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Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with sausage is a savory baked pasta topped with Parmesan cheese. Easy to make and perfect for a chilly fall night.
In the fall pumpkin recipes are all the rage. But they are almost always of the sweet variety. But pumpkin is actually pretty bland by itself. So it is very versatile and can be sweet or savory, it really is about how you season it.
This pumpkin pasta was one of the very first recipes that I ever shared on the blog back in 2011. And it definitely stands the test of time!
The pumpkin pasta sauce recipe is seasoned with thyme and sage, so it is savory, creamy and works perfectly with Italian sausage. Mix in pasta and Parmesan cheese and you have epic comfort food in every bite.
What You’ll Need
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- Pasta – you can use any shape you like, but I think something short like Penne, Rotini, or Bowtie works best.
- Italian Sausage – you can use mild or hot sausage
- Onion
- Garlic
- Pumpkin – canned pumpkin puree is great, just make sure it isn’t pumpkin pie filling that has sugar and spices in it.
- Chicken Broth – I like to use low sodium
- Heavy Cream
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Sage
- Thyme
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salt & Pepper
How To Make Pumpkin Pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta for 2 minutes shy of the cooking time listed on the box. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet brown sausage and onion together until the sausage is cooked and the onions are soft. Drain away excess grease. Add the garlic and cook for a minute until you can start to smell it.
- Stir in the pumpkin and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Stir in heavy cream, sage, thyme and red pepper flakes, stir until the sauce comes together.
- Add pasta and mix until everything is well combined and the pasta is evenly coated with the sauce.
- Pour into a casserole dish and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese is golden and everything is hot and bubbly.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Make sure to under cook the pasta when you are boiling it. It will continue to cook as it bakes, and you don’t want mushy pasta.
- You can use any type of sausage you like for this recipe. I used a pork Italian sausage, but a turkey or chicken sausage would be great. You could even use chicken or ground beef if desired.
- Be careful when picking out your pumpkin puree, make sure it only has pumpkin and it is not pie filling. You won’t want added sugar and spices for this recipe.
- Adding toasted pecans or walnuts to the pasta would be a great texture and flavor addition to this recipe.
How To Serve
This baked pumpkin pasta is a great dinner on any fall night. Really you can make it year round, pumpkin is sold in the baking aisle every day of the year.
- Olive Garden Breadsticks
- Squash & Goat Cheese Salad
- Tossed Salad
- Garlic Knots
- Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Storage
Pasta is one of my favorite things to have in the fridge for lunch the next day. Just store in an airtight container for 4-5 days, and you can reheat in the microwave. You can add a little chicken broth or milk/cream to loosen up the sauce of necessary.
More Fall Dinner Recipes
Pumpkin Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pasta
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 1 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- ½ cup Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a casserole dish with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the pasta 2 minutes shy of the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet brown Italian sausage and onion together for 5-6 minutes, breaking apart, until the sausage is cooked through and the onions are soft. Drain any excess grease. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until you can start to smell it.
- Stir in pumpkin puree and chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes until it starts to thicken slightly.
- Pour in heavy cream, sage, thyme, red pepper flakes and season with salt and pepper. Once the mixture comes together add the pasta and mix until everything is evenly combined.
- Pout into prepared casserole dish and sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the top. Bake for about 20 minutes until hot and bubbly and the cheese is golden brown.
- Remove and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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