5-Minute Tomato Coconut Pasta Sauce

This flavorful creamy tomato coconut pasta sauce is super easy to make, ready in just 5 minutes and completely dairy-free! Serve it over your favorite pasta or store it in the fridge for later.

I absolutely love combining tomatoes and coconut cream (one of my all-time favorite recipes is my creamy roasted tomato and coconut gnocchi skillet) and I’m an even bigger fan of lazy recipes that come together in just a few minutes. This tomato coconut pasta sauce is ideal for when you want something homemade with minimal effort without sacrificing flavor!

Why You’ll Love This 5-Minute Tomato Coconut Pasta Sauce Recipe

• This 5-minute tomato coconut pasta sauce is ideal for when you want a home-cooked meal that’s more flavorful than store-bought pasta sauce without having to spend more than just a few minutes in the kitchen.
• You can serve it over any pasta you’d like as is or combine it with roasted veggies for even more added fiber.

• This sauce is creamy and delicious without using any dairy!
• It’s made with mostly pantry ingredients to make it even quicker and more convenient.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

The following is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need to make this tomato coconut pasta sauce recipe, as well as recommended substitutions. For the exact measurements, be sure to refer to the recipe card below.

• Diced Tomatoes: you can use either diced or whole canned tomatoes if you want your sauce to be on the chunkier side. For a smoother texture, you can either blend the sauce or use passata/puréed tomatoes.
• Coconut Cream: you can either buy coconut cream directly or, if you happen to have full-fat coconut milk (the kind that’s canned and used for cooking, not the one used as a regular milk alternative in coffee etc), simply take the thick part of the can and discard the liquid/watery part. If you’re allergic to coconuts, cashew butter mixed with a little water and (optionally) nutritional yeast should work too, but you’ll need to adjust the measurements as cashew butter is a lot thicker and you’ll therefore need less of it.
• Cornstarch: cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce. Instead of cornstarch, you can also use tapioca flour/starch or potato starch. You can, of course, also omit it. Just know that the sauce won’t be as thick.

• Light Brown Sugar & Lemon Juice: light brown sugar and lemon juice add the perfect amount of sweetness and acidity to this pasta sauce. Instead of light brown sugar, you can also use a different kind of sugar such as brown sugar, coconut sugar, or even maple syrup.
• Olive Oil: adding olive oil to the sauce is optional, but I love adding it!

• Spices & Herbs: Salt & Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Dried Oregano. Dried Basil, Smoked Paprika.

How to Make This Recipe (Step by Step)

The following is a step-by-step overview of how to make this recipe. For a recap, be sure to check out the recipe card below.

Step One: Add the tomatoes and coconut cream to a nonstick saucepan

To truly make this a 5-minute recipe, I recommend starting by immediately adding the diced tomatoes and coconut cream to a saucepan and heating it over high heat. This should only take you about a minute. Set a timer for 4 minutes and use the rest of the time to simultaneously assemble and add the other ingredients and whisk the sauce.

Step Two: Add the remaining ingredients

Next, mix in the cornstarch (this will help thicken the sauce) and all other ingredients.

Step Three: Whisk & cook the tomato coconut pasta sauce

Whisk everything (if you’re using a nonstick saucepan, I’d recommend using a silicone whisk in order not to scratch the pan, but if your saucepan is made from stainless steel, a regular whisk will work too) and cook the sauce until it thickens.

NOTE: the cook time of 4 minutes is based on using an electric stovetop. If you use gas stove, it might actually cook even faster, so just be sure to whisk the sauce well so it doesn’t burn (or reduce the heat to medium-high heat).

Step Four: Serve over pasta and enjoy!

Serve the tomato coconut pasta sauce over your favorite cooked pasta or leftovers and enjoy! Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days (for longer storage, be sure to freeze it instead).

Serving Suggestion: 5-Minute Tomato Coconut Gnocchi

If you want to make an entire dish (including the pasta) that’s ready in 5 minutes, Id’ recommend boiling lightly salted water in a separate saucepan or small pot (don’t add too much water so it boils faster, the water should just about cover the pasta), then add dairy- and egg-free fresh gnocchi and cook them until they rise to the top (about 2 minutes.)

You could also cook everything (the sauce and pasta) together, but then you’d need to add about 2 minutes of cook time since the gnocchi will cook more slowly in the sauce (in which case you could also omit the cornstarch since the starch from the gnocchi will thicken the sauce.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Note: if you have any questions that aren’t answered here, be sure to leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you asap!

5-Minute Tomato Coconut Pasta Sauce – RECIPE CARD

Use this card to save and/or print this recipe. For additional step by step photo instructions, ingredient notes, and recipe tips, be sure to read the full blog post above.