Cajun Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce

Creamy Cajun coconut milk pasta sauce is my new favorite dinner dish. Filled with garlicky mushrooms and Cajun spices, it's healthy and delicious.

Jump to:

• 💚Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
• 🛒Ingredients
• ❓What Is Coconut Milk?
• 🔪How To Make Pasta With Coconut Milk Sauce
• 🍽️Serving Suggestions And Variations
• 💡Tips And Tricks
• ❄️Storage & Reheating Instructions
• 🙋‍♀️Frequently Asked Questions
• 📖 Recipe
• Comments

Does it taste like coconuts? That's what you're wondering, isn't it? The answer is no, it doesn't! The coconut milk acts as a substitute for double cream. It contributes a creamy base from which we'll add some delicious Cajun spices. I promise it's packed with rich savory flavor, none of which tastes of coconuts.

If you've tried my popular Spicy Miso Pasta With Fennel and Carrots or Creamy Lemon Tahini Pasta With Mushrooms, you'll know how much I love to get creative with pasta. And coconut pasta sauce is my newest creation.

We've had this recipe on repeat at my house. Everyone loves it!

Top Tip: If you like coconut sauce based pasta recipes, you've got to check out my vegan rasta pasta recipe.

💚Reasons You'll Love This Recipe

💚This is a budget friendly recipe the whole family can enjoy.

💚Cajun coconut pasta sauce takes under 30 minutes to make, so it's the perfect midweek meal.

💚Coconut milk contains healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals that can offer potential health benefits, including supporting heart health, providing energy, and promoting nutrient absorption.

💚If you're following a dairy-free diet or are lactose intolerant, coconut sauce might just become your go-to pasta sauce.

🛒Ingredients

• Pasta: I used tagliatelle, but I've made this recipe with linguine, fettuccine and spaghetti as well. Use whatever pasta you have in your pantry.
• Mushrooms: I used chestnut mushrooms, but a combination of woodland mushrooms is nice too. You could also use shiitake mushrooms or chopped up Portobello mushrooms.
• Garlic: There's 3 cloves of garlic in this recipe. I love the combination of garlic and mushrooms.
• Coconut Milk: Use the kind of coconut milk that comes in a can, not a carton. If you want to lighten this recipe up, you can use half light coconut milk and half full fat, but the sauce will be a little thinner than if you used all full fat. If you go this route, consider thickening the sauce a bit with a cornstarch slurry.
• Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast adds a nice cheesy flavor.
• Smoked Paprika: Used smoked, not regular paprika in this recipe. The flavor is totally different. Smoked paprika is ground chili peppers that have been dried over an oak fire. The flavor will be round and smoky.
• Dried Sage: Earthy sweet sage is the perfect complement to the creamy coconut milk pasta sauce.
• Dijon Mustard: Dijon adds a spicy little kick.
• Cayenne Pepper: I've used a ½ teaspoon of cayenne in this recipe, and I don't find if too spicy, but please adjust according to your tolerance for heat. You can also use any cayenne pepper substitute that you prefer. For instance, I sometimes use chili powder of gochugaru.

You'll also need olive oil, salt and pepper and some reserved cooking water from the pasta.

❓What Is Coconut Milk?

Coconut milk is a creamy, opaque liquid extracted from the grated flesh of mature coconuts. It's a common ingredient in various cuisines around the world, especially in tropical regions.

To obtain coconut milk, the grated coconut flesh is soaked or blended with water, then strained to remove any solid particles. The resulting liquid has a rich, slightly sweet flavor and a velvety texture, making it a popular ingredient in curries, soups, desserts, and even beverages. Coconut milk is also a great source of healthy fats!

🔪How To Make Pasta With Coconut Milk Sauce

Cook The Pasta

• Cook your pasta according to the instructions on the package. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of the water.

Cook The Mushrooms

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Add the garlic cloves and saute fora further 30 seconds.

Make The Cajun Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce

• Add the reserved pasta cooking water and coconut milk to the pan. With the lid off the pan, simmer the sauce for 10 minutes over medium heat.
• Test the sauce to see if it's as thick as you like. If it's still not thick enough, carry on simmering it for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add the nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, sage, cayenne, Dijon mustard and salt. Stir to combine.

Toss The Pasta In The Sauce And Serve

• Toss your pasta with the sauce. Garnish with optional parsley.

🍽️Serving Suggestions And Variations

• Sprinkle with vegan bacon bits or vegan Parmesan cheese.
• Add some roasted red peppers to the sauce.
• Serve with a simple green salad with a vinaigrette dressing. Israeli Cucumber Salad would be an excellent simple salad to serve with this recipe.
• Love Cajun recipes? stir in this Cajun fried corn.
• Instead of mushrooms, substitute sweetcorn and chopped red peppers.
• Make it lighter by using half light coconut milk and half full fat coconut milk.
• Make it gluten-free by using a gluten-free pasta.
• Serve with a side of buttery vegan garlic knots.
• Add your favorite veggies. Broccoli, grilled zucchini and eggplant are all excellent choices.

💡Tips And Tricks

You can thicken this pasta sauce with a cornstarch slurry. Add one tablespoon cornstarch to two tablespoons water. Pour the slurry into the coconut milk pasta sauce and simmer until the sauce reaches the desired consistency. You will need to reduce the cooking time to 4-5 minutes.

❄️Storage & Reheating Instructions

Refrigerator:

1. Allow the coconut sauce pasta to cool down completely before storing it in the refrigerator.
2. Transfer the pasta to an airtight container or a sealed zip-top bag.
3. Place the container or bag in the refrigerator and ensure it is tightly sealed.
4. The coconut sauce pasta can be refrigerated for up to 3 to 4 days.
5. Reheat gently in the microwave.

Freezer:

1. Allow the coconut sauce pasta to cool down completely before freezing.
2. Transfer the pasta to a freezer-safe container or airtight freezer bag.
3. Ensure the container or bag is sealed tightly, removing as much air as possible to prevent freezer burn.
4. Label the container or bag with the date and contents for easy identification later.
5. Place the container or bag in the freezer, ideally in a flat position to save space.
6. The coconut sauce pasta can be frozen for up to 2 to 3 months.

1. Label the container or bag with the date and contents for easy identification later.
2. Place the container or bag in the freezer, ideally in a flat position to save space.
3. The coconut sauce pasta can be frozen for up to 2 to 3 months.

When ready to consume, thaw the frozen pasta in the refrigerator overnight. To reheat, gently warm it in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. You may need to add a splash of water or coconut milk to revive the sauce's consistency if it has thickened during storage.

🙋‍♀️Frequently Asked Questions

Craving More Coconut Milk Dishes?

Healthy Mushroom Curry With Chickpeas

Vegan Lentil Bolognese

Creamy Carrot Sauce For Pasta

Creamy Spinach & Mushroom Pasta

The Best Vegan Cheesecake - Coconut with Raspberry

Easy Aubergine And Chickpea Curry

Easy Vegan Dulce De Leche

Mung Bean Curry

Indian Pumpkin Curry

📖 Recipe