Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
Updated Sep 14, 2025
This creamy 30-minute vegetarian pasta made with canned pumpkin puree is an easy fall recipe for weeknight meals and for Thanksgiving too.
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MY PUMPKIN PASTA IS SO GOOD!
I usually have a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry, but I don’t just use it for making pumpkin pie; I also use it for making this creamy pumpkin pasta along with pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin smoothies. This pumpkin pasta is another one of my go-to fall recipes. I love how creamy the sauce is, that it’s weeknight-friendly and ready in 30 minutes, and that it uses a whole can of pumpkin.
If you want, you can make your own pumpkin puree. Either way, this pumpkin pasta sauce is delicious!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Pumpkin Pasta Ingredients
- Pumpkin: Look for pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling which is sweetened!
- Pasta: I like rigatoni, but you could use penne rigate or cavatappi.
- Olive oil: You can use another oil, like avocado oil.
- Sage: I like fresh sage with this vegetarian pumpkin pasta, but you could substitute 1 tablespoon of dried sage leaves, or try it with rosemary or thyme.
- Seasonings: Garlic, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Use fresh, minced garlic if you can and not garlic powder.
- Milk: This is what makes the sauce creamy. You could use half and half or heavy cream for something richer, but I like that it’s lighter.
- Parmesan cheese: Be sure to grate extra for serving! You can use pre-shredded parmesan, but it might not melt in the sauce as well.
How to Make Pumpkin Pasta
Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta or pasta of choice
- 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
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 ½ cups pasta water, drain and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sage and garlic, and cook until aromatic, 1 minute. Add the pumpkin puree, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the milk and stir until well combined and creamy.
- Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water and toss to combine until the sauce clings to the pasta and is glossy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, stir in the grated parmesan cheese until well combined, and serve immediately with more parmesan cheese on top, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
1 pound cavatappi pasta or pasta of choice
1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 sage leaves minced
3-4 garlic cloves minced
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup whole milk
Grated parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sage, and cook until aromatic, 1 minute. Add the pumpkin puree, salt, pepper and nutmeg and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes. Add the milk and stir until well combined and creamy.
Toss the reserved cooked pasta with the sauce, add ½ cup of the reserved pasta water to combine until the sauce clings to the pasta and is glossy.
Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese on top, if using and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Make it with butternut squash. You can use butternut squash puree instead of pumpkin. It’s actually hard to tell the difference!
- Add vegetables. Mix in thawed, frozen peas or sautéed kale.
- Add a crunchy topping. Saute panko breadcrumbs in olive oil until browned and crispy, then season with salt. You can top all the pumpkin pasta with the breadcrumbs or leave them on the side for everyone to sprinkle on themselves!
- Use a protein. Cooked, shredded chicken, sauteed ground beef, or browned, crumbled turkey would all be great.
Recipe Tips
- Pick a pasta with ridges. These will catch and help the sauce stick to the pasta!
- Cook the pasta in salted water. Since pasta absorbs water as it cooks, this adds flavor. Make sure there’s lots of water in the pot so the pasta has room to move and cook evenly and check out these other tips for cooking pasta perfectly.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. The pasta should be cooked al dente since it’ll continue to cook once it’s drained and tossed with the pumpkin sauce. Al dente pasta still has some bite to it. I’d start checking the pasta a couple of minutes before its box’s direction say it’ll be done.
- Reserve some of the pasta cooking water. This thins the sauce and adds flavor! The starch in the water also helps the sauce to cling to the pasta.
Serving Ideas
- Serve with a salad. My mixed green salad, simple green salad, and green bean salad can all be made in just 15 minutes!
- Add a vegetable. Sauteed mushrooms, sauteed spinach, or sauteed green beans are easy and fast and you can cook them on another skillet while cooking the pumpkin pasta.
- Eat with your favorite main dish. My kids will happily eat a whole bowl of this pasta, but it can also be a side for roast chicken, baked lamp chops, or pan-seared steak!
- Mop up extra pasta sauce with bread. Plus, who doesn’t love a homemade dinner roll? My recipe calls for just 6 ingredients.
FAQs
Kept in an airtight container in the fridge, the pasta will last for 4-5 days. You can reheat the pasta in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a little water to thin the sauce as necessary.
You can! I’d make the sauce through step 2 of the recipe, then let it cool. Transfer the sauce to a freezer-safe container and it can be stored for up to 6 months. Just thaw it in the fridge before using!
If you drain all of the pasta water, you can use vegetable stock instead.
Not all recipes work with homemade pumpkin puree as it can have a higher water content compared to canned. However, it does work well in this recipe since any excess moisture can easily be cooked out.
Comments
I think there’s a typo on the recipe card. It calls for 1 ounce of pasta?
Thanks so much for pointing this out, Jenny! There was a typoโit should be 1 pound of pasta. I just updated the recipe, it should be accurate now.
Creamy and delicious. We had it on ravioli and used some fresh roasted pumpkin instead of canned (ran sauce in the blender to smooth out the texture of the roasted pumpkin). Would definitely make again.
Yay, so glad you liked it!! Thanks!
Not good. Pumpkin and pasta should not be mixed. Sweet taste never works with pasta. Should be savory insteadโฆ
Thanks for the feedback, Rick. So sorry you didn’t like the recipe.
Thanks for the feedback, Lola. I appreciate it!
Lisa,
I’ve made this a few times with the addition of ground pork sausage (plain, or sage). My toddler is a fan!
Thanks for sharing!!
Has anyone tried this with mild sausage? I wonder if the spice may compliment the sweet pumpkin. I make a butternut sausage soup that is to die for.
I don’t eat pork products, but it sounds like this could be a nice addition to the recipe!
I liked this recipe, it was so simple and easy to make. I did swap out the half and half to canned coconut milk. And it turned out good!
I made it for dinner as side to airfried chicken thighs, also added 3 tablespoons of cream cheese, rosemary and juice of two limes to the sauce, it was so creamy and decadent.๐๐ป๐ค๐ป
Love the additions you made, sounds delicious!
Really want to make a vegan version of this. Any tips? ๐
Hi Brian! I actually have a vegan pumpkin pasta recipe you can try, here: https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/vegan-pumpkin-pasta-crispy-sage/ You’ll have to let me know what you think of it when you make it!
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