• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Spring Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • Sweets
  • About
  • How To's

Where Is My Spoon

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Spring Recipes
  • Recipe Index
  • Sweets
  • About
  • How To's
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Spring Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Sweets
    • About
    • How To's
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ร—
    Where Is My Spoon > Recipes > Pasta and Rice

    Pasta with Coconut Milk Sauce

    Published by: Adina January 15, 2021 ยท Last modified: July 8, 2024 14 Comments
    Jump to Recipe
    pinterest image with title coconut milk pasta.

    Make this creamy pasta with coconut milk sauce, tomatoes, and basil. This vegan recipe requires just a few ingredients, but it's full of comfort and flavor.

    bowl with noodles topped with basil

    This simple pantry recipe is ready in no time and is so satisfying. This dish of pasta with coconut milk sauce has quickly become a staple in our kitchen. Why not? It is incredibly delicious and healthy, and I always have noodles, coconut milk, canned tomatoes, and basil. There is no need to go shopping, especially not nowadays.

    If you are looking for more delicious and vegan pasta dishes, check out Pasta Guacamole or Pasta Lentil Soup.

    Featured comment:

    Stephanie: Delicious recipe! Perfect for our protein penne. My 1-year-old couldnโ€™t get enough of it, tomatoes and all! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! It will definitely be in our rotation:)

    Jump to recipe
    • Recipe ingredients
    • Additions
    • How to make pasta with coconut milk?
    • Good to know!
    • What to serve with it?
    • Recipe
    • Pasta with Coconut Milk Sauce

    Recipe ingredients

    Pasta: Regular or whole wheat. I had pappardelle this time, but I also cooked the dish with spaghetti, tagliatelle, fettuccine, and so on.

    Tomatoes: Chopped tomatoes from a can or fresh, ripe, juicy tomatoes.

    Coconut milk: I prefer the full-fat version; it is creamier and more flavorful. However, if you prefer the light version, it works as well. In this case, you might want to cook the sauce slightly longer to help it thicken, or you can thicken it with starch.

    Basil: Fresh is best; I always have it on my window sill. However, you can use frozen. You can substitute it with dried oregano, which imparts the dish a slight pizza flavor; my kids love it.

    See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

    Additions

    For vegan cheesy flavor, add 2-3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast.

    Add 1-2 handfuls of fresh spinach to the finished sauce and just let it wilt for a minute or so.

    Add one small drained can of chickpeas or small white beans for an even more filling dish. You can leave them whole or roughly mash them with a potato masher.

    Try more coconut milk dishes: Asparagus Curry, Chickpea Apple Curry, Vegan Peanut Soup with Whole Peanuts, or Vegan Ginger Carrot Soup.

    How to make pasta with coconut milk?

    Start cooking the water for the noodles. When boiling, add salt generously and cook according to the package instructions.

    collage of 4 pictures of making coconut sauce for pasta

    Step #1: Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the grated garlic cloves and stir for 30 seconds, but don't let them burn.

    Step #2: Add the chopped tomatoes and stir for about 2 minutes.

    Step #3: Pour in the nut milk and vegetable broth and boil for 10 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened and creamy.

    Step #4: Add the chopped basil, salt, and pepper generously.

    Step #5: Once the noodles are cooked, drain them and mix them immediately with the sauce.

    Good to know!

    You could thicken the sauce with starch if you like it thicker. It is recommended to do it if you cook the sauce with light coconut milk.

    However, a word of caution: cornstarch might make the dish slightly slippery. I've heard tapioca starch might do a better job, but I cannot say for sure; I've never had that.

    In any case, I prefer to let the sauce thicken naturally on the stove; medium-high heat and no lid should do it.

    vegan pasta with coconut milk and tomatoes

    What to serve with it?

    I serve the pasta in coconut milk, mostly with a light green salad with vinaigrette.

    • oil and vinegar cucumber salad with chopped red onions on top.
      Oil and Vinegar Cucumber Salad
    • bowl with sauteed zucchini and onions with a spoon in it.
      Sauteed Zucchini with Onions
    • close up of rainbow colored whole roasted carrots.
      Simple Roasted Whole Carrots
    • close up of sauteed asparagus with garlic in a cast iron skillet.
      Sauteed Asparagus with Garlic

    Do you like this recipe?

    Please leave a good rating in the recipe card below. Stay in touch through social media: Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. Donโ€™t forget to tag #whereismyspoon when you try a recipe!

    Recipe

    pasta in coconut milk in a large bowl.

    Pasta with Coconut Milk Sauce

    Creamy pasta with coconut milk sauce with tomatoes and basil. This vegan recipe requires just a few ingredients but it's so full of comfort and flavor.
    4.71 from 24 votes
    Print Pin Share GrowSaved! Rate
    Course: Pasta and Rice
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 638kcal
    Author: Adina
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients 

    • 1 lb pasta of choice Note 1
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 4-5 large garlic cloves to taste
    • 1 can chopped tomatoes 14 oz/ 400 g
    • 1 can coconut milk 14 oz/ 400 g, Note 2
    • ยฝ cup vegetable stock
    • small bunch of fresh basil Note 3
    • fine sea salt and ground black pepper

    Instructions

    • Start cooking the water for the pasta. When it starts to boil, add salt generously and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. In the meantime, make the coconut milk sauce.
      1 lb pasta of choice
    • Saute garlic: Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the grated garlic cloves and stir for 30 seconds; don't let them burn or get too much color. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir for about 2 minutes.
      2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil + 4-5 large garlic cloves + 1 can chopped tomatoes
    • Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable broth.
      1 can coconut milk + ยฝ cup vegetable stock
    • Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat (without a lid) or until the sauce is slightly thickened and creamy. If the sauce is not thick enough, increase the heat to medium-high and let it boil for a few more minutes or until it achieves the desired consistency.
    • Add the chopped basil, salt, and pepper generously.
      small bunch of fresh basil + fine sea salt and ground black pepper
    • Combine: Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and mix it immediately with the coconut milk sauce.

    Notes

    1. Pasta: I had pappardelle this time (a wide pasta sort), but pretty much anything goes. Whole wheat or spelt pasta is great as well.
    2. Coconut milk: Preferably full-fat (creamier, more flavor), but a lighter version should be fine as well. In this case, the sauce might need longer to thicken or you might want to help it thicken with some starch. Cornstarch makes the sauce slightly slippery.
    3. Herbs: Substitute fresh basil with frozen. If you don't have fresh basil, try dried oregano, it imparts the dish a lovely flavor as well. I don't like using dried basil, but you can if you like it.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/4 of the dish | Calories: 638kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 109mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @adinabeck or tag #WhereIsMySpoon!

    More Time-Saving Pasta & Rice Dishes

    • chicken orzo bake in a round dutch oven.
      Chicken Orzo Bake
    • creamy tomato orzo topped with basil leaves in a bowl with a spoon in it.
      Creamy Tomato Orzo
    • a dish full of pasta with calamari.
      Pasta with Calamari
    • truffle pasta served on a small white plate with shavings on top.
      Truffle Pasta Recipe

    Sharing is caring!

    440 shares
    • Share
    • Yummly
    • Reddit
    • X

    web banner representing all the websites logos that featured our food blog.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gill says

      January 07, 2025 at 8:02 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent easy sauce which I spooned over spinach tortellini. My boys really enjoyed it. I donโ€™t keep fresh basil in, but used a couple of spoonfuls of pesto instead, which worked for us. A great store cupboard recipe for a very snowy day. Thank you Adina!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        January 08, 2025 at 8:22 am

        Pesto sounds great, Gil. I am happy your kids enjoyed the dish.

        Reply
    2. Neil says

      September 21, 2024 at 6:54 am

      5 stars
      The juxtaposition of flavors is, for me, always the attraction to any new tongue adventure!

      Reply
    3. Mariah says

      December 01, 2023 at 4:05 am

      5 stars
      So yummy!! I had canned coconut cream so I used that instead of milk, and I had canned diced tomatoes so I used that!
      And I didnโ€™t have basil so I left it out! I ended up adding nutritional yeast bc I like the cheesy flavor and ooooo it was good!
      I added frozen peas to the sauce at the end for the last 2 minutes
      Such a good recipe for a pantry and freezer night!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        December 01, 2023 at 8:02 am

        I am so happy to hear it, Mariah. This recipe is really a savor when you don't have time for grocery shopping. Nutritional yeast sounds great, it does adds a lot of flavor.

        Reply
    4. Stephanie says

      October 28, 2022 at 8:57 am

      5 stars
      Delicious recipe! Perfect for our protein penne. My 1 year old couldnโ€™t get enough of it, tomatoes and all! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! It will definitely be in our rotation:)

      Reply
      • Adina says

        October 28, 2022 at 10:21 am

        I am so happy to hear it, Stephanie; thank you for the feedback. I will try protein pasta as well; sounds great.

        Reply
    5. Lindsay says

      February 10, 2022 at 9:43 pm

      My family (including the 3 kids) loved this and it really hit the spot for a creamy vegan dish! I used the whole wheat linguine I had on hand. I heated up some frozen veggies (Normandy blend) and added them towards the end, but I like the idea of adding spinach. I'll try that next time because I'm definitely making it again! I also doubled the sauce because I was adding a lot of vegetables. When doubling, I do not recommend doubling the broth bc it took a long time to thicken up. Next time I will add just slightly more broth than the original recipe calls for and will watch and add a bit more if it is too thick. I can't tell you how excited I was to have my kids praise this dish. I feel like they never like anything! I may have to start making this once a week! lol, Thank you!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        February 11, 2022 at 8:30 am

        Hi Lindsay. So happy to read your comment! It's great that your kids loved it; mine do too. Spinach is excellent, I added it a few times myself, and both kids love it despite the dish being a bit too green then. ๐Ÿ™‚ But then again, they are growing up; they get less resistant with age.

        Reply
    6. Yve says

      January 03, 2022 at 1:19 am

      That was easy and SO YUMMY! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Adina says

        January 03, 2022 at 2:24 pm

        So happy to hear it. Thank you for the feedback.

        Reply
    7. Rosie says

      September 29, 2021 at 8:00 pm

      Delicious,very light and easy meal for busy single person took leftovers to work ?

      Reply
      • Adina says

        September 30, 2021 at 8:01 am

        Thank you for the feedback, Rosie. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    8. mjskitchen says

      January 17, 2021 at 2:05 am

      Just the type of recipe I've been looking for. Love the idea of using coconut milk in place of a heavy cream. This would be a great dish to use up some of my garden tomatoes that are in the freezer. Definitely would finish it off with a handful of fresh spinach. Great dish!

      Reply
    4.71 from 24 votes (20 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating





    Primary Sidebar

    Hello! Where Is My Spoon is a blog where you will find delicious and family friendly recipes, all made from scratch. From simple healthy soups to sumptuous cakes for special occasions, all our recipes have been tried and loved by our family and our friends.

    More about me โ†’

    Potluck Recipes

    • bowl with potato salad with dill pickles sprinkled with chives.
      Potato Salad with Dill Pickles
    • napa cabage ramen salad in a gray bowl with sunflower seeds around it.
      Napa Cabbage Ramen Salad
    • feta and spinach triangles close up on a plate.
      Feta and Spinach Triangles
    • cherry loaf cake sliced on a vintage cloth with a knife and fresh fruit around it.
      Fresh Cherry Loaf Cake

    Popular Recipes

    • air fryer frozen chicken breast after cooking, one whole and one sliced piece.
      Frozen Chicken Breast in the Air Fryer
    • juicy, golden brown brats cooked on the stove in a skillet.
      How to Cook Brats on the Stove
    • lifting one piece of baked chicken breast with a spoon.
      How to Bake Frozen Chicken Breast
    • stapled sliced pork belly slices sprinkled with parsley, pool of fat in the back.
      How to Cook Pork Belly Strips

    Footer

    โ†‘ back to top

    Info

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Contact

    If you have any questions or want to work with me, please email me @ contact@whereismyspoon.co

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright ยฉ 2025 - Where Is My Spoon. All rights reserved.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.