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This pumpkin pasta recipe is made with a creamy pumpkin sage sauce and tossed with zesty Italian sausage and kale.
Cozy up, friends, because this creamy pumpkin pasta is about to become a new fall favorite. ♡
It’s made with a velvety, creamy, comforting pumpkin sauce that’s seasoned with garlic and lots of fresh sage. Then to balance the subtle sweetness of the pumpkin, we’ll toss the pasta with some zesty Italian sausage, fresh kale, and lots of salty Parmesan. It’s an absolutely irresistible mix of slightly-sweet and savory, fresh and earthy flavors that our entire family loved. You’ll definitely be going back for seconds!
As always, there are lots of options to customize this recipe to your liking, if you’d like to swap in a different protein, add some veggies, or make the recipe gluten-free or vegetarian. This creamy pumpkin sauce is just one that you’re definitely going to want to add to your repertoire. So the next time you’re craving some pasta, grab a can of pumpkin purée and let’s make this one together!
Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Ingredients
Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients you will need to make this creamy pumpkin pasta recipe:
Pasta: I used mezze rigatoni in the batch photographed here, which does a great job at scooping up all of those delicious bits of sausage in the sauce. But feel free to use whatever pasta shape you prefer — just about anything will work here!
Pumpkin purée: We’ll use a full can of pumpkin purée here, which adds a velvety texture and subtle earthy sweetness to the sauce. As always, be sure to double-check that you’re purchased pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling (which would be far too sweet!).
Italian sausage: I love the richly-seasoned savory flavor that Italian sausage adds to this dish, which perfectly balances out the sweetness from the sauce. Feel free to choose mild or spicy, ground or sliced sausage, pork or chicken or plant-based — whatever you prefer!
Kale: Chopped fresh kale adds a vibrant pop of color and softens nicely into the sauce here. I recommend either traditional curly or lacinato (“dinosaur”) kale here, or you could sub in fresh baby spinach instead.
Shallot and garlic: Finely chopped fresh shallot and garlic serve as our aromatics, adding an extra layer of savory warmth to the sauce.
Sage: Fresh sage adds an earthy, woodsy note to the pasta and pairs perfectly with the sweet flavor of the pumpkin. Feel free to fry up a few extra sage leaves until they are crispy to top the pasta as a garnish, if you’d like!
Dried seasonings: We’ll add in a hint of crushed red pepper flakes (mainly for flavor, although you can add extra for additional heat), fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper to season the dish. As always, be sure to generously salt the pasta water too!
White wine: A splash of dry white wine brightens the sauce with a hint of acidity and helps to deglaze the pan, ensuring that none of those tasty browned bits get left behind. If you prefer not to cook with wine, feel free to add in a splash of chicken or vegetable stock instead.
Cream: A pour of heavy cream rounds out the sauce and gives it a perfectly rich and velvety texture. If you prefer an even creamier pasta, you’re always welcome to add more to taste.
Parmesan: Finally, I insist that you top each serving bowl with a generous shower of freshly-grated Parmesan cheese. Its salty, nutty, umami flavor makes the rest of the ingredients “pop” and tastes so delicious.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few more variations to this pumpkin pasta recipe that you’re welcome to try:
Add veggies: Add in some additional sautéed or roasted veggies, such as asparagus, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms or zucchini.
Add nuts or seeds: Sprinkle some chopped toasted nuts or seeds on top as a garnish, such as pecans, pepitas, pine nuts or walnuts.
Use a different protein: Use a different protein in place of the Italian sausage, such as chicken or shrimp.
Use different herbs: Use different herbs in place of (or along with) the sage, such as rosemary or basil.
Make it gluten-free or vegetarian: Use your favorite GF pasta to make gluten-free pumpkin pasta. Use plant-based Italian sausage to make vegetarian pumpkin pasta.
More Creamy Pasta Recipes To Try
Looking for more creamy, cozy pastas to try this time of year? Here are a few of our favorites:
Prep the pasta water.Bring a large stockpot full of generously-salted water to a boil.
Cook the sausage.Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and shallot and cook, crumbling the sausage with a wooden spoon as it cooks, until the sausage is lightly browned. Add the garlic, sage and crushed red pepper flakes and continue cooking, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes.
Cook the pasta.Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until *just* al dente. Reserve 2 cups of the hot starchy pasta water and set aside, then drain the pasta.
Finish the sauce.While the pasta is cooking, carefully pour in the wine and use the wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the pumpkin purée, heavy cream, kale and toss to combine. Turn off the heat.
Toss.Once the pasta and sauce are both ready to go, combine them in the large stockpot along with ¾ cup of the hot starchy pasta water and toss to combine. Add in ¼ cup of extra starchy water at a time (if needed) until the sauce reaches a smooth and glossy consistency. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve.Serve warm, garnished with lots of freshly-grated Parmesan and black pepper.
I love the idea of this recipe, but I always find that pumpkin or butternut squash puree pasta sauces are pretty bland. Not sure what I’m doing wrong! For this one I added more salt, 1-2 tbsp of better than bouillon paste, lots more garlic & sage, and more wine. Then I added some fresh thyme at the end. Maybe using plant-based sausage just doesn’t pack enough flavor? For leftovers tomorrow I have a feeling all of the sauce will get absorbed into the noodles and it may have even less flavor. Every year I try one recipe like this and then get discouraged by the flavor and wait until next year
Hey, I’m Ali!
My favorite thing in life is time spent around the table. And all the better with some seriously tasty food to bring us all together. more about me »
Hello! Looks delicious :) Could you sub coconut milk for the cream?
Looks beautiful, and filling! What a great addition to the regular Fall dinner table. 🍂🍁
Made this tonight but with coconut cream (top of the can) instead of cream for my dairy free kiddo, it was great! Will definitely make again.
I love the idea of this recipe, but I always find that pumpkin or butternut squash puree pasta sauces are pretty bland. Not sure what I’m doing wrong! For this one I added more salt, 1-2 tbsp of better than bouillon paste, lots more garlic & sage, and more wine. Then I added some fresh thyme at the end. Maybe using plant-based sausage just doesn’t pack enough flavor? For leftovers tomorrow I have a feeling all of the sauce will get absorbed into the noodles and it may have even less flavor. Every year I try one recipe like this and then get discouraged by the flavor and wait until next year