Creamy Pumpkin Sauce with Pasta and Beans
This delicious and vegan creamy pumpkin sauce with pasta and beans recipe is perfect for a quick and easy dinner. With simple ingredients and minimal prep time, you’ll have a satisfying meal in no time!
If you love all things pumpkin, then you are going to love this savory and oh so creamy pumpkin sauce with pasta and beans. It is a delicious spin on a typical pasta dinner with red sauce.
In this dish, cooked spaghetti and canned black beans are tossed into a dairy-free pumpkin sauce that is flavored with onions, ginger, garlic, coriander, smoked paprika, a tad bit of turmeric, and chili powder.
Why I think you will love this Creamy Pumpkin Sauce with Pasta and Beans:
- It is a comforting meal when temperatures start to drop.
- It takes less than 30 minutes to make, making it a quick, easy, and wholesome dinner to pull together on busy weeknights.
- It is completely dairy-free, making it perfect for those of us who are lactose intolerant.
- It is a recipe packed with nutritious goodness from the pumpkin, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, turmeric, and other spices used.
What are ingredients needed to make this pumpkin sauce with pasta and beans?
This recipe is made with the following 12 ingredients, including salt and black pepper:
- Pure pumpkin puree
Make sure to use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. As for organic pumpkin puree or non-organic pumpkin puree, I have made this sauce with both versions of canned pumpkin and they work equally well in this dish. - Coconut Milk
I used full-fat coconut milk. I find that it results in sauces and curries that are not only lusciously creamy but taste so delicious. - Onion
For this recipe, a fresh yellow onion is the best option. A fresh onion adds so much flavor as well as nutrients to this quick and easy dish. I didn’t use a red onion as I thought it would interfere with the orange coloring of the pumpkin. Now, if you do not want to cut up the onion, you can find peeled and chopped onion in the produce section of most grocery stores. - Ginger
Just as with the onion, fresh ginger is the best choice for this recipe for flavor and nutritional value. - Garlic
Fresh garlic is what I used in this recipe. If you don’t want to peel and chop up garlic cloves, then you can purchase garlic that has already been peeled and chopped. Most grocery stores have these in the produce section. - Coriander
I used ground coriander in this dish. Now, not all coriander powder has the same “tenacity” for a lack of a better word. The kind I purchase is usually the Badia brand from Publix. By the way, I am not being paid to say that, they are just one of my go-tos currently. - Smoked Paprika
If you cannot get your hands on smoked paprika, then regular paprika would work as well. - Turmeric
I used ground turmeric in this dish. You can find turmeric (as well as the other spices listed) in most grocery stores, and if you don’t , they are all available on Amazon. - Chili powder
While I use chili powder to add a bit of spice to this dish, you can also add some red pepper flakes to it. However, if you would prefer this dish to be on the mild side, feel free to leave out the chili or red pepper flakes entirely. This is the only optional ingredient in this dish. - Pasta
I used cooked spaghetti, but any cooked pasta would work in this. If you have a gluten sensitivity, you can also use your favorite gluten-free pasta. - Beans
For this dish, I used canned black beans that were drained and rinsed. However, any bean from chickpeas to kidney beans to white beans would work too. Beans add a simple plant protein to this dish. - Oil
I used extra virgin olive oil but any oil, or even butter, would work.
Instructions
Cook the pasta according to package instructions so it is al dente.
Drain and rinse the canned black beans and set aside.
Peel the onion, ginger, and garlic and discard the peelings.
Chop up the onion, ginger, and garlic roughly. These do not need to be chopped up really fine as we will be adding the sauteed ingredients to a blender and blending them up so the result is a delightfully creamy pumpkin pasta sauce.
Add the oil to a large skillet and set it on a stove set to medium-high heat.
Then add the chopped onion, ginger, and garlic to the pot and let saute for about 7 minutes. Stir this mixture often so the onions, ginger, and garlic do not burn.
Lower the temperature to medium-low heat and add the canned pumpkin, the coconut milk, and the spices and stir well until all ingredients are well blended and sauce is heated through – which should take about 5-7 minutes, depending on the temperature of the stove.
Turn off the stove. Then, carefully spoon, or our, the pumpkin sauce mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until it is smooth.
Add the cooked pasta and black beans to a large bowl.
Pour the blended pumpkin sauce into the bowl and toss until the pasta and beans are well coated.
Serve the pumpkin sauce with pasta and beans garnished with some fresh basil and sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
Variations
This is such an easy and simple dish. And, it can be adapted to fit your preferences.
If you want to add a heftier nutritional boost to this recipe, toss some kale or spinach into the bowl with the cooked pasta and beans, before the sauce is oured into it. Then, toss the pasta, beans, and kale or spinach with the hot pumpkin sauce until well coated.
You can also change up the combination of spices. If you do not want to add a South Asian spin to this cream sauce, leave out the coriander, smoked paprika, chili powder, and turmeric. And, instead add in a pinch of nutmeg to the pumpkin sauce, along with the onion, ginger, and garlic. Or, instead of the turmeric, smoked paprika, chili powder, and coriander, add in some dry harissa for a Middle Eastern spin. You can also use a combination of your favorite fresh herbs in lieu of the spices.
This sauce can also be made with roasted sweet potato or roasted butternut squash instead of the canned pumpkin. In fact, I made a similar sauce with butternut squash as seen in this Coriander Butternut Squash Pasta recipe.
What to serve with this dish?
This dish is a tasty and nutritious meal as it is.
However, it could also be served with these chicken balls, some baked fried chicken, or some chicken fingers and a salad.
Or, it can be served with these pork tenderloins and some roasted veggies for a complete meal.
Or, keep it vegan and serve it with this fried tofu and this zucchini side dish.
Thanks so much for stopping by. If you make this recipe, please let me know in the comments below what you think of it, or tag your creation on social media with @savoryspin or #savoryspin. For more fusion, spice-filled, recipe ideas, please subscribe and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Pinterest!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 1 inch chunk of ginger
- 1 can pure pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 1/4 cup coconut milk full fat
- 2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp (OPTIONAL) chili powder or red pepper flakes
- 1 cup cooked pasta
- 1 1/2 cup canned black beans
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp fresh basil (to garnish)
- 2 tbsp parmesan
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions so it is al dente.
- Drain and rinse the canned black beans and set aside.
- Peel the onion, ginger, and garlic and discard the peelings.
- Chop up the onion, ginger, and garlic roughly. These do not need to be chopped up really fine as we will be adding the sautéed ingredients to a blender and blending them up so the result is a delightfully creamy pumpkin pasta sauce.
- Add the oil to a large skillet and set it on a stove set to medium-high heat.
- Then add the chopped onion, ginger, and garlic to the pot and let sauté for about 7 minutes. Stir this mixture often so the onions, ginger, and garlic do not burn.
- Lower the temperature to medium-low heat and add the canned pumpkin, the coconut milk, and the spices and stir well until all ingredients are well blended and sauce is heated through – which should take about 5-7 minutes, depending on the temperature of the stove.
- Turn off the stove. Then, carefully spoon, or our, the pumpkin sauce mixture into a blender or food processor and blend until it is smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta and black beans to a large bowl.
- Pour the blended pumpkin sauce into the bowl and toss until the pasta and beans are well coated.
- Serve the pumpkin sauce with pasta and beans garnished with some fresh basil and sprinkled with parmesan cheese.
