Pumpkin Pasta
Published on November 03, 2023
Quick Summary
Pumpkin Pasta- creamy pumpkin pasta with Parmesan cheese and crispy garlic breadcrumbs. This easy pasta recipe is the perfect fall meal, so cozy and comforting!
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Pin ItI love making pumpkin recipes during the fall months. I usually go sweet instead of savory because I have so many favorites like pumpkin chocolate chip bread, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin bundt cake. But I also love using pumpkin in savory dishes.
This Pumpkin Pasta recipe is a fall favorite and easy to make. The pumpkin sauce is SO creamy and comforting. I top the pasta with Parmesan cheese and crispy garlic breadcrumbs to elevate the overall flavor of the pasta.
Carbs, pumpkin, cheese, this pasta dish checks all of the boxes for major deliciousness. Enjoy as an easy weeknight meal or serve to friends and family. It is a great meal for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or any fall day!
Table of Contents
Pasta Ingredients
- Pasta– I like to use rigatoni, but any pasta will work.
- Olive oil– for sautéing. You can use butter if you want!
- Shallot– you can find shallots by the garlic at the grocery store.
- Garlic– use 4 to 5 cloves, you want the pasta to have plenty of garlic flavor.
- Rosemary– pumpkin and rosemary are a match made in heaven!
- Crushed red pepper flakes– for a little heat.
- Pumpkin puree– you will need one 15 oz can.
- Vegetable broth– I use vegetable broth, but chicken broth will work too.
- Heavy cream– to give the pumpkin sauce a rich and creamy flavor.
- Nutmeg– just a pinch! A little goes a long way.
- Parmesan cheese– use freshly grated Parmesan cheese, the good stuff!
Garlic Breadcrumbs
The garlic breadcrumbs take the pasta to a whole new level! Don’t skip them. They are easy to make too. You will need:
- Butter– to flavor the breadcrumbs.
- Breadcrumbs– finely torn ciabatta or French bread. Stale bread is fine too.
- Garlic– minced.
- Kosher salt– to finish and enhance all of the flavors.
While the pasta is cooking, make the garlic breadcrumbs. In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the bread and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is golden brown and toasted. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt, to taste. Set aside.
How to Make Pumpkin Pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water, drain pasta, and set aside.
- To make the sauce. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, rosemary, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the pumpkin and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Stir until combined.
- Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt, pepper, and pinch of nutmeg.
- Add the cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese. Stir until combined. Add a little pasta water, if necessary.
- Serve warm with the garlic breadcrumbs and extra Parmesan cheese.
Variations
- Add sausage, chicken, or white beans for protein.
- Add more herbs. Thyme, parsley, and basil are all great options.
- Use Pecorino Romano instead of Parmesan cheese.
- Top the pasta with toasted pecans, candied pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts.
Serving Suggestions
Serve any of the following dishes with the pasta for a delicious meal.
- Simple Kale Salad
- Easy Spinach Salad
- Garlic Bread
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Green Beans
- Roasted Broccoli
How to Store
Let the pasta cool and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop in a skillet. If the pasta is too thick, you can add a splash of broth, water, or heavy cream.
Store the breadcrumbs in a container on the counter for up to 5 days.
More Fall Pasta Recipes
- Butternut Squash Baked Ziti
- Spaghetti Carbonara
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
- Baked Mac and Cheese
- Brown Butter Ravioli with Butternut Squash
- Spaghetti
Pumpkin Pasta
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta, or pasta of your choice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large shallot chopped
- 4-5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly chopped rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup vegetable broth, can use chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
For the garlic breadcrumbs:
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cups finely torn ciabatta or French bread
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water, drain pasta, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the garlic breadcrumbs. In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the bread and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is golden brown and toasted. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt, to taste. Set aside.
- To make the sauce. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, rosemary, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the pumpkin and 1 cup of vegetable broth. Stir until combined. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt, pepper, and pinch of nutmeg.
- Add the cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese. Stir until combined. Add a little pasta water, if necessary.
- Serve warm with the garlic breadcrumbs and extra Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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Pumpkin pasta is a delightful twist to traditional recipes! The creamy pumpkin sauce adds a rich, savory flavor, making it a perfect fall dish. It’s not just delicious but also a creative way to incorporate seasonal produce into a comforting meal. Definitely a must-try for pasta lovers!”
Perfect recipe!! Love it so much. I used a bit more cream than recommended and substituted yellow onions for shallots–it turned out delightful. I also added the Parmesan before the noodles instead of with them to give the cheese time to melt.
Tips from my experience:
1. Cook the noodles to the texture you want. They do not absorb much water from the sauce and will not change during cooking. Therefore, if you cook al dente, your noodles will remain al dente. I cook mine to be nice and soft.
2. This recipe does NOT keep overnight with the same texture-you must eat it right away. Otherwise, the noodles become soggy. The sauce will not reheat to the same texture over the stove, either!
This has become a favorite. I have had to modify a tad (because of an onion migraine reaction) so I just use garlic and sometimes butter instead of the olive oil, I don’t saute anything, just add the garlic at the end. I also add a touch of French thyme instead of rosemary, or both. This combo with the nutmeg and parmesean is so good! Pumpkin is super healthy too. The texture is really smooth too.
Glad you love this recipe!
Absolutely delicious! Felt like eating a bowl of fall 🙂
Fall in a bowl:)
how would you adjust this recipe to use fresh pumpkin?