Pasta with Coconut Milk Sauce

4.71 from 24 votes

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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time25

Course: Pasta and Rice

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 638kcal

Author: Adina

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
½ cup vegetable stock
small bunch of fresh basil Note 3
fine sea salt and ground black pepper

US - EU

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 + ½ 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

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