Curry pasta, creamy coconut milk, and tomato-based pasta dish for a quick one-pot family meal.

To give this vegetarian pasta recipe the curry flavours, you will be only using three curry spices, turmeric, red chilli powder, and curry powder.

The combination of creamy coconut sauce, tomato base, and a pinch of Italian seasoning gives the curry pasta recipe flavours you’ll definitely enjoy.

This pasta dish is healthy and dairy-free and makes the perfect pasta dish for a curry lover.

What to serve with coconut milk curry pasta

• This coconut milk curry pasta is a one-pot meal you can enjoy on its own. add your favourite frozen veggies, if you want a heavier pasta dish.

• Serve as a side dish with some air-fried chicken leg quarters or fried and sliced sausages for a quick dinner.

• Barbecued or grilled chicken breasts on the side go well with the curry pasta.

• You can also toss a few stir-fried shrimp into the mix or air fry some shrimp to layer over the curry pasta

How I make the curry pasta dairy-free

To make my dairy-free curry pasta, I use thick coconut milk.

I replace everything dairy to make the pasta sauce by using coconut milk.

I prefer to use liquid coconut milk rather than coconut milk powder to make this dairy-free pasta sauce.

The liquid can be cooked and reduced to a thick creamy sauce making it also a vegetarian and vegan alfredo sauce, only it’s made for anyone who loves curries.

A curry pasta recipe without the cheese

Convincing a house full of kids who love cheese, and selling the idea of a no cheese pasta is really tough. 

When I started making these vegan/vegetarian pasta dishes to go meatless a few days of the month, the first question in my mind was,

• “How can I make the pasta dinner which usually has cheese, creamy enough that the kids won’t miss it?”

• “How do I make a fake creamy cheese sauce, I can get the kids to try?”

After a few trials, this coconut curry tomato sauce recipe is the result.

But just to be on the safe side, I would recommend NOT telling them the “no cheese” part until they’ve at least had a few spoons of pasta.

All they need to know is that they are having a pasta dish for dinner.

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Utensils and appliances needed

Chopping board and knife.

A deep pan to boil pasta.

Wok or large pan to cook the pasta dish.

More pasta recipes

• Easy spicy ground beef pasta(stovetop).
• Red curry pasta(Thai & dairy-free).
• Spicy penne pasta(penne arrabbiata).
• tuna pasta(dairy-free coconut milk pasta)
• Stovetop Tuna pasta dish.

Tips to make curry pasta

• You can use a frozen pack of mixed veggies or peel and cube some carrots for this curry pasta.

• Have all your ingredients ready to cook the curry pasta.

• To make the curry sauce, use thick coconut milk instead of coconut powder, the coconut milk gives the pasta curry a richer and creamier texture at the end.

• Maintain low-medium heat while cooking the curry sauce for the pasta.

• Constantly taste the sauce and adjust the ingredients as per your need.

• The pasta shape matters, I find penne pasta is a better shape to compliment the coconut curry sauce.

• When you are cooking the penne pasta, make sure you cook them halfway through, you will be cooking the pasta in the curry sauce as well, so remove the pasta after 8 minutes so they are still only half cooked.
• Once you’ve combined the pasta in the coconut curry sauce, cook until the creamy dairy-free sauce coats the pasta with a little sauce left over and remove the pasta dish immediately from the stovetop.

Storing

any leftovers can be refrigerated and consumed within 3-5 days. use glass containers.

Freezing

avoid freezing as the texture and taste of the dish will change over time because of the coconut milk.

Reheat

Heat over a stovetop with a few tablespoons of water or microwave for 2-3 minutes.

Stop food waste by

refrigerating the extra curry pasta for another day.

RECIPE DIFFICULTY-EASY

Ingredients to make curry pasta

The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.

3 tablespoons of oil(can be substituted with butter)

1 large onion sliced fine

2 tablespoons of minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon of chilli powder(add more if you want it spicy)

1 tablespoon of raw curry powder(you can add any type or brand of curry powder)

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

A can of whole peeled tomatoes or 3 large tomatoes chopped really fine

Salt to season

1 cup of green peas

1 cup of shredded carrot(about 2 medium-sized carrots)

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 cup and 1/2 of thick coconut milk(reduce to 1 cup if you need to make less sauce

A pack of uncooked penne pasta(450g-500g pack)

1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

Basil leaves to garnish(optional)

How to make curry pasta

How to cook the coconut curry sauce for the pasta

Place a large wok or cooking pan over a low-medium fire.

Pour in the oil(3 tbsp), add onion(1 large sliced fine), and minced garlic(2 tbsp), and gently cook until onions turn soft.

Add turmeric(1/2 tsp), chilli powder(1/2 tsp), curry powder(1 tbsp).

Cook for two minutes over low-medium heat.

Pour in the canned tomatoes or chopped tomatoes(3)and tomato paste(2 tbsps)into the pan.

Season with salt, and sugar and cook over low-medium fire for 3 minutes until you have a wet paste-like consistency.

Add the frozen or precut veggies(carrot, peas).

I added green peas(1 cup)and some shredded carrots(2 medium-sized ones).

Combine with the curry paste and cook for 2 minutes.

Pour in the coconut milk(1 and 1/2 cups, you can reduce the amount of coconut milk to 1 cup if you want less sauce).

Taste, and make adjustments by adding salt or extra curry powder.

Slow simmer for 7-10 minutes until the coconut tomato sauce is reduced(not too much)and thick.

When the coconut tomato cream sauce changes colour and turns slightly orange and thick.

Switch the stove off and leave it over the stove to keep it warm.

How to cook the pasta for the curry pasta

Place a cooking pot with 4 cups of water, season with salt, and bring the pot of water to a boil.

Add the raw pasta to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes less than the time given on the pasta pack to avoid overcooking.

Once the penne pasta is cooked to a point where it’s still slightly hard in the middle, drain the water completely.

Let the pasta cool for 5 minutes.

Add the pasta to the coconut curry sauce.

Turn the stove fire on and maintain low medium heat while you combine the curry sauce with the pasta.

Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Add the Italian seasoning(2 teaspoons, substitute with 1 teaspoon oregano and 1 teaspoon thyme).

Combine well.

Garnish with Basil leaves(optional).

Serve warm.

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