Creamy Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce Recipe

A pan of cooked spaghetti in a creamy coconut milk pasta sauce, garnished with chopped parsley and cracked black pepper.

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5 from 1 vote

Creamy Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce Recipe

Easy, creamy, and flavorful 10-minute coconut milk pasta sauce recipe.

Prep Time4

Cook Time6

Total Time10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 246kcal

Author: Kristen Wood

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes use less or omit if sensitive to spice
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast or grated Parmesan cheese if not vegan
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepepr
fresh basil or parsley chopped, for garnish
8 ounces cooked pasta of choice use gluten-free if necessary

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes, sautéing for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
Stir in the smoked paprika, then pour in the coconut milk.
Let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
Stir in the nutritional yeast, vinegar, salt, and pepper, then turn off the heat.
Add the cooked and drained pasta to the sauce and toss to coat.
Garnish with fresh basil or parsley before serving.
Enjoy!

Video

Notes

For best results, do not rinse the pasta after cooking and draining. The starches left in the tiniest bit of cooking water still coating the pasta will increase the creaminess of the sauce.

Storage and Reheating

Keep the leftover coconut milk pasta sauce in a clean, airtight container, then store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It’s best to store the noodles and sauce separately so the pasta won’t get overly mushy from soaking up the sauce.

If desired, you can also freeze the sauce without the pasta. Just put it in a freezer-safe container while leaving some room for expansion, and store it for up to 3 months.

You can reheat the sauce on the stovetop or in the microwave. Give it a stir and, if necessary, add a little liquid, such as a splash of water, vegetable broth, or coconut milk, to loosen it up.

Nutrition