Entrees
Baked Pumpkin Pasta
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Baked Pumpkin Pasta comes together in just about 30 minutes.
- A perfect fall weeknight dinner idea.
- Just the perfect amount of pumpkin spice without being too overpowering.
- Can be made dairy free with the use of plant-cream and dairy free Parmesan cheese.
- Use gluten free pasta to make this recipe gluten free.
- A great way to use up any leftover pumpkin.
- If you loved this one, be sure to check out my Spicy Vodka Pasta for another quick dinner idea.
Ingredients And Substitutions
These are the main ingredients and substitutions for Baked Pumpkin Pasta. Scroll down to the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and instructions.
I recommend using rigatoni, penne or Fusilli for this recipe, however, any shape will work!
This recipe taste great with either chicken sausage or turkey sausage, just be sure to grab one that is pre-seasoned to save you some time.
Yellow onion tastes amazing in any pasta dish.
Use fresh garlic for best results.
Chicken broth adds the best flavor in my opinion, but beef or vegetable broth both work great.
Heavy cream will make this dish creamy and delicious, however, if you are dairy free you can use plant-cream instead.
Use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
Fire roasted tomatoes have a ton of more flavor than regular tomaotes.
Parsley adds some freshness and a pop of color to this dish.
Salt to help balance out all the flavors.
A touch of crush red peppers for a little bit of heat, but nothing too over-powering.
Freshly grated parmesan cheese is recommend, but pre-grated will also work. Feel free to swap this out for dairy free parmesan cheese if necessary.
How To Make
ONE: Start by preparing the pasta on the stovetop as directed. Then, cook sausage in a skillet until it’s fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
TWO: Next, in the same skillet add more oil and the diced onions. Sautè for 2-3 minutes before adding in the minced garlic.
THREE: Add in 1/4 cup of chicken broth to deglaze the pan and cook until reduced, about 3 minutes. Next, add in the heavy cream, pumpkin puree, fire roasted tomatoes, and the remainder of the chicken broth. Mix well.
FIVE: Add in salt and chopped parsley and let cook for 3-5 additional minutes, stirring occasionally.
SIX: Add sauce to drained, cooked pasta along with the cooked sausage and 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Mix well and add pasta to a baking dish. Top with more parmesan cheese and bake for 15 minutes and enjoy!
Tips And Tricks
Cook pasta al a dente for best results.
Use pre-seasoned turkey or chicken sausage.
Freshly grated parmesan cheese tends to melt better.
How To Serve And Store
Serve this Baked Pumpkin Pasta warm and with a touch of more Parmesan cheese if desired.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Taste And Texture
This Baked Pumpkin Pasta has a subtle pumpkin flavor that isn’t too over-powering. But it’s a good balance of savory and fall spices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Totally, just use your favorite gluten free pasta. I prefer quinoa pasta!
yup, with just a few substitutions: instead of heavy cream, use plant cream. instead of meat, use plant crumbles, and use dairy free parmesan cheese instead of regular.
Not in my opinion, but you can always leave the red pepper flakes out if necessary.
Other Recipes You May Like
If you make this Baked Pumpkin Pasta, I would really appreciate a comment and rating down below, under the recipe card. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me over on Instagram, Tiktok or Pinterest!
This was delicious! Couldn’t really taste the pumpkin. Next time I would save some pasta water to thin it a bit.
Hi Karin! Aw awesome, I’m glad you liked it! and yes it’s a very faint pumpkin flavor which I love! you can always add in a few spices like pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg to get more of a kick 🙂