It's fall, so that means one thing - it's the perfect time to cosy up with this vegan pumpkin alfredo for dinner! With a creamy sauce made of pistachios, and a hint of spice, it makes for a tasty vegan and low histamine dinner.
If you love pumpkin recipes come fall (or out of season too!), then you may like to see my pumpkin pesto soup for a cosy lunch and my pumpkin spice oatmeal cookies for a sweet treat!
This pumpkin alfredo is inspired by a similar recipe by Choosing Chia, but with ingredient swaps and substitutions to make it suitable for a low histamine diet.
Ingredients
Traditionally alfredo calls for fettucine but you can of course use this sauce with any pasta that you have. I didn't have fettucine to hand the day I did these photos so used spaghetti instead. If you are gluten-free then use suitable pasta for you.
You will need:
- Fettucine or other pasta: alfredo is traditionally made with fettucine, but of course you can use any pasta with this pumpkin sauce.
- Pumpkin puree: personally I prefer fresh as it tastes better, and is so easy to make.
- Pistachios: these thicken the sauce and provide a plant-based source of protein. Be sure to use unsalted pistachios!
- Garlic: use fresh if you can. Adapt the number of cloves used to preference.
- Sage: the perfect herb to complement pumpkin. Decide how herby you like your sauce!
- Ginger and sweet paprika: to add flavour, and give a hint of 'pumpkin spice' to the sauce.
You may like to check out my easy pumpkin puree recipe to use for this dish!
Pistachios in place of cashews
Usually pasta sauces with soaked nuts to make a creamy base use cashews. However cashews are rated as higher histamine and as a liberator on the SIGHI list. Pistachios are therefore used instead (they score 0) and work equally well.
Step by step instructions
This recipe may seem to have a lot of steps, but they are all very easy and quick too! The only real time spent is soaking the pistachio nuts in water for the base of the pumpkin sauce.
STEP 1
Add the pistachio nuts to warm water in a container that can be sealed and set aside to soak for at least two hours. Then rinse in fresh water in a sieve.
STEP 2
Cook your pasta according to packet instructions.
STEP 3
Blend the rinsed cashews along with a cup of fresh water in a Nutri-Bullet or blender to get a thin cream consistency. It won't look to pretty - but it will taste good!
STEP 4
In a large pan fry onion and garlic until softened. Then add the sage, sweet paprika and ginger. You can use fresh ginger if you have it, or ginger powder if not.
STEP 5
Pour the pistachio cream and pumpkin puree into the pan and let it cook down for 4-5 minutes to thicken slightly.
STEP 6
Add the pasta and use tongs to toss in the pasta sauce. Make sure to coat it well!
A note on pumpkin for my low histamine readers
Pumpkin scores 0 on the SIGHI list for histamine, but some other lists rate it as higher histamine. Only use if you know you tolerate it well.
More pumpkin recipes to enjoy
Maple roasted pumpkin quinoa bowl
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Vegan pumpkin alfredo
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ white onion diced
- 1 garlic clove finely diced + more to taste
- ⅓ cup pistachios
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoon sage leaves diced
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cm ginger grated or finely diced
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- pasta quantity to preference
- salt
- pinch black pepper optional
Instructions
- Add the pistachio nuts to warm water in a container that can be sealed and set aside to soak for at least two hours. Then rinse in fresh water in a sieve.
- Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
- Fry the onion and garlic in olive oil until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add the sage, ginger and sweet paprika.
- Pour a cup of fresh water into a blender and add the pistachio nuts. Blend to a cream consistency (it will be fairly thin, rather than a thick cream).
- Add the pistachio cream and pumpkin puree to the pan and stir well. Allow to cook for 4-5 minutes for the sauce to thicken. Then use tongs to add the pasta and stir so that it is well coated in the sauce. Add salt and pepper (if using) to taste.
Notes
- Adjust the amount of sage, ginger and sweet paprika to taste preference. This recipe is quite subtle in terms of flavour so increase quantities if you prefer more herbs or spice. I suggest seasoning fairly well with salt.
- Use gluten-free pasta if you prefer or are sensitive to gluten.
- garlic, which scores 1.
- ginger, which scores 1.
- black pepper, which scores 1.
- pasta, of which wheat scores 1.
- pumpkin scores 0, but is rated higher on other lists.
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