Are you ready to dive into the ultimate cozy fall comfort food? A dish so creamy, so luxurious, and so packed with the incredible, warm flavors of the season, it will feel like a hug in a bowl? This amazing, from-scratch-tasting Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with sage and Parmesan is that perfect meal. We’re talking tender pasta, enrobed in the most luscious, velvety, and savory pumpkin cream sauce you’ve ever had. And the absolute best part? This restaurant-quality dinner is on the table in about 20 minutes!
This isn’t just another pasta recipe; it’s your new secret weapon for a quick, easy, and stunningly delicious dinner. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to a flawless, from-scratch cream sauce that is bursting with the best flavors of autumn. This is a satisfying, one-pan (mostly!) meal that is perfect for a busy weeknight but elegant enough for a special occasion.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Cozy Fall Pasta
What makes this Creamy Pumpkin Pasta so spectacularly delicious is its incredible, rich flavor and its wonderfully velvety texture. This recipe is a masterpiece of cozy, autumnal flavors. The heart and soul of the dish is the luscious, from-scratch pumpkin cream sauce. A savory base of sautéed garlic is transformed into a luxurious sauce with the addition of canned pumpkin puree, a splash of milk, and savory vegetable broth. The sauce is made unbelievably creamy with a generous amount of salty, nutty Parmesan cheese, and infused with the classic, earthy aroma of fresh sage. This beautiful, vibrant orange sauce is the perfect partner for tender pasta and is finished with fresh, wilted spinach and a crunchy topping of toasted walnuts and pepitas.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 20 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Cozy Skillet
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality pantry staples and fresh ingredients to create its signature comforting and savory flavor.
- The Creamy Pumpkin Sauce (The Star of the Show!):
- Canned Pumpkin Puree: This is the secret to a fast, easy, and incredibly flavorful fall sauce. It is absolutely crucial to use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced.
- The Creamy Base: The luxurious, decadent texture comes from a simple combination of a little bit of milk and a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. The secret to the final, silky consistency is a splash of the starchy pasta water.
- Fresh Sage: This is the classic, non-negotiable herb pairing for any pumpkin or brown butter sauce. Its warm, earthy, and slightly peppery aroma is the perfect complement to the sweet pumpkin.
- The Pasta: A long, classic pasta shape like fettuccine or spaghetti is the perfect vehicle for this light, silky sauce.
- The Crunchy Topping: A beautiful, autumnal, and textural mix of toasted, chopped walnuts and roasted, salty pepitas (pumpkin seeds) provides the perfect, crunchy finish to the creamy pasta.
Step-by-Step to the Best Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
This elegant, one-pan (mostly!) meal is incredibly simple to prepare.
Step 1: Cook the Pasta
First, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add your 8 ounces of pasta and cook according to the package directions until it is perfectly al dente.
Crucial Pro Tip: Just before you drain the pasta, be sure to reserve at least 1 cup of the starchy, salty pasta water. This is the most important ingredient for your sauce! Drain the cooked pasta.
Part 2: Build the Creamy Pumpkin Sage Sauce
Step 1: In a large skillet, heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil over a medium-high heat. Add your 3 teaspoons of minced garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until it is fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.
Step 2: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the 1 cup of pumpkin puree, the 2 tablespoons of milk, the 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar, the 3/4 cup of vegetable broth, and the 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper to the skillet.
Step 3: Whisk everything together quickly and let the sauce simmer for about 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 4: Whisk in your 3-4 fresh sage leaves and the 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
Step 5: Turn off the heat and continue to whisk the sauce for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese has completely melted and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Part 3: Combine Everything and Serve
Step 1: Stir your 2 cups of fresh spinach into the hot sauce until it has wilted. Step 2: Gently add your cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce.
Pro Tip: If your sauce seems too thick, you can add a small splash of your reserved, starchy pasta water to thin it out to your desired, luscious and creamy consistency. Toss everything together until the pasta is beautifully coated.
Serve the hot pumpkin pasta immediately in warm, shallow bowls. Garnish each serving with a generous sprinkle of your chopped walnuts, roasted pepitas, and some extra grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Creamy Pumpkin Pasta (Cozy 20-Minute Recipe!)
A quick and easy one-pan vegetarian pasta dish perfect for fall. This recipe features a creamy and savory sauce made from pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, and Parmesan cheese, all flavored with sautéed garlic and fresh sage. Fresh spinach is wilted into the sauce at the end before it is tossed with cooked fettuccine or a similar long pasta. The finished dish is garnished with chopped walnuts and roasted pepitas for a pleasant crunch.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta (fettuccine, spaghetti, or linguini)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3-4 fresh sage leaves
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 Tablespoons roasted pepitas
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water according to the package directions until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil and minced garlic in a large pan for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat until the garlic is fragrant.
- Lower the heat to medium, then add the pumpkin puree, milk, vinegar, broth, salt, and pepper to the pan.
- Whisk the sauce and let it simmer for about 4-5 minutes.
- Whisk in the fresh sage and the grated Parmesan cheese.
- Turn off the heat and continue to whisk for another 2-3 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Stir in the fresh spinach until it has wilted.
- Add the cooked, drained pasta to the pan with the sauce and toss to combine.
- Serve topped with chopped walnuts, roasted pepitas, and extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- This is a quick one-pan sauce that can be made in the time it takes to boil the pasta, making it a great weeknight dinner.
- The fresh sage can be left as whole leaves for infusion and then removed, or it can be finely chopped and left in the sauce.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
What to Serve With Your Pumpkin Pasta
This beautiful and rich dish is a fantastic, all-in-one vegetarian meal. To round it out, here are a few simple and classic pairings:
- Crusty Bread: A side of warm, crusty garlic bread is an absolute must-have for sopping up every last drop of that incredible, creamy and savory sauce.
- A Simple Green Salad: A crisp green salad, especially one with a bright and zesty apple cider vinaigrette, is the perfect, fresh counterpoint to the rich, hearty pasta.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast and impressive weeknight meal, you can get a head start by preparing the entire creamy pumpkin sauce up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you are ready to eat, simply reheat the sauce gently on the stovetop while you cook your fresh pasta.
- Storage: Store any leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat this dish is to do so gently in a skillet on the stovetop over a low heat. Because the pasta will have absorbed much of the sauce as it sits, you will need to add a generous splash of broth or water to loosen the sauce and bring back its original, creamy consistency.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Add a Savory Protein: For a hearty, non-vegetarian version, this creamy pasta is absolutely fantastic with about 1/2 to 1 pound of browned and crumbled sweet or spicy Italian sausage or some crispy, diced pancetta.
- Make it Richer: For a more decadent and luscious sauce, you can easily substitute the 2 tablespoons of milk with an equal amount of heavy cream.
- Add Some Crispy Sage: For an even more sophisticated, restaurant-quality touch, you can fry a few whole, fresh sage leaves in a little bit of butter in a separate skillet until they are crispy. You can then crumble the crispy leaves over the top of the finished pasta for a beautiful and fragrant garnish.
Enjoy The Ultimate Cozy Fall Dinner!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, classic ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. This classic Creamy Pumpkin Pasta is a testament to the power of a simple, from-scratch-tasting meal to be both incredibly fast and wonderfully elegant. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new family favorite for all the cozy days of the year.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an easy and impressive meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a creamy pumpkin sauce that is not watery?
The secret is to use 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, and to let the sauce simmer gently for a few minutes. The gentle simmering will allow the sauce to reduce and thicken beautifully. The starch from the pasta water will also help to thicken the sauce to a perfect, luscious consistency.
Q2: Can I make this dish ahead of time for a party?
This dish comes together so incredibly quickly that it is at its absolute creamiest and best when it is served fresh from the skillet. However, you can save a ton of time by preparing the entire creamy pumpkin sauce ahead of time and storing it in the refrigerator. Then, when you are ready to eat, you can simply reheat the sauce while you cook your fresh pasta.
Q3: What is the difference between canned pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling?
It is very important to use 100% pure pumpkin puree for this recipe. Canned pumpkin pie filling is a pre-made mixture that already contains added sugars and spices, so it would make your final savory sauce much too sweet.
Q4: What are pepitas?
Pepitas are a type of pumpkin seed. Specifically, they come from certain varieties of pumpkins that produce seeds without a tough outer shell, or “hull.” They have a wonderful, nutty flavor and a crunchy texture, and they are a fantastic, healthy garnish for all sorts of fall dishes.
Q5: Can I make this recipe vegan?
Yes! To make this recipe vegan, simply substitute the milk with your favorite unsweetened plant-based milk (like an oat or an almond milk), and use your favorite brand of grated, vegan Parmesan cheese substitute.