My easy Pumpkin Pasta combines a creamy blend of pumpkin puree, onion, and a touch of cream with nutmeg and sage that’s tossed with al dente pasta and finished with toasted pecans and plenty of grated Parmigiano Reggiano. This cozy pasta is perfect for weeknights, and is especially good for Thanksgiving.
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The perfect pasta for Fall
I love incorporating seasonal ingredients and flavors in my recipes, and when it comes to Fall, is there anything better than the combination of pumpkin, nutmeg, and sage? This amazing combo shines in my Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with toasted pecans that’s also incredibly easy to make.
The sauce comes together quickly – in the time it takes to boil the water for, and cook the pasta, making it ideal for busy Fall weeknights alongside a spinach salad with hot bacon dressing.
It’s also a super easy alternative for a Thanksgiving pasta course in place of lasagna.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Pumpkin. I’m using canned pumpkin puree not to be confused with canned pumpkin pie filling. Canned pumpkin puree contains only pumpkin which gives you full control over seasoning and sugar. I like to keep pumpkin puree in my pantry in the Fall to use in other recipes like my pumpkin crumb cake muffins or pumpkin bread – we make this almost weekly in the Fall!
- Cream. I love the texture heavy cream brings to this pumpkin pasta. You could omit the cream and use more pasta water if you prefer. Even some ricotta and pasta water will work well.
- Sage. This is one of the most notable Fall flavors and really rounds out the dish.
- Nutmeg. This spice complements the pumpkin and sage. Serve more on the side if you like a little more.
- Pasta. I’m using tortiglioni for this recipe but you can really use any tubular pasta like rigatoni, penne, paccheri, or ziti. Fettuccine would also go well here, as would ravioli or gnocchi.
- Nuts. I’m using pecans that I toast. You could also use walnuts, or even hazelnuts. I use hazelnuts in my parmesan roasted acorn squash which has similar Fall flavors.
- Cheese. Parmigiano Reggiano pairs so well with creamy pumpkin pasta. The nutty flavor of the cheese is a natural choice here. You can also use domestic parmesan, grana padano, or even Pecorino Romano, but note that Pecorino is saltier than parmigiano.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to make creamy pumpkin pasta
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- In a dry pan over medium-low heat, toast the pecans for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In a large pan over medium heat, cook the onions in the butter with a pinch of salt. At this time, bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
- Once the onions are translucent and soft, add the pumpkin puree and cook for 2 minutes while stirring to incorporate.
- Add the cream, nutmeg, and sage and bring to a simmer. Once the pasta water is boiling, begin to cook the pasta to 1 minute shy of al dente.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper and turn the heat to low.
- Add the pasta, turn the heat to medium, and mix well to coat. Cook until the pasta reaches al dente then remove from the heat.
- Add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano and stir to combine. If the sauce is too thick, loosen it up with a bit of pasta water, a little at a time.
- Taste test and make any adjustments to salt, pepper, or nutmeg. Sprinkle the pecans on top and garnish with sage leaves.
Top tips
- Make it your own. Creamy pumpkin pasta is one that can easily be tweaked to suit your needs and tastes. If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use some pasta water in its place. If you can’t have nuts, you can omit them. Prefer some acidity? Add some tomato paste after cooking the onions, or a splash of white wine. I always encourage my readers to use my recipe as a jumping off point to explore and tweak to suit their own unique preferences.
- Save your pasta water. I almost always recommend saving pasta water, but it’s even more important in creamy pastas as they have a tendence to dry out. Adding pasta water a little at a time helps to rejuvenate the pasta and restore the consistency.
- Garnish. I love to garnish with more grated Parmigiano, toasted pecans, and sage leaves. Fried sage leaves are also excellent – simply fry the leaves in olive oil for a few seconds per side. They become crisp and so delicious!
More Fall pastas
Here are a few more of my Fall flavored pastas – give these a try!
If you’ve enjoyed this Creamy Pumpkin Pasta recipe, give it a 5-star rating.
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Creamy Pumpkin Pasta – The Best Fall Pasta You’ll Ever Have
Ingredients
- 1 pound tortiglioni can sub ziti, penne, or rigatoni
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon minced sage plus whole leaves for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano plus more for serving
- 2 cups reserved pasta water for thinning, will most likely not need all of it
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- sugar optional, see notes below
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Instructions
- Toast the pecans in a dry pan over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes or until they begin to take on a stronger nutty flavor. Remove the pecans to a plate and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
- Heat a large pan or pot to medium heat and add the butter and onion along with a pinch of salt.
- One the onion turns soft and translucent, add the pumpkin puree and cook for 2 minutes stirring to incoporate. Add the cream, nutmeg, and sage and bring to a simmer. Begin boiling the pasta at this time, cooking to 1 minute less than al dente.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste then turn the heat to low.
- Turn the heat to medium and add the pasta to the pan and mix well to coat. Cook until the pasta reaches a perfect al dente then remove the pan from the heat and mix in the grated parmesan cheese. If the sauce is too thick, loosen it up with the reserved pasta water, a 1/4 cup at a time.
- Taste test and make final adjustments to salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Sprinkle the pecans on top and garnish with sage leaves. Enjoy!
Notes
- Pumpkin puree and sugar. This recipe calls for canned pumpkin puree. Pumpkin puree has far less sugar than canned pumpkin pie mix. Depending on the brand of pumpkin puree, you might need to add a touch of sugar.
- Cream. You can omit the cream, just use more pasta water.
- Sage. This recipes uses minced sage and sage leaves for garnish. If you would like to garnish with fried sage leaves simply fry the leaves in olive oil for a few seconds per side and drain on paper towels.
- Pasta water. Use the reserved pasta water to thin out the pasta if it is too thick or dries out. Just add a couple of ounces at a time to get a perfectly creamy consistency.
- Leftovers. Creamy pumpkin pasta can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in a pan over medium heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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