Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Parmesan & Fresh Sage

Closeup of pumpkin pasta garnished with parmesan and fresh sage; ready to serve.

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Parmesan & Fresh Sage

This Creamy Pumpkin Pasta recipe is aromatherapy in a skillet! Pumpkin, parmesan, and fresh sage mingle with warm spices to make this savory, satisfying vegetarian main dish. Easy to make; ready in under 30 minutes.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 30

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 450kcal

Author Renee

Equipment

1 Stock Pot
1 heavy skillet
1 Tongs

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch fresh sage leaves 20-25 medium-size leaves
1 cup half & half or whole milk
1 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon fresh orange zest
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup finely shredded Parmesan or Asiago, Romano; divided
½ box dry linguini or 8 oz. pasta of choice

Instructions

Cook pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain, but do not rinse, the cooked pasta.
Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water in a separate container. Set both pasta and reserve pasta water aside.
Cut almost all of the sage into thin ribbons (i.e., chiffonade it), reserving a few whole leaves for garnish. Set aside.
Melt butter and oil together in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and half of the sage ribbons. Sauté for 1 minutes, just until they become fragrant.
Increase the heat to medium, and whisk in the half and half, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, zest, pepper, salt, and chili flakes.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken.
Reduce the heat low, and whisk in ½ cup Parmesan. The pumpkin mixture will thicken and become creamy.
Add the cooked pasta noodles along with a half a cup of the pasta water.
Using tongs, toss the pasta in the sauce until it is thoroughly coated. Add more pasta water if needed.
The pumpkin and pasta will thicken together over time, so keep some of the reserve pasta water until you are ready to serve the pasta, in case it needs to be thinned further.
Serve garnished with remaining Parmesan, sage ribbons, and whole sage leaves.

Notes

Variations

Nutty Pumpkin Pasta: Nuts make a delicious addition to this recipe, adding texture and flavor and enhancing the nutty flavors of the pumpkin. Simply throw a handful of chopped nuts in after you toss the pasta in the sauce.

Nuts that pair particularly well with pumpkin sauce include pine nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, and of course, pepitas.

Add some protein! Chicken breast meat goes perfectly with the pumpkin sauce!

Basil-Pumpkin Pasta: Make this easy variation by trading out the sage in this recipe for fresh basil, then proceed with the recipe directions as written.

Storage

Refrigerator: Stored in an air-tight container, leftover pumpkin pasta will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Reheat: Reheat in the microwave, or in a shallow saucepan over medium-low. Add a little milk or water to thin as needed.

Nutrition