Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Chestnut Pasta

This Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Chestnut Pasta is cosy, comforting and warming and topped with the most delicious crispy breadcrumbs.

Big statement I know. But seriously, I've made a lot of creamy vegan pasta dishes, (like this, this and this), so I have plenty with which to compare this Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Chestnut Pasta.

And it truly is something extra special! I just love the combination of the creamy pumpkin with the sweet, nutty chestnuts, aromatic sage and crispy breadcrumbs.

Whilst I do love summery pasta salads, there's something so warming and comforting about a hot plate of pasta at the end of a long, cold and tiring day.

That's the kind of vibe I was going for with my Roasted Red Pepper Sauce Gnocchi. I have posted quite a few pumpkin recipes already (like this soup and this quinoa salad), but I'm really trying to make the most of all the seasonal fruit and veg at the moment!

I've actually made this pumpkin pasta dish twice in the last 48 hours because I loved it so much! The first time round I just made spaghetti with a creamy pumpkin sauce which was delish, but I decided to make a new and improved version the second time round, and added chestnuts and these amazing crispy breadcrumbs.

The chestnuts and the breadcrumbs are completely optional, but they really make the dish so much more indulgent, so I'd really recommend it!

It might sound a little strange to add chestnuts to pasta, but their sweet, creamy nuttiness really compliments the flavour of the pumpkin.

I've used pumpkin and chestnut before in this risotto, being inspired to create this combination because chestnuts (as well as pumpkins) are used a lot in Japanese cuisine, for savoury as well as sweet dishes.

As a side note, I like to use kabocha pumpkin (a Japanese variety of squash) for this recipe, as it’s sweeter than other types of pumpkin or squash and has a softer, silkier texture. But don’t worry if you can’t get hold of it, normal pumpkin or butternut squash works fine too.

Another key ingredient in this Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Chestnut Pasta is sage. It's not really a herb I use very often in my cooking, but it really, really compliments the other flavours here.

I was a little tentative about using it, so I did try this dish both with and without sage, and trust me, it was SO much better with the sage added!

I also added kale for some green colour, and also because for some reason creamy pasta sauces are just the perfect vehicle for kale, as it really manages to soak up all the other gorgeous flavours.

Now let's talk about the breadcrumbs! This was my first time topping pasta with crispy breadcrumbs and I loved it! All you need to do is break up some (preferably stale) bread (you can use a food processor or just your bare hands), fry them for a couple of minutes in a little olive oil and you will have the most gorgeously crispy, crunchy breadcrumbs that are great for topping not only pasta dishes, but also soups and salads, and even sprinkling on top of pasta bakes and lasagne!

My favourite type of bread to use for breadcrumbs is ciabatta, as it gets the crispiest, but you can really use whatever bread you have on hand - and the more stale it is, the better!

If you're gluten-free, you could use gluten-free bread to make the breadcrumbs, or substitute with roasted pumpkin seeds or toasted flaked almonds - I think either would serve well to add a contrastingly crunchy texture. Almond bacon would also work well!

What I love most about this dish is that it's just as creamy, comforting and satisfying as a regular carbonara for example, but you don't feel queasy after eating it. It's also vegan and gluten-free, so can be enjoyed by many more people.

It comes together fairly quickly - you can skip out the breadcrumbs if you're really pressed for time. You can either use canned pumpkin purée or roast/boil a whole pumpkin when you have time, purée it all, divide it up into smaller portions and freeze it, which is what I like to do.

Then when you really quickly want to whip yourself up a creamy pumpkin pasta sauce, all you need to do is open your freezer. Frozen pumpkin purée is useful not only for pasta dishes like this, but you can also use it for soups or risottos.

I hope you'll love this Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Chestnut Pasta! Looking for more creamy vegan pasta recipes? Check out my:

• Creamy Tomato Sauce Pasta
• Creamy Pesto Pasta
• Creamy Sundried Pesto Pasta
• Creamy Miso Pasta Sauce

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Chestnut Pasta With Breadcrumbs

This Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Chestnut Pasta is cosy, comforting and warming and topped with the most delicious crispy breadcrumbs.

4.41 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: vegan creamy pasta, vegan pumpkin mac and cheese, vegan pumpkin pasta

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 2

Calories: 598kcal

Author: Rhian Williams

Ingredients

• ▢ 200 g (7oz) pasta (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• ▢ Handful of kale

For the breadcrumbs* (optional):

• ▢ 2 slices stale bread (gluten-free if necessary)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon oil (olive, coconut, rapeseed or vegetable oil)
• ▢ Salt + pepper, to taste

For the pumpkin sauce:

• ▢ 2 tablespoons oil (olive, coconut, rapeseed or vegetable oil)
• ▢ 1 onion, diced
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried sage (or sub equivalent amount fresh sage)
• ▢ 100 g (½ cup) pumpkin purée (either store-bought or make your own by boiling/roasting pumpkin and blending until smooth)
• ▢ 120 ml (½ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or sub unsweetened oat milk for nut-free version)
• ▢ Salt + pepper, to taste
• ▢ Handful cooked chestnuts roughly chopped

Instructions

• Cook the pasta according to instructions on the packet (if adding kale or any other vegetables, I like to just add them when boiling the pasta to make things easier)

For the breadcrumbs:

• Heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan
• Break the bread into very small pieces using either your hands or a food processor
• Add the breadcrumbs to the frying pan once the oil is hot, and season with salt and pepper
• Fry for a few minutes until crispy and golden brown, then transfer to a bowl and set aside

For the pumpkin sauce:

• In the same frying pan, heat up 2 tablespoons oil and add the diced onion once the oil is hot, along with the sage
• Fry for around 5 minutes until onion is softened
• Add the pumpkin purée, almond milk and salt + pepper
• Cook for around 5 minutes, until the sauce is piping hot and bubbling
• Drain the pasta and add to the frying pan with the sauce. Add the chestnuts  and and mix well
• Serve onto plates and top with the breadcrumbs. It's also delicious drizzled with chilli oil
• Enjoy immediately!

Notes

* If you're gluten-free, you could use gluten-free bread to make the breadcrumbs, or substitute with roasted pumpkin seeds or toasted flaked almonds. Almond bacon would also work well! 

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Chestnut Pasta With Breadcrumbs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 598

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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