ cup (300g) Hokkaido Pumpkin or Butternut Squash Diced
- 20 ounces (250g) Pasta any pasta of your choice
- 5 large Tomatoes roughly chopped
- 2 small Yellow Onions diced
- 3 cloves Garlic finely diced or minced
- 2 tbsp Greek Spice Mix or Italian spice blend
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 2-3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast optional
- 2½ cups (6dl) Vegetable Stock
- 1 handful Fresh Basil chopped
Instructions
Making one pot pasta in a pot
- Add all the ingredients to a large pot, diced pumpkin, tomatoes, onions, garlic, spices and seasoning, nutritional yeast, and vegetable stock. Stir to combine and place the pot on the stove. Cover with a lot of and bring the vegetable stock to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, leave the lid on, and let the pasta simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the pasta is cooked tender.
- Once the pasta is tender, remove the pot from the heat, and stir to combine all the ingredients. The pumpkins should be nice and mushy at this point and will turn into a creamier sauce as you stir. Ladle the pasta into bowls and garnish with fresh basil. Serve and enjoy.
How to make one pot of pumpkin pasta in a crockpot
- Place all the ingredients in your crockpot and stir to mix. Cook for 3-4 hours on high, or 5-6 hours on low. Stir together to combine and add extra salt if needed. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.Enjoy.
How to make one pot instant pot pumpkin pasta
- Add all the ingredients to the instant pot and stir to combine. Secure the lid and select the high-pressure setting. Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally (it should take 10-15 minutes). Carefully remove the lid and stir to mix everything well. Taste to see if more salt or other seasoning is needed.
- Leave to rest for 1 minute to let the sauce thicken slightly. Stir well to combine everything and make the sauce creamy. Ladle the pasta into bowls and garnish with fresh basil. Serve and enjoy.
