Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce is the 15 minute dinner recipe you've been looking for. It's magical to mix garlic & parmesan with pumpkin.
Usually I'm into sweet pumpkin recipes like Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls but this savory pumpkin recipe will rock your world!
Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
If you're looking for savory pumpkin recipes with pumpkin pureé, I have a GREAT one for ya. Now don't you worry, I didn't put in weird spices to make it taste like pie. I don't really get tired of classic red sauce (spaghetti is my all time favorite food), but sometimes I like to switch things up. Bonus points for not having to turn the oven on and make the house hot! This is an all season pumpkin recipe because it's just great like that.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
Here is the basic list of ingredients for this pasta sauce, super simple, super delicious.
- Pumpkin pureé - make sure to use the pure pumpkin puree, not the canned pumpkin pie mix!
- Cream cheese
- Chicken or vegetable bouillon
- Garlic & onion powder
- Fresh parm
- salt and peppa
- PEPITAS - crunchy little bits of heaven
- Butter
- Save some pasta water for the sauce!
How to make easy pumpkin pasta:
This dinner literally takes 15 minutes to make. It will be your favorite!
- First you put the pasta on to cook.
- Toast the pepitas (pumpkin seeds). You won't regret it.
- Whip up the pumpkin pasta sauce in a pot while the pasta is cooking.
- Assemble and top with roasty toasty pepitas and fresh parm.
WHAT. Quick and easy dinner, easily made vegetarian if you use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken.
Tips for making pumpkin pasta sauce:
- Roast those pepitas, it's worth it.
- Use pasta water in the sauce for extra flavor, or milk for extra protein and creaminess.
- PARMESAN. Don't skimp on it, be generous.
- For a vegetarian option, use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken bouillon.
- Add caramelized onions and/or garlic cloves for a little extra yumminess.
I kept this recipe simple on purpose, but it's SO EASY to spruce it up. My favorite pumpkin recipe ever is Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls because sweet things have a death grip on my poor soul but this one is actually a close second because PASTA.
Need more recipes with pumpkin pureé?
I'm always using recipes with canned pumpkin. Here are a few of my favorites!
- Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake
- Caramel Stuffed Pumpkin Mug Cake
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe
📝 Printable Recipe
Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti pasta (save 1½ cups water from pasta)
- ½ cup raw pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
- 15 oz can 100% pure pumpkin puree
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1½ cups pasta water (as stated above)
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti pasta according to pasta directions. Meanwhile, prepare pepitas and pasta sauce in a medium cooking pot.
- Prepare pepitas by heating cooking pot over low/medium heat and roasting pepitas evenly, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, for about 3-4 minutes. No oil or salt is needed. A few popping sounds are normal as they toast. Remove from heat and empty into a small bowl to cool.
- In the same medium cooking pot used to roast pepitas, combine the pumpkin puree, cream cheese, chicken (or vegetable) bouillon, garlic powder, and onion powder. Mix well.
- When pasta is cooked, remove 1.5 cups of the pasta water and add it into the pumpkin puree mixture.
- Drain pasta and add noodles to pumpkin sauce. Top with roasted pepitas and parmesan cheese to serve. Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste as needed.
Nutrition
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Liz says
So good did it with the egg-wide noodles i had on hand so good and hearty. My husband almost finished the pot, he really liked it and was like im gonna stop before i eat the whole pot. Haha so definitely a keeper!