Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce is a delicious choice for any shape pasta, especially during fall when cozy comfort food is always welcome. Pumpkin puree adds a velvety and luxurious creaminess to this easy homemade pasta sauce.
Servings: 5
Calories: 562kcal
Ingredients
- 16 ounces pasta one pound, any shape, fresh pasta is best
- 1 ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated and divided, save ¼ cup for garnish
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 cups pumpkin puree or one 15-ounce can
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth or pasta water
- ¼ cup green onions diced, optional for topping
Instructions
Cook Pasta
- Use a medium-sized saucepan or stockpot and bring water to a boil. Add a teaspoon on salt to boost the flavor of the pasta.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions, usually 9 - 11 minutes. If you are planning to use pasta water in place of broth to thin the pumpkin sauce, reserve ½ cup - 1 cup of the pasta water before draining. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
Grate Cheese and Diced Green Onions
- Grate 1 cup of fresh parmesan cheese, plus ¼ more for garnish. Set aside.
- Dice green onions (optional for topping). Set aside.
Make Pumpkin Sauce
- Use the same saucepan you cooked the pasta in to melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook for one minute, being careful not to burn the butter. Add the half and half and continue stirring until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the pumpkin puree, minced garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and nutmeg. Stir to combine.
- Add grated Parmesan cheese and stir.
- Stir in ½ cup of broth or pasta water and continue stirring and adding additional broth or water until you get the perfect consistency. You’ll want the pasta sauce to be thick, about the same consistency as pancake batter.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pumpkin pasta sauce and stir to thoroughly coat all of the pasta with the sauce. Tongs work great for this.
Serve
- Pour the pasta into a serving bowl and top with the reserved ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese and diced green onions (optional). Serve and enjoy.
Notes
A 3-pound pie pumpkin should give you enough puree for this recipe which calls for a 15-ounce can of pumpkin. That same size can contains just under 2 cups of puree.
In the mood for spicy pasta sauce next time? You'll enjoy my recipe for Spicy Alfredo Sauce.
Nutrition
Calories: 562kcal | Carbohydrates: 81g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 40mg | Sodium: 996mg | Potassium: 519mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 15770IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 401mg | Iron: 3mg
