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
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta or pasta of choice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced sage leaves about 8 large leaves
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
- 1 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
My whole family loved this! I don’t know what’s going on with other peoples’ versions because ours was rich, creamy, and tasty. When I make it again I’m actually going to lessen the black pepper as it was a bit overpowering and took away from the deliciousness of the rest of the dish.
I’m so glad this turned out rich, creamy, and tasty for you! It’s great to hear your whole family loved it. Adjusting the black pepper next time sounds like a good idea. Thanks for sharing your review, Millie!!
My family, including our toddler, loved this pasta! I read some of the reviews saying it was bland, which pumpkin definitely can be, so I made a couple of tweaks while staying true to the recipe and it turned out great. I added an extra 1.5 tablespoons of sage, and rather than using olive oil, I used butter that I browned before adding the sage. I also swapped evaporated milk because that’s what I had on hand the richness was great. We’ll definitely be making this again!
So happy the whole family loved it, especially your toddler! The browned butter and sage sound soo good together. Thanks for sharing your tweaks, and I’m glad you’ll be making it again!
It’s harvest season, so while processing pie pumpkins, I thought that I’d give this a try. I should have read the reviews first. I added chard for color and some apple/sage field roast for added taste. Aside from the field roast, this was bland beyond belief. I suggest you keep tasting as you go, and don’t trust the recipe for taste. It needs a lot of help for any kind of exciting taste, so add what appeals to you as well.
I’m sorry you didn’t love the flavor. I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience! I’m going to re-test this recipe with your feedback in mind.
This was so simple and perfect! MY daughters gobbled it up ( well we all did ).
So nice to hear that everyone enjoyed it! Thank you, Jessica!
I just made this exactly as instructed. It was very creamy and looked delicious, but I was surprised at how tasteless and boring it is. I suggest tripling the sage, maybe a can of Rotel tomatoes, adding something with some flavor.
Hi Debbie, thank you for the feedback. I’m going to re-test this recipe soon to see if it’s missing anything!
I made this for a pasta night with friends, and I was also disappointed. I was expecting a full pumpkin flavor, and it tasted largely like nothing. Usually the recipes on this site are guaranteed hits, so I’m not sure how to salvage this one. Oh well, I can always try another one.
I’m sorry this recipe was disappointing, especially since you made it for a pasta night with friends! Pumpkin does have a naturally mild flavor, but the sage, garlic, nutmeg, and Parmesan should help bring it out. If you decide to give it another try, I’d recommend adding a little more salt to taste, extra Parmesan, and a pinch of red pepper flakes for more depth of flavor. I really appreciate your honest feedback and am sorry this one wasn’t a hit for you!
Thank you for the suggestion! One friend suggested that more salt might help. More cheese will never be a bad idea, and honestly the red pepper flakes might be a great surprise. I’ll probably try it again (maybe 1/2 recipe this time) because I usually find the recipes here to be super reliable and don’t want to just give up.
I really appreciate you being willing to give it another try! Making a half batch sounds like a great idea, and I think those little adjustments could make a big difference. Thank you for trusting my recipes and for sharing your feedback. I’m going to re-test this recipe with your notes in mind.
Hi! If I were to make this with almond or coconut milk, would it still turn out to be the right consistency?
I haven’t tried using plant milk for this recipe myself but another commenter said they used canned coconut milk and it turned out well!
Absolutely delicious and so quick to prepare; enjoyed with your sauteed spinach along with a rustic baguette. The whole family loved it!! Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Yum, that sounds like an amazing pairing!! So happy you and your family enjoyed it, Gloria. Thank you so much!!
How would I add the turkey? Cook it separately and then just add it in or brown it then make the sauce with it added in from the beginning?
You could do it either way! I would probably brown the turkey first and then set it aside until I make the sauce, then add right before the pasta to combine. Hope that helps!
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