Quick Pumpkin-Sage Pasta

The next four recipes are from vegan chef, Lindsay Nixon's cookbook, “Everyday Happy Herbivore: Over 175 Quick-and-Easy Fat-Free and Low-Fat Vegan Recipes, as featured in the New York Times.


This is a great way to use up leftover pumpkin. It whips up as quickly as you can boil pasta and really captures the taste of autumn.

4 ounces whole-wheat pasta
3/4 cup vegetable broth
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 to 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pinch of dried oregano
Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Vegan Parmesan for garnish (optional)
1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over low heat until thoroughly warm, about 5 minutes.
3. Taste, adding more sage if desired, plus salt and pepper to taste.
4. Cover and let sauce rest for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to merge and sauce to thicken slightly.
5. Toss cooked pasta with pumpkin sauce and taste, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with vegan Parmesan if desired.

Chef’s note: For a one-pot meal, prepare sauce in the same pot used to cook pasta, setting the pasta aside as you make the sauce.

Yield: 2 servings.

Nutritional information per serving: 262 calories; 2.4 grams fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 8.2 grams fiber; 5.3 grams sugars; 10 grams protein.