Hidden Veggie Coconut Milk Pasta sauce

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A simple coconut milk pasta sauce blended up with tons of hidden veggies. It's deliciously creamy, dairy-free, vegan and so easy to make. The tastiest and easiest way to sneak some veggies into your diet!

Pasta with coconut milk sauce in a bowl topped with chopped basil.

HIDDEN VEGGIE RECIPES– I love you oh so much!!

This simple sauce is made by simmering lots of delicious and nutritious veggies in coconut milk, then blending them until super smooth. It’s the kind of dish your whole family will devour and you will want to make it over and over again.

You wouldn’t believe how creamy, dreamy and easy it is to make this coconut milk pasta sauce! Once the veggies are chopped, it’s just a quick sauté, simmer, and blend. That’s it! If you're allergic to tomatoes or not a fan of tomato based pasta sauces then you will absolutely love this recipe.

We use lots of carrots, capsicum, and celery for tons of vitamins, minerals, and fiber added to the sauce. Additionally, onions and garlic also provide more than just flavour- they are great sources of prebiotic fibers that can be beneficial for gut health! As for the noodles, I used rigatoni pasta here, but you can really use any pasta you like, or even spaghetti squash! This recipe really just provides you with a delicious veggie loaded coconut milk sauce to use any way you’d like!

Pasta on plates with bread, cheese and chili flakes on the side.

Ingredients you'll need:

All you need to make this veggie loaded coconut milk pasta sauce are 4 different vegetables, some seasonings, coconut milk and your favourite pasta shape:

Onion: I like using a brown/ yellow onion, but use what you have. ????
Capsicum: red capsium (bell pepper) adds a beautiful rich flavour, like tomatoes would do.
Celery: to enhance the flavour and adds a subtle saltiness to the overall sauce.
Carrots: You will need 4 carrots in this recipe, so use them! They are packed with beta-carotene, an antioxidant which your body changes into Vitamin A and is good for your eye health!
Garlic: I like using fresh garlic cloves in this recipe, but you can use garlic powder if that’s all you have.
Coconut milk: make sure to use canned unsweetened full fat coconut milk. Or coconut cream for a rich flavour.
Seasonings: In this recipe, we’ll be using dried italian herbs, chili and salt to add depth and flavor to this coconut milk pasta sauce!
Extra virgin olive oil
Pasta of choice- i love using rigatoni here!

How to make coconut milk pasta sauce with hidden veggies

Gather your ingredients, a large pot and a high speed blender and let's get cooking.

Saute: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and saute the onion, capsicum (bell pepper), celery, carrots, and garlic. Stir in the Italian seasonings, salt and chili flakes. Allow to cook, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, until veggies are soft.

Add liquids: stir in the coconut milk and water

Simmer: allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.

Blend sauce: carefully spoon the sauce ingredients into a high speed blender (i used my vitamix), then blend until super smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, you may need to blend in batches.

Cook pasta: Return blended sauce to your hot pan while you cook your pasta of choice before mixing with sauce and serving. *Note, this can also be served with any protein, veggies, or spaghetti squash instead of pasta.

Cooked pasta in a bowl with blended sauce poured on top.

FAQ

What is coconut milk?

Coconut milk is coconut flesh blended with water to create a smooth and creamy milk like texture. It’s rich in flavour, entirely dairy free and vegan.
Coconut milk is sold by the carton or in cans. Carton coconut milk is typically much thinner and typically used as a non-dairy "milk substitute" in cereal and smoothies. Canned coconut milk is much thicker than traditional milk with a cream-like consistency. Make sure to shake the can well before using in this recipe.

Does this sauce taste like coconut?

No, this sauce does not taste like coconut. It has a strong marinara flavour.

Can I use another milk?

I do not recommend substitution another type of milk in this sauce. Canned coconut milk is thick, creamy and richer than nut milks.

Vegetable substitutions

Instead of celery feel free to use fennel. While raw fennel has a licorice-like flavor, when it’s cooked it has a lovely mellow flavour.
While the capsicum adds a delicious taste, you can replace it with 2-3 freshly chopped tomatoes or a zucchini if needed.
For the carrots, you can replace them with pumpkin, butternut squash or raw sweet potato instead. Any kind of root vegetable should be fine.
To make this even more filling, add one can of white beans to the mixture together with the liquid ingredients. You can leave them whole or mash them very roughly with a potato masher at the end of the cooking process.
If you’d like to add some extra greens, feel free to stir in some sautéed spinach or kale into this pasta at the very end.

Coconut milk pasta on plates with bread, cheese and chili flakes on the side.

How To Store & Reheat sauce

Best thing about this vegan coconut milk pasta sauce is that it tastes even better the next day! Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

You can also freeze leftovers in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop – just stir together well to distribute heat evenly.

Creamy pasta on a plate with bread, cheese and chili flakes on the side.

More pasta recipes to try:

Vegan Carrot Mac and Cheese (Nut-Free)

If you try this coconut milk pasta sauce recipe or have a question, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.