Are you searching for the absolute best pumpkin pasta sauce you’ve ever had? A sauce that is impossibly creamy, deeply flavorful, and bursting with all the best cozy flavors of fall, yet is secretly lighter and healthier? This incredible, from-scratch Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with sage and toasted nuts is your new go-to. We’re talking tender pasta enrobed in a luscious, velvety, and savory pumpkin sauce that you can whip up in about 20 minutes.
This isn’t just another pasta recipe; it’s a guide to your new favorite autumn dinner. We’ll show you the simple but crucial secrets to a flawless, from-scratch cream sauce that achieves a luxurious texture without relying on heavy cream. This is a stunning, restaurant-quality 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 truly “the best” is its incredible, rich flavor and its wonderfully velvety texture, all achieved with simple, wholesome ingredients. This recipe is a masterpiece of cozy, autumnal flavors. The heart and soul of the dish is the luscious, from-scratch pumpkin sauce. A savory base of sautéed garlic is transformed into a luxurious sauce with the addition of canned pumpkin puree, savory vegetable broth, and a splash of milk. 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 “Secret” Creaminess: This sauce achieves its luxurious texture without heavy cream! The creaminess comes from a brilliant emulsification of the pumpkin puree, a splash of milk, salty Parmesan cheese, and the starchy pasta water.
- White Wine Vinegar: This is a crucial, brilliant ingredient that adds a bright, acidic kick to cut through the richness of the cheese and balance the natural sweetness of the pumpkin.
- Fresh Sage: This is the classic, non-negotiable herb pairing for any pumpkin dish. Its warm, earthy, and slightly peppery aroma is the perfect complement to the sweet pumpkin.
- The Pasta: A long, classic pasta shape like fettuccine, spaghetti, or linguini is the perfect vehicle for this light yet creamy 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 (And Save That Liquid Gold!)
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 “secret” ingredient for a silky, restaurant-quality sauce! Drain the cooked pasta.
Part 2: Build the Ultimate Pumpkin Sauce
Step 1: In a large skillet or pan, 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 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper to the skillet.
Step 3: Whisk everything together quickly and let the sauce come to a gentle 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 completely wilted. Step 2: Gently add your cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce.
Pro Tip: This is where the magic happens! Add a splash of your reserved, starchy pasta water to the skillet and toss everything together vigorously. The starchy water will help to emulsify the sauce, making it extra creamy and helping it to cling beautifully to every single noodle. Add more pasta water as needed to reach your desired consistency.
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.
The BEST Creamy Pumpkin Pasta (A 20-Minute Fall 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 (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
- 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 over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes 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 spinach is wilted into the sauce using the residual heat of the pan after it has been turned off.
- The crunchy texture of the walnuts and pepitas provides a nice contrast to the creamy pasta.
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 pasta sauce without using heavy cream?
The secret is the starchy pasta water! That cloudy water that your pasta has cooked in is full of wonderful, dissolved starches. This “liquid gold” is the perfect, natural emulsifier. When you add a generous splash of it to your sauce and toss it vigorously with the hot pasta, it helps to transform the simple ingredients into an incredibly creamy, luscious, and glossy sauce that clings perfectly to every single noodle.
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 savory recipe. Canned pumpkin pie filling is a pre-made mixture that already contains added sugars and spices, so it would make your final 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: Why does my Parmesan cheese sometimes clump up when I add it to a sauce?
The most common culprits are high heat and pre-shredded cheese. It is best to add your freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the sauce off the heat or over a very low heat, as this recipe suggests. This allows it to melt gently. Pre-shredded cheeses are also coated in anti-caking agents that can prevent them from melting smoothly.