Here are some of the BEST fall pasta dinner ideas to try tonight! As the weather cools there’s no better time to indulge in the rich, comforting dishes that define the season. Dig into classic fall flavors such as creamy pumpkin sauces, a slow cooker Bolognese, simple brown butter sauces, and a classic baked mac and cheese topped with crispy breadcrumbs.
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These recipes are sure to become staples in your fall cooking repertoire. Whether you’re hosting a gathering or simply craving a hearty meal, there’s a recipe here for every cozy occasion.
Not sure where to start? I highly recommend my Pumpkin Mac and Cheese and Creamy Mushroom Orzo Chicken.
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Comforting Fall Pasta Recipes
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.
Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
This Butternut Squash Goat Cheese Pasta with sausage is a favorite fall recipe! This comforting meal is creamy, cheesy, a little bit spicy, and easily devoured by the spoonful!
Butternut Squash Goat Cheese Pasta with Sausage
Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Gnocchi with Kale. Made with gruyere, mozzarella and parmesan, this dish is a cheese lovers dream. And the addition of seasonal pumpkin & kale makes it perfect for the Fall.
Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Gnocchi
Learn how to make sweet potato gnocchi with this easy recipe. You only need 5-ingredients to make them! Dressed up with a brown butter sage sauce that’s packed with flavor.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Browned Butter Sauce
This Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce would make my Nana Lamancuso proud. It’s silky and luscious with super tender meat and so much flavor. Crockpot bolognese is where it’s at!
Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
Miso Pasta brings Japanese miso, Italian romano cheese, and lots of garlic together in a rich and creamy sauce that’s perfect for spaghetti. This straightforward recipe delivers a profound, gourmet flavor. A sprinkle of furikake before serving takes it over the top!
Miso Pasta
This Tortellini Lasagna comes together in just 20-minutes in one skillet! Enjoy this delicious and nutritious Italian dinner with sausage & kale.
Tortellini Skillet Lasagna
Need a quick and easy dinner tonight? This creamy Mushroom Orzo Chicken takes 30 minutes to cook in one skillet (aka easy cleanup too!). You’ll love the layers of pan-seared chicken breasts, orzo pasta, tender mushrooms, and creamy sauce in every bite!
Creamy Mushroom Orzo Chicken
Brussel Sprout Pasta will be ready in just 30 minutes! Shaved brussels sprouts are tossed with pasta & a delicious mustard & pecorino romano cheese sauce.
Brussel Sprout Pasta
Easy Instant Pot Lasagna Soup tastes just like lasagna without all the work. Your electric pressure cooker makes it super simple.
Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese will quickly become your favorite fall meal. This family-friendly, easy recipe is a guaranteed winner!
Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
This Authentic Italian Sunday Gravy recipe is what I grew up eating every week. Nana’s tomato meat sauce holds a fond place in my heart, and her recipe lives on to this day in my recipe box.
Italian Sunday Gravy
This rich, beefy, and cheesy Slow Cooker Goulash is a winner for family dinners. As the ultimate dump-and-go crockpot recipe, it’s easy to prep hours in advance and uses simple, everyday ingredients. The hearty, comforting bites are always a hit!
Slow Cooker Goulash
These boldly flavored Cumin Lamb Noodles are just as delicious as the restaurant version but use much more accessible ingredients. Made with tender lamb shoulder and toasted spices, you’re going to want to make this for more than just special occasions!
Spicy Cumin Lamb Noodles
The combination of ravioli filled with pureed roasted butternut squash and simple ricotta cheese is served in a simple brown butter sauce and is a classic fall combination.Recipe: Cooking with Cocktail Rings
Butternut Squash Ravioli
One Pot French Onion Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto…the ultimate fall and winter comfort food. Think French onion soup with the addition of pasta, a creamy sauce, and melty Gruyere cheese. Recipe: Half Baked Harvest
French Onion Pasta
This creamy Roasted Butternut and Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta is the perfect fall pasta dinner. Rosemary and garlic roasted butternut squash pureed into a creamy parmesan cheese sauce, then tossed with pan-seared Italian seasoned chicken and sun-dried tomatoes. Recipe: Half Baked Harvest
Butternut Squash Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta
This Slow Cooker Red Wine Braised Short Rib Pasta is best for cold winter nights. Slow-cooked short ribs or chicken braised in a rich, garlicky, red wine/tomato/bacon sauce. The beef is then shredded and tossed with your favorite cut of pasta.Recipe: Half Baked Harvest
Red Wine Braised Short Rib Pasta
Cavolo Nero Pasta, or Tuscan Kale Pasta, is a creamy, rich, moreish dish that has a long tradition in Tuscan and Italian cuisine. This velvety "pasta con cavolo nero" is vegan and requires only 8 ingredients and 20 minutes to get from the pot to your plate.Recipe: Ooh La La Its Vegan
Cavolo Nero Pasta
This fall pasta is filled with roasted butternut squash and broccoli rabe, tossed in a creamy almond butter sauce and topped with a buttery garlic cracker crumble.Recipe: Running to the Kitchen
Almond Butter Fall Pasta
Our Creamy Steak Pasta recipe is a sophisticated, yet very approachable dish, showcases the perfect blend of comforting ingredients: Chunky pasta, succulent steak slices and a creamy, punchy mushroom and whisky sauce.Recipe: The Cinnamon Jar
Creamy Steak Pasta with Whisky Sauce
Creamy Pumpkin Spaghetti with Garlic Kale – this is the most crazy good combination! Spicy turkey, creamy pumpkin sauce, and pasta!Recipe: Pinch of Yum
Creamy Pumpkin Spaghetti with Garlic Kale
Butternut Squash Pasta Salad is a delicious Fall comfort food perfect for cozy cold nights. This meatless holiday side dish is bursting with Autumn flavors and spices (cinnamon and maple syrup) and will make a great addition to your traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas menu.Recipe: Julia's Album
Butternut Squash Pasta Salad
This creamy orzo pasta is packed with veggies (roasted butternut squash, spinach, and garlic) and takes only 30 minutes. It's a perfect dinner for busy family weeknights when you're craving comfort food on a cold Fall or Winter night. Serve this cozy meal as a meatless main course or as a side dish alongside your favorite proteins (chicken, beef, pork, seafood).Recipe: Julia's Album
Creamy Orzo Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash and Spinach
Lean into cozy fall nights with this quick and easy Gemelli Pasta with Caramelized Pears and Gorgonzola Sauce. Tender corkscrew pasta blankets with a velvety cream sauce and dotted with sweet, juicy caramelized pears is a weeknight dream come true.Recipe: The Suburban Soapbox
Pasta with Caramelized Pears and Gorgonzola Sauce
This classic baked mac and cheese will change your life. It's super creamy, loaded with three types of cheese, and topped with the crunchiest Panko breadcrumb topping. It's the ultimate cheesy comfort food that satisfies every single time.Recipe: Ahead of Thyme
Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Whip up this quick Marry Me Chicken Pasta for a gluten-free, creamy, and irresistible dinner that's perfect for weeknights or special occasions. Ready in 30 minutes!Recipe: Well Fed Baker
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Pasta is the perfect quick meal, and my Creamy Garlic Butter Pasta w/ Roasted Cauliflower is done in less than an hour! Toasty, roasted cauliflower is tossed with pasta and a rich sauce consisting of heavy cream, garlic, and chicken stock. A perfect cold-weather weeknight meal!Recipe: Orchids and Sweet Tea
Creamy Garlic Butter Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower
This Pasta with Carrot Miso Sauce is creamy, delicious, and completely vegan! Topped with a bright, flavorful carrot top gremolata (optional) and toasted bread crumbs.Recipe: Feasting At Home
Orecchiette with Creamy Carrot Sauce
Orecchiette with Sunflower Seed Romesco and broccoli comes together in just 20 minutes for a speedy, vegan pasta. Make-ahead friendly and delicious served warm or at room temperature. Recipe: Dishing Out Health
Orecchiette with Sunflower Seed Romesco
Boldly flavored, super hearty and incredibly easy, this vegan walnut and lentil bolognese recipe takes your plant-based eating goals to new heights.Recipe: The Modern Proper
Walnut and Lentil Bolognese
This Pasta with Ricotta Beet Sauce is as scrumptious as it is pretty. Beets are roasted until tender then blended with whole milk ricotta cheese, garlic, fresh dill, and a dash of horseradish. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice softens any bitterness that might accompany the beets and rounds out their earthy sweetness.Recipe: Whip and Wander
Pasta with Ricotta Beet Sauce
Pasta e Ceci is a rustic Italian stew made of pasta and chickpeas! While simple ingredients are used, the deep flavors of this soup are accomplished by using fresh herbs and a parmesan rind to simmer with the soup. The end result is hearty, rich, and so satisfying!Recipe: A Simple Palate
Pasta e Ceci (Italian Pasta and Chickpeas)
Crockpot Chili Meatballs and Spaghetti. Slow-cooked meatballs with onion and garlic, then seasoned with chili powder, paprika, cumin, and cayenne. Roll the meat into balls and slow cook with fire-roasted tomatoes, peppers, and broth. Finish these saucy chili meatballs off with cheddar cheese and serve over spaghetti – Cincinnati chili style. Recipe: Half Baked Harvest
Chili Meatballs and Spaghetti
Pumpkin alla vodka stuffed shells are the perfect weeknight dinner recipe. It’s nice to have an easy dinner recipe that you can throw together in one pot. Plus, you can use up any leftover pumpkin puree that you may have hanging around.Recipe: So Much Food Blog
Pumpkin Alla Vodka Stuffed Shells
Spicy Sausage Pasta with red peppers and mushrooms gives hints of tangy Dijon mustard, smoky chipotle pepper & spicy Italian sausages.Recipe: Life Around the Table
Spicy Sausage Pasta
More Comfort Food Recipes for Fall
- How to Create the Perfect Fall Harvest Cheese Board
- BEST Beer Chili
- Curried Butternut Squash Soup
- Spaghetti Squash Casserole
- Apple Cider Cocktail
- Hot Toddy Recipe
- Shaved Brussels Sprout Apple Salad with Pecans
Did you Make Any of These Fall Pasta Recipes?
Please leave a comment and rating below, if you loved this round up of fall pasta recipes. Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
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35+ Fall Pasta Dishes to Try Out!
Here are some of the BEST fall pasta dinner ideas to try tonight! As the weather cools there's no better time to indulge in the rich, comforting dishes that define the season. Dig into classic fall flavours such as creamy pumpkin sauces, a slow cooker Bolognese, simple brown butter sauces, and a classic baked mac and cheese topped with crispy breadcrumbs.
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Servings: 6 people
Ingredients
- 12 ounces mini penne pasta
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound mild bulk Italian sausage
- 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cut into ½-inch cubes)
- 1 large onion (minced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or vermouth
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
Instructions
- In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil, over medium-high. Add sausage and cook, breaking into large pieces with the back of a spoon. Add in sage, allspice, nutmeg and red pepper flakes. Cook until browned, about 6 minutes.
- Add squash, onion, and garlic.. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Add the white wine and cover. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, 18-20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water. Add pasta to the skillet with the squash and sausage, along with the reserved cooking liquid and parmesan cheese. Cook over medium-low heat until the sauce is thick and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and crumbled goat cheese and serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?Mention @platingsandpairings or tag #platingsandpairings!
Nutrition
Calories: 627kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 699mg | Potassium: 650mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 8559IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 3mg
