This is one delicious and unexpected recipe! Creamy Coconut Milk Pasta sauce with tomatoes, peppers, garlic, and oregano is so easy. It's a great family dinner.
Get ready for a delicious and creamy sauce for pasta. This is my flavorful and simple Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce. Here in Brazil, coconuts, coconut water, and coconut milk are everywhere. Since my kids love pasta, I thought, why not make a pasta sauce with all of this extra coconut milk that I have!
The recipe starts with the aromatics, garlic and onion, along with tomato and green pepper. Then flavorful broth, oregano, and coconut milk are added for more flavor and a creamy texture. The coconut flavor is very subtle, but it really adds the creaminess. Then it's mixed with the pasta for a yummy and saucy dish!
This is one of those easy pasta recipes with lots of room to make it your own by adding or substituting veggies you love.
Jump to:
- What makes this Coconut Sauce Brazilian?
- Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
- Simple Equipment You'll Need with Options
- How to Make this Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce
- Variations on Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce
- Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce FAQs
- similar Recipes to this Pasta
- Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce with Tomatoes and Peppers
What makes this Coconut Sauce Brazilian?
What makes this dish Brazilian? Well, it's an extremely loose interpretation of Brazilian pasta from an American family living here :). I will say that the sauce ingredients are very typical of Brazilian sauces and stews. Coconut milk, tomatoes, garlic, and green pepper are traditional in many recipes, such as Brazilian Coconut Chicken Stew {Ensopado} and Coconut Shrimp Stew ~ Moqueca de Camarão.
Simple Ingredients and Substitutes
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This easy sauce has very common ingredients that you likely have on hand or can easily substitute for.
- Olive Oil - Extra Virgin Olive Oil is my go-to for marinades. However, you can substitute in vegetable oil, canola oil, coconut oil, or other neutral oil that you have. You can also leave the oil out and substitute with broth or even water.
- Garlic cloves - Fresh is best when it comes to garlic. You can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it! You can also substitute in dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
- Yellow onion – I used yellow onion, but you can use white onion, red onion, shallots, or even scallions.
- Green bell pepper diced or sliced - I sliced mine because my kids are not fans, so it is easier to remove from their portion. You can substitute any bell peppers, such as red bell pepper. Other mild peppers, such as poblanos would also work. Or hot peppers, such as jalapeno or red chilis.
- Tomato - Fresh tomatoes are wonderful in this recipe. I used a large beefsteak tomato, but 2-3 plum tomatoes or smaller vine tomatoes are great too. You could substitute with canned diced tomatoes that are drained or whole peeled tomatoes that you crush.
- Chicken Broth or stock – You can also use, vegetable broth or stock or Beef broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a beef or chicken bouillon cube or beef base or chicken base.
- Dried Oregano – You can also use fresh oregano or any of your favorite fresh herbs. You can substitute with Italian seasoning, thyme, rosemary, or marjoram.
- Coconut Milk, unsweetened - I used regular, full-fat coconut milk. In the US I always used a can of coconut milk from A Taste of Thai, first pressing, which is smooth and creamy and blends into the sauce evenly. Make sure you shake the can to mix the liquid with the coconut cream. You can also use light coconut milk. If you don't have coconut milk, you can substitute in half and half or heavy cream.
- Cornstarch - This is the thickener in the sauce and is great because it can be mixed into cold liquid to dissolve and create a slurry. Then add it’s added to hot liquid to thicken it. It’s much easy than making a flour roux and saves lots of time and fuss!
- Pasta – Any type of pasta will work here. I used capellini (thin spaghetti) but you can use penne pasta or your favorite pasta shape or size. Egg noodles or rice noodles work too. Fresh pasta works well too, just be sure to cook the pasta and mix it right before you are serving it as it's more delicate than dried pasta.
See recipe card for quantities.
Simple Equipment You'll Need with Options
For this recipe, you just need a pot to cook the pasta and a large skillet or large frying pan for the sauce.
How to Make this Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce
Prep the veggies. Dice the onion, Chop the tomato and keep the juices, slice or dice the pepper. Mince the garlic.
Cook your pasta to al dente (about 2-3 minutes less than the package says).
Preheat a large oven skillet or pan over medium heat.
Add the olive oil, onions tomatoes, and peppers, let them cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and softened.
Add the garlic and stir to combine. Then add the chicken broth or stock. Bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the coconut milk with the cornstarch until the cornstarch dissolves.
Then whisk the mixture into the sauce, along with the oregano, salt and pepper.
Again, bring to a simmer stirring as it thickens, then turn off the heat.
Taste for seasonings and add more the salt and/or pepper as desired.
Add the cooked pasta and toss to combine with the sauce. Serve and Enjoy!
Variations on Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce
With pasta sauces, there are always lots of ways to customize or change it up. Here are some ideas.
- Creamy Coconut Tomato - Instead or in addition to the tomatoes, you can add a cup of tomato sauce and a tablespoon of tomato paste. It will give you a beautiful pink-red sauce that tastes divine.
- Spicy - Give this recipe a kick by adding red pepper flakes for some heat.
- Add Chicken or Steak or Shrimp - Easily add your protein of choice! Cut the raw chicken or steak into bite size pieces or strips and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, or any other seasonings. Cook the protein first in the pan and then transfer it to a plate to add back at the end. The chicken or steak will add flavor to the pan before adding the veggies. Then at the end, add the cooked protein to the finished sauce before adding the pasta to ensure it warms back up.
- Add Beans! - Cooked black beans, white beans or cannellini beans, pinto beans, or chickpeas, are all great additions. Add them right before you add the broth stirring them with the veggies.
Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce FAQs
Yes, you can make this coconut milk pasta sauce recipe ahead and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. I do recommend waiting to make the pasta right before you are going to serve it. Simply warm the sauce in a pot or saucepan and then add the al dente pasta. When you go to warm the sauce, if you notice that the coconut milk has separated, whisk briskly as you warm it through. If the sauce gets a bit congealed in the fridge, that is normal due to the cornstarch thickener. Again, whisk the sauce as it warms through and it should return to a smooth consistency.
Cut the raw chicken or steak into bite size pieces or strips. Cook the protein first in the pan and then transfer it to a plate to add back at the end. The chicken or steak will add flavor to the pan before adding the veggies. Then at the end, add the cooked protein to the finished sauce before adding the pasta to ensure it warms back up.
This Coconut Milk Sauce recipe is gluten free, but always check the ingredient labels to ensure all ingredients are gluten free. The pasta I used was not gluten free, however, there are so many gluten-free pasta options out there now.
This is not yet a vegetarian or vegan pasta sauce as it contains chicken broth. You can easily make it a vegan recipe by swapping in vegetable broth. Make sure that you use a vegan pasta or other vegan option, such as quinoa or rice.
similar Recipes to this Pasta
If you like this coconut milk pasta sauce recipe, check these recipes out!
Coconut Milk Pasta Sauce with Tomatoes and Peppers
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- ¼ cup Onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
- 1 Large tomato
- ½ cup Green Peppers diced or sliced
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 cup Chicken broth or stock
- 1 cup Coconut Milk
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground black pepper
- 16 ounces Pasta or Rice Noodles
Instructions
- Prep the veggies. Dice the onion, Chop the tomato and keep the juices, slice or dice the pepper. Mince the garlic.
- Cook your pasta to al dente (about 2-3 minutes less than the package says).
- Preheat a large oven skillet or pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onions tomatoes, and peppers, let them cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and softened.
- Add the garlic and stir to combine. Then add the chicken broth or stock. Bring to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the coconut milk with the cornstarch until the cornstarch dissolves. Then whisk the mixture into the sauce, along with the oregano, salt and pepper. Again, bring to a simmer while stirring as it thickens. Then turn off the heat. Taste for seasonings and add more the salt and/or pepper as desired.
- Add the pasta and toss to combine with the sauce. Serve and Enjoy!
Sherry Satterwhite
My family loved your recipe! Of course I had to double it to feed everyone, but this was extraordinary!!! Thank you so much for sharing! :)❤️
Carrie Tyler
Thank you so much, Sherry! I'm so happy that you and your family enjoyed it 🙂