Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
on Oct 24, 2020, Updated Apr 08, 2024
This creamy pumpkin pasta sauce recipe is a fall inspired take on the classic alfredo sauce. A delicious creamy pasta sauce recipe!
Pumpkin pasta sauce is delicious!
This pumpkin pasta sauce is ultra creamy and makes for the perfect cheesy fall pasta. It’s officially that time of year when I find myself wanting all the pumpkin recipes!
If “pumpkin pasta” makes you go hmmmm, just think of it like this – it tastes pretty similar to butternut squash would in the same dish. The result is a fall inspired alfredo like pumpkin pasta sauce that is absolutely delicious!
This decadent sauce needs just ten ingredients and is ready in 30 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients to make pumpkin pasta sauce
- heavy cream
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ground sage: sage and pumpkin are the perfect combination
- garlic
- onion
- canned pumpkin
- unsalted butter
- milk
- rigatoni or pasta of choice: fettuccini would be fun for a fall alfredo
- salt
How to make pumpkin pasta sauce
Step 1: Melt the butter in a dutch oven or large pot, then add the fresh garlic and onion. Cook over medium high heat for 8 – 10 minutes, stirring often, until onion is softened.
Step 2: Add the milk, pumpkin, heavy cream, and sage, and cook over medium low heat, stirring often, until the pumpkin sauce begins to thicken, around 10 – 15 minutes. While the sauce is thickening, cook one pound pasta of choice to al dente.
Step 3: Stir in the fresh grated parmesan cheese and stir to melt. Add in the cooked pasta (we used rigatoni) and salt to taste. Serve topped with extra fresh grated parmesan on top!
This recipe was inspired by one of my absolute favorite recipes to cook every fall which is this One Pot Sweet Potato and Spinach Pasta in a parmesan cream sauce.
The flavor of this pumpkin pasta sauce is similar to that recipe.
Can I add more veggies to this dish?
Yes, you can! An easy addition of veggies would be to throw in some chopped fresh spinach to wilt in the last 2 minutes before serving.
What do you serve with pumpkin pasta sauce?
Serve it over whatever your favorite pasta is – it doesn’t have to be rigatoni. Fettuccini, bowtie pasta, macaroni noodles, ziti, etc. Salad and baked garlic bread would complement this dinner beautifully.
How many servings does this make?
This pumpkin pasta will serve at least 6 generous main dish portions, or more if you are serving it along side other dishes.
More Pasta Recipes we love
Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup whole milk
- salt, to taste
For the pasta
- 1 lb rigatoni or other pasta of choice
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a dutch oven, then add the garlic and onion
- Cook over medium high heat for 8 – 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is softened
- Add the milk, pumpkin, heavy cream, and sage, and cook over medium low heat, stirring often, until it begins to thicken, around 10 – 15 minutes
- Add the parmesan cheese in and stir (this will thicken it more)
- Cook the rigatoni or other pasta to al dente, drain, and add to the pumpkin sauce
- Salt to taste (I used 1 teaspoon)
- Serve topped with additional parmesan cheese
