Creamy Pumpkin Sage Pasta
This creamy Pumpkin Sage Pasta dish is the ultimate fall comfort food. It’s quick + simple to make and so delicious to eat.
Why You’ll Love this Pumpkin Sage Pasta:
If you ask me what my favourite food is, my answer is always a good creamy pasta dish.
There is just something so decadent, comforting, and satisfying about a creamy pasta dish that I love so much. While many of the pasta dishes I love come from restaurants, I promise you it’s simple and easy to make a creamy, comforting pasta dish at home too.
That’s just what this recipe for Pumpkin Sage Pasta is – creamy and comforting, but simple and easy to make as well. This recipe will satisfy your fall pumpkin/comfort food cravings, and it will only take 25 minutes to make. Boom.
Nutrition Benefits of Pumpkin:
As a dietitian, I can’t rave about a pumpkin dish without sharing how wonderfully nourishing pumpkin actually is!
As we know, pumpkin is among the family of winter squash, and a source of:
- Vitamins like beta-carotene (which the body converts to vitamin A), vitamin C, and vitamin E, and vitamin B6
- Dietary fibre (both insoluble and soluble fibre)
- Minerals like potassium, magnesium, and iron
Ingredients for Pumpkin Sage Pasta:
To make this creamy pumpkin pasta dish, you’ll need:
- Butter
- Fresh garlic
- Sage leaves
- Flour
- Milk
- Parmesan cheese
- Pumpkin puree
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Cayenne Pepper
- Salt & pepper
- Pasta of choice
How to Make Pumpkin Sage Pasta:
Start by cooking the pasta according to package directions. You can use whatever type of pasta you like. I have enjoyed both penne and conchiglie (shell pasta) and both were fantastic. Don’t forget to reserve about 1/4 cup of pasta water to use at the end!
Next, we’ll make a roux that will thicken our sauce by melting butter and whisking in some flour, then adding milk. In this recipe we will also sauté the minced garlic and chopped sage in the butter, prior to adding flour. Like I mentioned, once the flour is whisked in to the butter, we slowly whisk in the milk. We’ll continue to whisk until the mixture starts to thicken.
Once the mixture thickens, add the pumpkin puree and spices. Then stir in the parmesan cheese and adjust spices as needed. We may also want to add some more milk here if the sauce appears too thick.
Lastly, we stir in the cooked pasta as well as pasta water and mix it all together! Serve the pasta immediately with a garnish of chopped sage leaves and grated parmesan cheese.
If you have leftovers, you can store them in a sealed container in the fridge up to 4 days.
What to Serve with this Pasta Dish:
You can definitely enjoy this pasta dish on it’s own, but here are some things you can serve it with to round it out and make a more balanced meal:
- Side salad or bed of greens (or stir greens like spinach or kale right in to the sauce!)
- Protein source like chicken or turkey
- Plant-based protein source like chickpeas or white beans
- Swap the regular pasta for a legume-based pasta like chickpea or lentil pasta
Connect with Hannah Magee, RD!
If you enjoyed this pumpkin pasta recipe or any other recipes of mine let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below! 🙂
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Creamy Pumpkin Sage Pasta
Ingredients
- 375g box pasta
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-3 sage leaves, finely chopped, plus more for serving
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- for garnish: grated parmesan cheese, chopped sage, black pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions and reserve about 1/4 cup of the pasta water for later.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sage and sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add flour and stir until everything is combined.
- Increase heat to medium-high and slowly whisk in the milk. Continue to whisk for 3-5 minutes until the mixture thickens.
- Whisk in the pumpkin puree, then stir in the spices. Reduce heat, and stir in the parmesan cheese. Continue to stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Taste, and adjust spices as necessary. Here you can also add another splash or two of milk if the sauce appears too thick.
- Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water, stirring everything together until the noodles are well-coated with sauce.
- Divide into bowls and garnish with chopped sage. Serve with parmesan cheese and additional black pepper. Enjoy!
Love the recipe!
Subbed all dairy ingredients with non dairy + coconut milk
Would make again this fall for sure!
Great to hear the recipe works well with dairy-free subs! 😌 Thanks Teresa!
It was delicious and so quick to make!
Thank you Laura! Glad to hear.
Love it! My friend made this for me when I stayed at her house and I had to get the recipe. So delicious even in January when pumpkin season is “over”.
So happy to hear! You can definitely enjoy pumpkin ANY time of year. 🙂
Yesterday afternoon I was searching for a recipe to make use my leftover organic pumpkin and I’m so glad I found this! I made it on a whim for myself, my partner and some guests we had over and it was a hit. Soo easy, comforting for winter (here in Australia) and best of all, healthy. I served it with a rocket and Parmesan salad. I have a nearly six month old son and can’t wait to cook it for him in the near future! Thank you!
Hi Amanda, thank you so much for your comment! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Hope your little one enjoys it in the future!