Hello! I am writing up a recipe for this coconut milk pasta skillet as it’s one I use often when I just don’t know what to cook for dinner. It really is the perfect creamy sauce and it’s dairy free for anyone that needs that option.
I am writing this south woodstock Vermont, USA, in snow storm at the moment (for a pasta course!) so the photos seem so cosy and appropriate on this very cold day here. I am putting this recipe in my vegetarian pasta recipe section.
It really is such an easy sauce and you can add anything you like to make it your own from a big handful of leafy greens or anything else you have in the fridge. If you love this creamy, dairy-free sauce, but want a sauce with a bit more richness (and dairy!), try my Butter and Cream Sauce. It’s a classic for a reason! or one of my all time favs a creamy sausage pasta.
Main ingredients
- Pasta – For this pasta in creamy coconut milk sauce I have used a homemade orecchiette pasta but use absolutely anything you have in the pantry! It will work with short or long pasta shapes, fresh or dried.
- Coconut milk – I specified coconut milk in this easy coconut pasta sauce as it is widely available but you can use coconut cream too and it will just be slightly thicker. Most grocery stores carry coconut milk. The brand Normal Brothers is a good one and it comes in 400ml tin.
- Fresh herbs – Use whatever herbs you prefer or have close to going bad in the fridge. I always have herbs hanging around in my house and I need to use them up when they start to go a little floppy. I used tarragon, thyme and parsley in this delicious lemony coconut milk pasta recipe. Other great choices would be basil, rosemary or sage (finely sliced). Create your own herb pasta dream!
OPTION – you could use baby spinach, arugula or leafy greens in place of herbs. Any green veggies like green beans or zucchini would also delicious.
- Grated garlic – I prefer using a microplane to almost puree the garlic. It brings out the juicy garlic paste which helps flavor the pasta sauce perfectly, plus there is no burning risk either as no chunks that need cooking.
- Lemon juice and lemon zest – The lemon zest AND JUICE is such an important ingredient and it makes the sauce so full flavored and delicious. Check out some of my other pasta dishes. I couldn’t live in a world without lemon pasta I don’t think!
- Red pepper flakes – I add ¼ – ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to this vegan coconut milk recipe for a touch of heat and flavor. Omit if you don’t want any spice.
The key to the perfect sauce consistency
Starch water
I have learnt a lot of techniques from years of making fresh pasta and one of the most important to me is the use of pasta water. We need the starchy water to thicken the sauce up so try and use a pot that just fits your pasta in so the starch the top of water gets good and concentrated.
Finishing the cooking in the sauce
I always (if I’m using dried pasta) undercook my pasta by a minute so it can finish cooking IN the sauce. It is an Italian chef trick and I am not trying to sound like a snob but I never serve pasta on top sauce! You need to get the pasta mixed around and bubbling gently in the sauce so it can soak up the flavors and the sauce can cling to the pasta. It’s a magic process and you’ll never look back.
Does that mean I’ll overcook my pasta?
Don’t worry! Pasta, especially fresh only takes a couple of minutes to cook or boil. If you are worried it will end up overcooked then take it off the heat and it will still be soaking up flavor. If you have cooked it enough to be al dente then it won’t go soft sitting in the sauce for a couple of minutes off the heat.
Expert tips for the perfect coconut milk pasta
- Get your timing down! When making any pasta recipe I always tell people to get their other ingredients prepped first. Boil the pasta when it goes into the pan so by the end all your elements will be ready to go at the same time.
- ALWAYS reserve some pasta water before draining. I never drain my pasta in a sink with one of those horrible things (what are they called?!) that sits around the plug to block the sink. I drain my pasta over a bowl so the water falls onto the surface of the water and doesn’t drain away. I need to be able to put pasta back into the water again if I need so keeping it sitting in a sink of dirty water isn’t something I like the idea of. Yes, I know I am a weirdo. Just please don’t ever rinse your pasta, the starch is our best friend.
- Use a tiny bit of olive oil when cooking fresh pasta. If using fresh pasta, add a tiny glug of olive oil into the water, it will coat the pasta and stop it sticking so much. Fresh pasta is prone to sticking and the starch is already clumping back together when you try to drain it, hence why I add it straight back into the water again so it can float around until I need it. I am a bit anal, what can I say?! You could pour a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil on it and toss to stop it sticking.
- DOUBLE! This sauce is really easy to double if you need to feed more people. Double it means 3 x tins of coconut milk as they weigh 400mls
How to make this recipe
The full recipe and shopping cart is in the recipe card below!
- Heat the olive oil to a medium-high heat in a large skillet or a LOT of butter would be great too!
- Add the garlic and a big pinch of salt and pepper and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Enough time to infuse the oil, but not brown the garlic.
- Add the coconut milk, red pepper flakes if using a touch of sea salt and black pepper and bring to a gentle simmer on a medium heat. FOR ABOUT 2-3 MINS.
- Don’t boil the sauce – just gently simmer it to retain the creamy texture of the smooth coconut milk.
- Mix in the juice of one lemon (I always strain the lemon juice through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds), lemon zest and HALF of the herbs (reserve half for garnish).
- Add your cooked pasta into the sauce and let it gently bubble away for a minute or two.
- Give it a good taste and season with more salt and pepper if you need.
- Perfect served with a crisp glass of soda.
- Serve with fresh thyme or your reserved herbs and a good sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper.
Finishing tips:
- Have you undercooked your pasta?! It’s not a huge problem! Allow the sauce to chill and thicken off the heat for a couple of minutes. It will still soak up those lovely flavors.
- Want to put it in a baking dish for an extra finish, as long as you undercooked the pasta it will be great. Top with buttery breadcrumbs for a delicious simple cheesy bake topping.
- Top with your favorite protein if desired, when I do a meatless Monday (have you seen my vegan mac and cheese sauce) I’ll often do something like a simple fried chicken breast that I slice and put on top as the sauce is vegetarian.
How am I serving this one?
I cooked some delicious liberty free range chicken thighs separately for this dish. I doubled the sauce for four people and then used two tins of the Norm Brothers light coconut milk and one full. I did 300 grams of dried orecchiette. Do what you feel works for you as it will still taste amazing no matter what and you can adjust it next time. That is what cooking is all about! I squeezed a little extra lime juice over the chicken to serve with extra herbs and fresh spring onions.
How to serve and store
Get it on those plates and serve straight away! It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days but it is so fast to make just do a fresh batch each time.
Want some other recipes to try?
My Creamy Tomato Burrata Pasta Recipe would be the next one to try, it’s such a simple vegan recipe too. It is a perfect balance of flavors for an easy weeknight meal and this sauce also has fresh herbs. My No-Butter sage sauce is a really quick 5 minute sauce you have to try and my Cacio e pepe would be a great one!
- Creamy Tomato Burrata Pasta Recipe
- No-Butter Sage Sauce
- Cacio e pepe
Recipe FAQs
Is this recipe spicy?
I only personally add ¼ teaspoon of the red pepper flakes which is not super noticeable at all but you can omit it if you don’t want any spice.
Can I add anything else to the sauce?
Absolutely! A big handful of green leafy vegetables like spinach would be delicious. Or some broccoli, you could boil it in with your pasta too to make things even simpler! Anything you have in the fridge that you need to use up will work.
Can I store leftovers?
Fresh is always best but it will keep in an airtight container in the fridge just fine. Some saran wrap over the top of the container before snapping the lid on will keep it extra fresh. I also find a drizzle of olive oil over the top helps too.
What is the key to a luscious creamy sauce?
Pasta water my friends! It helps thicken and bind the sauce and you are just doing it all wrong if you aren’t doing it! I couldn’t make a sauce without it, it gives it the silky lusciousness it needs! If using dried pasta, undercook it by a minute and let it bubble really gently IN the sauce for a minute or two at the end.
Recipe
Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 – 4 Garlic cloves depending on personal preference finely grated
- 1 x 400 ml tin of coconut milk full fat or light will work
- ¼ – ½ tsp Dried chili flakes optional
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice approx ½ lemon, plus the zest of 1 lemon
- ½ – ¾ cup Pasta water see notes
- ¾ – 1 + cup lightly packed fresh herbs depending on how herby you want it, see notes
- Salt to taste and lots of pepper
- 250 grams dried or 400 grams fresh pasta of your choice
Instructions
- Cook your pasta in a large pot of well salted water according to package directions but try and time it so you can transfer straight from the water to the sauce at the end if using dried pasta. Undercook your pasta by a minute if using dried.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and once heated add the garlic and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
- Saute the garlic for a minute or two, don't let it brown.
- Add the coconut milk and whisk well. Bring to a very gentle simmer then add the chili flakes (if using), lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Let it gently simmer for 5 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Lower the heat and add ½ cup of pasta water and whisk to thicken and incorporate well. If your sauce is too hot when you add the water it will separate and thin out too much. Don't stress if this happens, add enough water until it comes together again and then add a touch more to thicken.
- Add your pasta straight into the milk sauce and gently bubble for 2 minutes or so and add ¾ cup of herbs and mix well. If the sauce is reducing too much you can add more pasta water.
- Divide between bowls and sprinkle the remaining herbs on top, a big squeeze of lemon and lots of pepper.
Notes
- Pasta water – check out the video in the blog for an explanation on when to add the starch water. You can add ½ – ¾ cup
- For the fresh herbs I used a mixture of thyme, parsley and tarragon. In a brilliant move I forgot to put the parsley in the sauce and used it all for the garnish, oops.
- Use a mixture of herbs you like but I do think having at least half of it a mild herb like parsley is a good idea.
