Vegan Pumpkin Pastina! Perfect for fall menus or any time you crave homey, plant-powered goodness, this quick dish is sure to please.

This Vegan Pumpkin Pastina is pure comfort in a bowl, a cozy hug on a chilly evening that delivers on fall flavors. Picture tiny, starry pasta swimming through a silky, dairy-free cream sauce, kissed with roasted pumpkin sweetness and a whisper of thyme and sage. The result is savory, creamy, and hearty enough to satisfy hungry guests, yet simple enough to enjoy as a weeknight staple.

Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients.

Hi there, Ameera here!

This Vegan Pumpkin Pastina is a lifesaver for quick and easy dinners, delivering cozy comfort in 30 minutes. We loved how the tiny pasta soaks up the velvety pumpkin sauce, turning each bite into a creamy, savory celebration that still feels light and nourishing.

The autumnal pumpkin notes mingle with gentle aromatics like garlic, sage, and a touch of thyme, creating a warm, home-cooked flavor that pleases both weekend guests and busy weeknights.  You gotta give this one a try!

Tips for Success:

• Flavor Profile: This Vegan Pumpkin Pastina is perfect comfort food. It is savory, creamy, and hearty. The flavor palate has a light pumpkin flavor, yet is savory, wholesome, and delicious.
• Amount of Sauce: This dish’s texture is a cross between a risotto and porridge. It has a creamy texture that is just perfect. There is typically a tiny bit of sauce left that has not been absorbed. The longer the dish sits, the more it will absorb any liquids. If after being refrigerated and you find that all the broth is gone and you are looking for a little broth, feel free to add a tablespoon (or so) of water, stir well, then reheat.
• Tenderness of the Minced Onions, Celery, and Carrots: Ensure that onions, celery, and carrots are very finely minced. Sauté them until perfectly soft before going to Step 3.
• Food Processor Alternative: If you do not have a food processor, you can very finely mince the vegetables by hand with a sharp chef’s knife.
• Pastina (Acini de Pepe) Substitutions: You can substitute the pastina (acini de pepe) with pearl couscous or orzo.
• Boiling the Pasta: Once you add the acini de pepe, the sauce should be a very low perking boil. Do not do a rolling boil or the acini de pepe will stick to the bottom of the skillet.
• Stir Frequently to Avoid Sticking: Stir the dish semi-frequently to avoid the pastina from sticking to the bottom of the pot/skillet.
• Gluten-Free Pasta: Feel free to use gluten-free pasta. However, please note that gluten-free pasta tends to release a lot of starches resulting in a much thicker broth. You may need some additional vegetable broth to thin it out.
• Dried Crushed Thyme Leaves: If you can’t find dried crushed thyme leaves, you can use ground thyme but use half the amount.
• Dried Rubbed Sage: We used an Albanian Sage.  It has delicious flavor.  It has an almost fluffy texture (kind of like a shredded cotton ball) when it comes out of the jar. Feel free to use your favorite brand of rubbed sage.  If your dried sage is ground to a powder, consider using less than the recipe amount.
• Canned Pumpkin: Use canned pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling.
• Pumpkin Pie Spice: Not all pumpkin pie spices are the same. Some brands accent different spices. Find one that you love. We enjoy blends that are lighter on the cloves. Feel free to use your favorite pumpkin pie spice in this recipe.
• Vegan Parmesan Cheese: We used our Vegan Parmesan Cheese. Feel free to use your favorite Vegan Parmesan Cheese recipe or store-bought.
• Almond Butter: The almond butter tempers the acidity, balances the flavor, and creates a smooth texture.
• Almond Butter Substitutions: You can substitute the almond butter with cashew butter or other nut or seed butters with the understanding that the flavor and texture will be impacted accordingly.
• Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
• Table Salt: If using table salt, you should use less table salt than the amount listed in the ingredients as sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals. Since table salt crystals are very fine, less table salt is required to season a dish. We would suggest starting with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of sea salt listed. You can always add more salt but cannot take it away. We recommend using sea salt as it is less refined than table salt.

Leftovers and Freezing:

Leftovers will generally keep 4 to 5 days in the refrigerator, undressed.  Store in a covered air-tight container.

This dish can be frozen. However, the dressing can get watery if frozen. The roasted veggies lose some of their integrity after freezing and thawing.  This dish is best when served immediately after making.

Pantry Products:

• Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.  Feel free to use your favorite vegetable broth.
• Canned Pumpkin: We used canned Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin – All Natural – No Preservatives.  Feel free to use your favorite brand of pumpkin.
• Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium. You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos. We recommend using reduced-sodium products.
• Almond Butter: We used Artisana Organics Raw Vegan Almond Butter.  Feel free to use your favorite raw almond butter in this recipe.  Read the label, make sure the only ingredient is raw almonds.  Do not use a salted or sweetened almond butter.
• Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

Kitchen Equipment:

• Food processor (or sharp knife to mince)
• Large skillet with lid

If you try this flavorful dish, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.

Vegan Pumpkin Pastina

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 15 Minutes
• Cook Time: 15 Minutes
• Total Time: 30 Minutes
• Yield: 5.5 Cups 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Italian Inspired
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

This Vegan Pumpkin Pastina is pure comfort in a bowl, a cozy hug on a chilly evening that delivers on fall flavors.

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Ingredients

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Mince Ingredients:

• 1 medium yellow onion, minced
• 1 medium carrot, minced
• 2 celery ribs, minced

Base Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth *
• 2 cups water
• 2/3 cup pumpkin *
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari *

Spice/Herb Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed thyme leaves (+/-) *
• ½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage (+/-) *
• 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (+/-) *
• Pinch to 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt (+/-) *
• Pinch to ½ teaspoon black pepper (+/-) 

Other Ingredients:

• 1 ¼ cups dry acini de pepe (pastina) *
• 1 Tablespoon almond butter *
• 2 Tablespoons Vegan Parmesan Cheese *
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar

Optional Toppings:

• Chopped fresh parsley

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Instructions

1. Place all the Spice/Herb Ingredients into a small bowl, whisk, set aside.
2. Place all the Mince Ingredients into a food processor, process until fully minced, then place into a large deep pot or skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat for 7 to 10 minutes (or longer), until tender, add a splash of water, if needed to avoid burning.
3. Then lower the heat to medium, add the minced garlic and tomato paste, sauté, stir constantly for one minute.
4. Next add all the remaining Base Skillet Ingredients, the Spice/Herb Mix, bring to a boil and then add the acini de pepe (pastina), stir well, then simmer uncovered on medium heat, stirring frequently for 7 to 10 minutes or until the acini de pepe is tender.
5. Once the pastina is tender, then add the almond butter, Vegan Parmesan Cheese, and red wine vinegar, stir well to ensure that the almond butter is perfectly dissolved into the mixture, about 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Remove from the stove, cover with a lid, and allow to sit for 3 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Serve with chopped fresh parsley.

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Notes

Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used. 

Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.   

Servings:  4 (makes 5 ½ cups)

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