Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce is the savory pumpkin 15 minute dinner recipe you’ve been looking for. It’s magical to mix garlic & parmesan with pumpkin.
So hey. It’s the middle of summer. And I got a pumpkin idea. A creamy pumpkin pasta sauce idea. Now don’t you worry, I didn’t put in weird spices to make it taste like pie. This is a savory pumpkin recipe that is my favorite meatless Monday meal(we try to have meals without meat once or twice a week for health and to save dollas).
I use pepitas in the recipe, which is a variety of pumpkin seeds without the white shell around the outside like we’re used to seeing in America. They’re green and can be found raw or roasted in many grocery stores. They’re full of healthy fats and protein as well, which make them a nice little addition to granolas, salads, and in this case, pasta.
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.
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.
The fact that this is pasta isn’t even the best part!! The BEST part is this dinner literally takes 15 minutes to make. First you put the pasta on to cook, then you roast the pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and whip up the pumpkin pasta sauce while the pasta is cooking. BuhBAM.
Quick and easy dinner, easily made vegetarian if you use vegetable bouillon instead of chicken.
I kept this recipe simple on purpose, but it’s SO EASY to spruce it up.
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.
Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 oz spaghetti pasta (save 1½ cups water from pasta)
- 1/2 cup raw pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
- 15 oz can of 100% pure pumpkin puree
- 4 oz cream cheese (full fat)
- 1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon (can sub vegetable bouillon)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1½ cups pasta water (as stated above)
- 1/4 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.
If you forget to save the pasta water (it happens) you can use plain water, there's just not as much flavor.
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.
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