Creamy Roast Pumpkin Pasta

Creamy Roast Pumpkin Pasta

Mediterranean creamy roast pumpkin pasta is the kind of dinner that makes a Tuesday feel like a holiday. We're talking sweet roasted pumpkin, whole tomatoes, and a full bulb of garlic blitzed into a silky, golden sauce that clings to every strand of linguine. A spoonful of tahini and a splash of coconut milk take it somewhere really special. Crispy sage leaves on top, a pinch of chilli flakes, and a glug of good olive oil to finish. This one's a keeper.

Cook: 65 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 180°C
  • Large baking tray
  • Tin foil
  • Food processor
  • Large pot for pasta
  • Frying pan

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp plant-based tomato pesto
  • 2 tbsp Nooch
  • 1 tbsp creamy tahini
  • 1 bulb of garlic clove
  • 200ml vegetable stock
  • 100ml coconut milk - or plant-based cream
  • 1 tbsp olive oil to serve
  • 1 pinch of Salt & pepper
  • 1 pumpkin
  • 5 tomatoes - good quality
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 sage leaves
  • 1 pinch of chilli flakes to serve
  • 500g linguine pasta

Method

1

Prepare the ingredients

  • Cut the top off of the garlic bulb and place it in the square of tin foil
  • Drizzle with a little olive oil, season with a little salt and pepper and close up the tin foil to make a parcel
  • Cut the pumpkin into wedges and scrape out the contents
  • Lay the pumpkin wedges and tomatoes in the baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and a little salt and pepper and mix well until everything is coated
  • Place the garlic parcel in the tray and place in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the pumpkin turns soft
2

Fry the sage leaves

  • Add the 3 tbsp of olive oil to a frying pan and warm over medium heat
  • Once hot, add the sage leaves and fry for a couple of minutes until golden
  • Remove the sage leaves and place them on a plate lined with kitchen paper
3

Cook the pasta

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil over high heat, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions
  • Once cooked, drain the pasta water
4

Make the sauce

  • Remove the baking tray from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes
  • Take the garlic out of the tin foil parcel and squeeze half of the roasted garlic cloves into the food processor
  • Use a spoon to scrape the flesh of the pumpkin out of the skins and put it in the food processor along with the tomatoes, tomato pesto, nutritional yeast and vegetable stock
  • Put the lid on the processor and blitz until totally smooth
  • Add the contents of the food processor to the pan and simmer for 5-10 minutes
  • Mix through the tahini and coconut milk and cook again for another few minutes until everything comes together
  • Taste and season to perfection with salt and pepper
5

Finish and serve

  • Fold the pasta through the sauce, adding a little pasta water to loosen if needs be
  • Transfer the pasta to serving bowls, garnish with a little pepper, some chilli flakes and the sage leaves
  • Serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Don't rush the roast: Give the pumpkin and tomatoes a full roast until they're properly caramelised at the edges. That's where all the flavour lives.
  • Squeeze the garlic: Once roasted, the whole bulb squeezes out like butter. Every clove goes in, no holding back.
  • Save your pasta water: Add a splash to loosen the sauce when you toss the linguine through. It makes everything coat beautifully.

Why This Works

Roasting the pumpkin, tomatoes, and garlic together concentrates all that natural sweetness and does most of the heavy lifting on flavour before anything hits the blender. The nooch adds a savoury depth that makes the sauce taste way more complex than it has any right to. Tahini is the secret weapon here, rounding everything out so it's creamy without being heavy.