Pumpkin Pasta

When you think of pumpkin recipes, you probably think of pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice lattes… sweet things! But I’m here to tell you not to sleep on savory pumpkin. Especially when you combine it with noodles! That’s right, meet PUMPKIN PASTA!

I came up with this recipe a few years ago after making a very similar butternut squash sauce (please don’t judge the VERY old post and VERY bad photos!). I loved that sauce so much, but it requires more effort and time to roast the squash… and then I thought, what if I just used canned pumpkin instead?! BINGO.

how to make pumpkin pasta

To make it more savory, I add onion, garlic and sage to the pumpkin. You could just chop them with a knife, but I find putting them in the food processor helps distribute the flavor throughout the whole sauce, instead of just getting bites of it here and there.

Also, the garnishes are VERY important in my opinion! Don’t miss that sprinkle of parmesan cheese or the fried save leaves. Both of those things take the dish from good to great!

pumpkin pasta recipe

ingredients

1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
10 sage leaves
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1/2 small lemon
1 cup pasta water
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (Romano works too!
1 lb orecchiette pasta

step one

Pulse onion, garlic and 4 sage leaves in food processor. Add to a pan with 1/2 tbsp olive oil and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.

step two

Add pumpkin, lemon, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.

step three

Cut the remaining 6 sage leaves into thin strips.

step four

In a separate pan, heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add thin strips of sage. Fry for 2-4 minutes, until they get crispy. Transfer to a plate with a paper towel on it to soak up the excess oil. Season with salt.

step five

Cook your pasta. When almost done, add 1 cup of pasta water to sauce.

step six

Add the pasta to the sauce. Stir to coat.

step seven

Serve in a bowl with an extra spoonful of parmesan cheese and the fried sage strips on top.

I need to make some new recipes that require crispy sage on top, because hot damn, it is DELICIOUS. In addition to that and the parmesan cheese, I also like to sprinkle some extra red pepper flakes on top for a little kick!

Pumpkin Pasta

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 10 sage leaves
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
• 1 cup pasta water
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 small lemon
• 1/2 cup romano or parmesan cheese
• 1 lb orecchiette pasta

Instructions

1. Cut onion into quarters and peel the garlic. Pulse onion, garlic and 4 sage leaves in food processor. Add to a pan with 1/2 tbsp olive oil and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
2. Add pumpkin, lemon, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Cut the remaining 6 sage leaves into thin strips.
4. In a separate pan, heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add thin strips of sage. Fry for 2-4 minutes, until they get crispy. Transfer to a plate with a paper towel on it to soak up the excess oil. Season with salt.
5. Cook your pasta. When almost done, add 1 cup of pasta water to sauce.
6. Add the pasta to the sauce. Stir to coat.
7. Serve in a bowl with an extra spoonful of parmesan cheese and the fried sage strips on top.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 222Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 166mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 3gSugar: 2gProtein: 9g

Want to remember this pumpkin pasta recipe later? Pin the image below!

PS. You might also like Pumpkin Hand Pies, Cranberry Apple Sauce, and Stone Fruit Crumble!