Creamy Pumpkin Pasta (Vegan & GF)

This creamy pumpkin pasta is next level…

It is the creamiest pasta I have ever made – made with blended cashews, lots of spices and a not-so-secret ingredient…pumpkin! Pasta is a common easy dinner in our house, it’s something that I’ve been making for years and years just because it’s so simple to throw together and is insanely satisfying, especially on those days that you’re craving some good comfort food. 

This pasta is:

• made with my favourite healing, anti-inflammatory spice, turmeric
• creamy, fibre-rich pumpkin (use the leftovers to add to salads, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin spiced donut holes or buddha bowls!)
• super easy to throw together – make bulk amounts of sauce to freeze and reheat when the cravings hit
• delicious! 

#PureLifeTip: add some ketchup to your pasta to recreate a mac n’ cheese throwback

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

• 1 package pasta (I like chickpea pasta or brown rice pasta)
• 3 cups packed roasted pumpkin, mashed (skin removed)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk – you can substitute water if you don’t have any
• about 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked for at least 30 minutes (preferably overnight)
• 3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 tsp turmeric 
• pinch of paprika
• generous amounts of himalayan salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil + more for pasta

Method

• Cook the gluten-free pasta as per instructions. I like to add a pinch of salt and olive oil to help the pasta cook nicely. 
• While the pasta is cooking, chop up the pumpkin into chunks. Add the chunks to a baking dish and cover with 1 inch of water. Cover the pumpkin with oil (I use avocado oil) and roast at 400F for about 30 minutes, or until soft. 
• Once the pumpkin has cooked and cooled, remove the skin from the pumpkin and add about 3 packed cups (mashed with a fork) into the blender. Add the almond milk, cashews, water, nutritional yeast, garlic, olive oil, turmeric, paprika, salt and pepper and blend until really creamy (about 3 minutes or so)
• Once the pasta is cooked, rinse it in cold water in a strainer. Add back to the pot with a glug of olive oil and mix well. Pour in the sauce and mix. Serve warm with some fresh parsley and black pepper. It tastes delicious with some ketchup, too!
• Store in a fridge in an air-tight container. To reheat the pasta, add to a small pot with a glug of water and reheat.