Description
This Creamy Pumpkin Pasta recipe is a comforting and flavorful dish perfect for the fall season. Featuring a smooth pumpkin purée sauce infused with sage, garlic, and a hint of nutmeg, it combines creamy whole milk and Parmesan cheese for a rich and satisfying meal that’s easy to prepare in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Pasta
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta (or pasta of choice)
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 sage leaves (minced, about 2 tablespoons)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (plus more for serving)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the rigatoni pasta al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 ½ cups of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and set it aside.
- Prepare the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced sage leaves and garlic cloves, cooking for about 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the pumpkin purée, salt, black pepper, and ground nutmeg, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes to combine the flavors.
- Add milk and combine: Pour in the whole milk and stir well until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency.
- Toss pasta with sauce: Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water into the skillet. Toss continuously for 3-4 minutes until the sauce clings evenly to the pasta and becomes glossy.
- Finish with parmesan: Turn off the heat and stir in the grated parmesan cheese until thoroughly combined. Serve immediately with extra parmesan cheese sprinkled on top if desired.
Notes
- You can substitute rigatoni with penne, fusilli, or any pasta of your choice.
- For a richer sauce, use half-and-half or cream instead of whole milk.
- Reserved pasta water is essential to help loosen the sauce and help it cling well to the pasta.
- For a vegetarian version, ensure the Parmesan cheese used is free of animal rennet.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently with a splash of milk to restore creaminess.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Boiling and Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 11g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
