This Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage will be on your table in just 30 minutes! It’s the perfect fall meal with flavors of sausage and sage.
Here in Oregon, the rain is starting again, but the crisp leaves on the ground and pumpkins sitting outside all our neighbors’ houses just makes this season feel so warm and inviting.
And, as I’m staring out the window while writing this post, I’m reminded of just how much this creamy pumpkin pasta sauce tastes like fall.
It’s basically a comforting hug in a bowl… or a plate, depending on how you like to serve up your pasta. Sometimes you might just eat it straight out of the pot…
Why you’ll love it
- It’s rich and creamy and delicious.
- It’s laced with smoky, crispy little bits of sausage.
- It’ll be on your dinner table in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- Italian Sausage – You can use mild or hot Italian sausage based on your taste preferences. It’s my favorite ingredient in so many recipes!
- Shallot + Garlic
- Dry White Wine – Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris or Chardonnay are great options. If you prefer to cook without wine, simply add in a bit more chicken stock.
- Canned Pumpkin – You’ll want the unsweetened, pure pumpkin. Not pumpkin pie filling.
- Bone Broth – I like to make mine in the Instant Pot, or substitute store-bought chicken broth.
- Fresh Sage – About 4 to 6 sprigs sag
- Heavy Cream
- Nutmeg + Cinnamon
- Cayenne Pepper – Optional. You can also add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- Salt + Pepper
- Rigatoni – Or your favorite pasta shape.
- Parmesan Cheese – Or, pecorino romano. Goat cheese would be delicious too!
How to make it
- Cook the pasta in boiling water to al dente. Reserve some pasta water before draining.
- Heat oil in a large skillet and brown the sausage.
- Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate and set aside.
- Saute garlic and shallot for 3-5 minutes, until translucent.
- Add wine to the pan and reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
- Add pumpkin, broth and 1 TBSP sage and stir to combine.
- Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream.
- Season the sauce with the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper, to taste.
- Simmer 5-10 minutes to thicken sauce.
- Add cooked pasta + toss to combine. Add a bit of the reserved pasta water if the sauce seems too thick.
- Enjoy!
I like to top this pasta off with some shavings of parmesan cheese to add a bit more of a nutty, umami note to the dish, along with fresh sage leaves to really boost the autumn flavors.
Feel free to use mild or hot Italian sausage, depending on whether you’re a fan of heat or not. And, of course, you could also make this creamy pumpkin pasta totally vegetarian by omitting the sausage entirely. Leaving the sausage out also makes it more appropriate as a side dish, potentially alongside your Thanksgiving turkey.
Want to add even more flavor? Swap out the raw garlic cloves and stir in some Roasted Garlic instead.
What to serve with it
- Kale Caesar Salad
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Cherry Tomato Salad with Roasted Lemons
- Arugula Salad
- Easy Sauteed Spinach
- MORE —> the BEST sides for pasta.
Wine pairings
That creamy pumpkin pasta sauce is just begging to be paired with a bright and mineral-driven wine. We need something to help cut through the richness of the dish, but a wine that won’t overpower it either.
- I paired this pumpkin pasta with a Pinot Gris from Alsace. It was the perfect wine to balance out the richness of this dish.
- It would also be amazing paired with a sparkling wine – try Prosecco or Cava.
- MORE —> wine pairings for pasta.
More pasta recipes
- Butter Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Chicken Linguine with Figs & Goat Cheese
- Gnocchi with Blue Cheese and Frizzled Prosciutto
- Easy Lemon Pasta
- Miso Pasta
- BLT Pasta
- Broccoli Pesto Pasta
- Penne Alla Vodka
More pumpkin recipes
- Pumpkin Chili
- Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
- Pumpkin Risotto with Goat Cheese
- Pumpkin Mac & Cheese
- Cheesy Baked Gnocchi with Pumpkin & Kale
- Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Swirl
- MORE —> the 8 BEST Wines with Chicken
Did you try this pumpkin pasta sauce?
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Pumpkin Pasta with Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 shallot (minced)
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 ½ cups canned pumpkin
- 1 1/2 cup bone broth (or chicken broth)
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves (divided (about 4 to 6 sprigs sage))
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 pound rigatoni (cooked to al dente, or other favorite pasta shape)
- 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (for serving)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, drain pasta, and set aside.
- Heat a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to skillet and brown the sausage. Transfer sausage to paper towel lined plate and set aside. Add the garlic and shallot. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until translucent.
- Add wine to the pan and reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Add pumpkin, broth and 1 Tablespoon sage and stir to combine. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan and gently toss to combine. Thin the pasta with a bit of the reserved pasta water as needed if it seems too thick. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, topped with parmesan and the remaining sage.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2018. It was updated in 2023 to add new information. The pumpkin pasta recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
Mmm, I just made pumpkin muffins this weekend and have some leftover pumpkin puree. It will go great in this delicious pasta dish!
I can totally see serving up that pasta right from the pot it’s so good looking!
That sounds so warm and comforting. I have a pumpkin on my counter I was going to do a pumpkin risotto with, but this sounds easier and more family friendly! Hmmm. Perhaps it will be on our table this evening 🙂
I’m not a huge pumpkin fan, but your recipe looks good and comforting. Maybe I’ll have to give pumpkin another chance and give this dish a whirl!
This looks so creamy and delicious! This is right up my alley on a weekend night. I love that you paired it with a crisp pino gris! Most of the time in the winter I reach for a glass of red, but it makes so much more sense to pair heavy dishes like this to balance it out.
I love pumpkin in pasta dishes! And with sausage and all that creaminess – this sounds like the perfect comfort dish!
Thanks Danielle!
Pasta and pumpkin create such a delicious marriage of comforting flavors. I like the addition of sage to this, too: isn’t it amazing what a little sprig of something can do for a dish‽
Definitely! Fresh herbs are so pretty too!
This sounds so perfect for chilly rainy weather! I may try to make this with full fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Wonder if that’ll work well…
That should work Sarah!
Excellent weeknight recipe that is full of flavor. I used homemade chicken stock, because that’s what I had on hand. I would definitely make this again.
This was absolutely delicious! I cut the recipe in half since I was only cooking for two. I added crushed red pepper flakes with the other spices. I will definitely make this again!