Pasta in Coconut Milk Sauce

4.69 from 22 votes

Creamy pasta in coconut milk sauce with tomatoes and basil. This vegan recipe requires just a few ingredients but it's so full of comfort and flavor.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Pasta and Rice

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 638kcal

Author: Adina

Start cooking the water for the pasta. When it starts to boil, add salt generously and cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
Sauce: In the meantime make the coconut milk sauce. 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. Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable broth.
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.
Combine: Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and mix it immediately with the coconut milk sauce.

I had pappardelle this time (a wide pasta sort), but pretty much anything goes. Whole wheat or spelt pasta is great as well.
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.
Substitute with frozen basil. 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.