Easy Pumpkin Tomato Sauce [Vegan, Gluten-Free, No Sugar Added]

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This Easy Pumpkin Tomato Sauce is ready in under 30 minutes and is a great way to enjoy a meatless meal any day of the week. This pumpkin pasta sauce is vegan, gluten-free and has no added sugar. Perfect over red lentil pasta, spiralized veggie noodles or even pizza!

♪ Start spreading the news…it’s pumpkin season.

I want to be a part of it…pumpkin, pumpkin ♫

As you can probably tell, what I love most about fall is that it’s perfectly acceptable to add pumpkin to everything, including song lyrics! Um, I mean…tomato sauce! 🙂

We’ve seriously gone pumpkin crazy over here in the Hall house, cooking and baking with canned pumpkin puree like it’s the best thing since sliced bread! Um, well…it kinda is! 😉

I decided I wanted to make a savory pumpkin pasta dish, but with a tomato-based sauce rather than a creamy one.

The result? A thick and flavorful sauce without adding any dairy that has just enough pumpkin without overpowering the tomato-y flavor. It also happens to be vegan, gluten-free, grain-free and contains no added sugar.

What Kind of Pasta Pairs Well with this Pumpkin Sauce?

I decided to pair this sauce with a red lentil penne by Barilla. This pasta is both gluten-free and grain-free (made with one ingredient – red lentil flour) and boasts 13 grams of protein per 2-ounce serving. The sweet and nutty flavor of the lentil pasta perfectly complements this hearty sauce.

You could also pair this sauce with another protein-packed lentil pasta, such as Felicia (made with 100% red lentil flour), Chickapea (which is a combination of organic red lentil flour and organic chickpea flour), Explore Cuisine (not grain-free as it combines organic red lentil flour with organic brown rice flour), or Modern Table (also not grain-free combining red lentil flour with pea protein and white rice).

I also think this sauce would work with spiralized sweet potato noodles or even zucchini noodles. It’s also a great way to add a fall-inspired twist to pizza night!

how to make pumpkin pasta sauce

Start by heating olive oil over medium heat. Add diced shallot and cook for approximately 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shallot becomes translucent.

Next add crushed tomatoes, pumpkin puree, parsley, oregano, nutmeg and kosher salt.

Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on medium to medium-low for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand for 1-2 minutes before removing the cover, as the sauce will splatter as it cooks due to the thickness.

Stir well before serving. Garnish as desired with your favorite toppings such as fresh herbs, crushed red pepper, vegan Parmesan cheese or non-vegan grated cheese if you’re not vegan.

For another vegan pasta sauce, try our Vegan Bolognese next.

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5 from 1 vote

Easy Pumpkin Tomato Sauce

This Easy Pumpkin Tomato Sauce is ready in under 30 minutes and is a great way to enjoy a meatless meal any day of the week. This pumpkin pasta sauce is vegan, gluten-free and has no added sugar. Perfect over red lentil pasta, spiralized veggie noodles or even pizza!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword dairy-free, gluten free, grain-free, pumpkin, tomato sauce, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 5 people

Calories 120kcal

Author Sherri Hall

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp diced shallot
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

• Start by heating olive oil over medium heat in a 3- or 4-quart saucepan. 
• Add diced shallot and cook for approximately 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shallot becomes translucent.
• Add crushed tomatoes, pumpkin puree, parsley, oregano, nutmeg and kosher salt. Stir to combine.
• Cover and cook on medium to medium-low for 20 minutes. 
• Turn off the heat and let stand for 1-2 minutes before removing the cover as the sauce will splatter as it cooks due to the thickness. Stir well before serving. Serve and garnish as desired.

Notes

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Please note "kosher salt to taste" was not included in the nutrition calculation for this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Fiber: 4g

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