Easy Pumpkin Pasta Recipe

In the time it takes to cook pasta, you can make this easy, flavourful pumpkin pasta recipe; featuring pumpkin, toasted walnuts, parmesan créme, and crispy sage leaves.

This pumpkin pasta recipe is so easy, you can use whatever pasta you have available! And using pantry staples like canned pumpkin puree and walnuts makes this budget friendly as well. The canned pumpkin, cream, and parmesan combine to make a silky, rich sauce. This will be your new favourite meatless meal!

How long does this Pumpkin Pasta recipe take to make?

Less than 10 minutes! Start cooking your pasta, and by the time it is finished cooking, your pumpkin pasta sauce is ready. Toss it all together, and top with toasted walnuts, crispy sage leaves, and more parmesan, and you’re ready to dive in!

Let’s talk about the ingredients for this Pumpkin Pasta recipe

Pumpkin – Canned pumpkin purée is my recommended go-to ingredient. I always have this pantry staple on hand; it is incredibly versatile on so many different recipes. This is not canned pumpkin pie filling, that is a different ingredient altogether. 

If you have time, you can make your own pumpkin purée by peeling, removing seeds, and dicing up a fresh pumpkin. Roast it in the oven at 350°F until it’s soft, and then purée the roasted pumpkin in a blender or food processor.

Pasta – For this recipe, I used linguine. You can use whatever pasta your heart desires! I have also made this with penne, rigatoni, and spaghetti. Tip: when your pasta is finished cooking, save some of the pasta cooking water, it helps thicken and smooth the sauce.

Sage – I love fresh sage, and grow it in my garden every year. This year I had a huge amount, which inspired this recipe! In my opinion, the crispy sage leaves are the star of the dish. And the crispy leaves are so easy to make – you simply fry them in butter and olive oil until they get crispy.

Parmesan – This salty cheese is essential for this pumpkin pasta recipe. It adds a salty nuttiness and helps thicken the sauce.

Cream – I used heavy cream, because it thickens the sauce quickly without having to cook down a lot of water.

Walnuts – Walnuts and sage go together so well, I wanted to include them in this pumpkin pasta recipe somehow. I toasted the walnuts to bring out their flavour, and sprinkled them on top of the finished dish.

Can I Make Substitutions in this Pumpkin Pasta recipe?

Pumpkin – Instead of canned pumpkin purée, you could make your own from scratch (see above). You could also substitute any winter squash, such as butternut squash, hubbard, or acorn squash.

Pasta – Use whatever pasta you like. 

Parmesan – If you don’t have parmesan, you can substitute pecorino, asiago, or any hard aged cheese. As long as it melts in the sauce, you can use it. The cheese also adds saltiness, so keep that in mind when choosing a different cheese.

Walnuts – The walnuts in the pumpkin pasta recipe can be left out.

Sage – I would encourage you to try making the crispy sage, but if you can’t find fresh leaves, you can add ½ teaspoon of dried sage to the sauce.

Cream – You can substitute a non-dairy cream such as coconut, as long as it’s thick.

Can this Pumpkin Pasta recipe be gluten-free?

Yes! Use gluten-free pasta in this recipe.

Can this Pumpkin Pasta recipe be vegan?

Yes! This recipe is already meatless, so substituting vegan butter and cheese will make it vegan.

Can this Pumpkin Pasta recipe be dairy-free?

Yes, substitute butter for non-dairy butter, sub cheese for a non-dairy version, and use a plant-based cream (such as coconut cream). It will still be delicious!

I have a nut allergy, can I make this Pumpkin Pasta recipe?

Yes – omit the walnuts.

The Pumpkin Pasta Method

Put your large pot of water on the stovetop on high heat, to get the water boiling. Salt it well! Once it’s boiling, put in your pasta of choice. Give it a couple of stirs, and then turn down the heat to medium or medium-high, enough to keep it boiling but not boiling over.

Make the garnishes

Now we’ll make the garnishes. First up; toasted walnuts. In a small, dry frying pan over medium heat, add your chopped walnuts and stir or toss them until they get fragrant. You will start to smell walnuts, and then you know it’s time to remove them from the heat and set them aside. It only takes a minute or two,

Then you’ll make the crispy sage. Wipe out that same frying pan, and over medium heat again, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter. When the butter has melted, add the sage leaves in a single layer and just leave them. The butter will start to go brown and smell deliciously nutty. Once the leaves start to look crispy on the edges, flip them over with a pair of tongs to crisp up the other side. Once they’re looking crispy and slightly browned, remove the leaves to a paper-towel lined plate and blot off any excess oil or butter. Take half of those leaves and crumbled them up to use in the sauce, and set the rest aside for garnish. This only takes a couple of minutes.

Make the sauce

Now make the sauce. Grab a large skillet and over medium heat add olive oil and butter. Once the butter has melted, add finely diced shallots and garlic. Stir that a couple of times, then add the crumbled up sage leaves and pumpkin purée and stir until smooth. Once smoothly mixed together, add the cream and whisk the cream in until smooth.

Once the cream is mixed in, add some of the pasta cooking water, starting with ¼ cup and adding more if the sauce looks too thick.

Now add the grated parmesan cheese and whisk until smooth. By now, your pasta should be done cooking (if not, turn sauce to low). Add your pasta into the sauce and mix it all together. If it’s looking too thick, add a bit more pasta cooking water.

Serve the pasta

To finish, divide the pasta into four bowls, and top with the toasted walnuts, chopped parsley, more grated parmesan, and crispy sage leaves.