Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

An overhead view of a bowl of pasta with a creamy cheesy pumpkin sauce and fresh sage.

5 from 1 vote

Our Pumpkin Pasta sauce is a cozy, cheesy, creamy bowl of crazy good comfort food! Serve with your favorite pasta as a hearty side dish or a filling main course meal.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: dinner, pasta, pumpkin

Servings:

Calories: 748kcal

Author: Tricia

Ingredients

16 ounces rigatoni penne or fettuccine pasta
reserved pasta cooking water as needed to thin

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
6 fresh sage leaves minced
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ½ cups heavy cream divided (12oz)
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (244g)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (2 oz) not packed
1 cup shredded Gouda cheese (2 oz) not packed

Instructions

Cook the pasta:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt and cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving some of the pasta water to add to the sauce if needed.

Make the sauce:

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and sauté until softened. Stir in the garlic and continue cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste, minced sage and cayenne. Cook, stirring constantly, until the paste darkens, about 5 minutes.
Add 1 cup cream and pumpkin to the shallot mixture. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently (stirring occasionally) until the mixture reduces slightly and thickens, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat stir in the remaining 1/2 cup cream, salt, pepper, Gouda and Parmesan. Stir until the cheese is melted. Toss the sauce with hot cooked pasta then add 1/4 cup of pasta water plus more if needed to thin. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh sage leaves and serve immediately.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat single servings gently in the microwave. Add a splash of milk, cream or water to thin, stir and heat again.

Nutritional information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered as an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition