This creamy pumpkin pasta is topped with a gorgeous, buttery maple sage and pecan crumb that gives a sweet crunch to the garlicky pumpkin pasta. Use any pasta you like and indulge in the ultimate comfort meal full of autumnal flavor.
Ingredients
For the crumb topping
- 1 tsp vegan butter
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
- 2-3 tbsp fresh sage leaves chopped
- ½ cup pecans chopped
- Generous pinch of flaked sea salt
- Pepper to taste
For the pasta
- 266 grams dried pasta of your choice
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 5 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp fresh sage finely chopped
- ¾ cup canned pumpkin puree (100% pure)
- ½ cup vegan cream cheese
- ½ cup grated vegan Parmesan
- 1 cup unsweetened nondairy milk (oat, soy, or almond)
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1 cup pasta cooking water (as needed)
To serve
- Pepper to taste
- Almond Parmesan (optional)
Instructions
For the crumb topping
- In a medium nonstick pan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the maple syrup, then add the sage, pecans, sea salt, and pepper, and cook for 3 to 3½ minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove from the heat and spread evenly across a plate. Let rest until cool, then break apart into pieces.
For the pasta
- Put the pasta on to cook in a pot of boiling, salted water and cook to al dente.
- Meanwhile, in a large nonstick pan, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sage and fry for another minute or 2, until fragrant but not browned.
- To the pan, add the pumpkin puree, cream cheese, and Parmesan. Stir together until smooth, then whisk in the milk until fully incorporated.
- Continue cooking until the Parmesan has melted, stirring occasionally. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then add the pasta to the sauce and stir to fully coat the noodles. Add pasta cooking water as needed to loosen up the sauce if it’s too thick.
To serve
- Serve topped with crumb topping, pepper, and a sprinkle of Almond Parmesan, if you like.