This creamy pumpkin pasta with fried sage, mascarpone, and Parmesan cheese is the ultimate fall comfort food dinner. It’s so easy to make and takes just 15 minutes to prepare!
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“Had this tonight. It was awesome. Will definitely make again. Would be great for fall entertaining. Thanks!” -Sharon, FoodieCrush reader
This Pasta Is Bursting with My Favorite Fall Flavors
When it comes to pasta, I love it all, but cream sauces are my achilles heel. I’ve got so many saucy pasta recipes I love, like my roasted mushroom stroganoff, cacio e pepe, and shrimp pasta with sun-dried tomatoes.
This pumpkin pasta is just the latest addition to my creamy pasta obsession, and it’s perfect for fall. Like any squash, pumpkin puree lends itself so well to savory dishes and this pasta is proof. With its fine ridges and hollow core, rigatoni’s nooks and crannies are an excellent vehicle for this savory pumpkin pasta sauce.
Mascarpone cheese thickens the pumpkin sauce with the slightest undertone of heat coming from a pinch of red pepper flakes. Sage-infused brown butter provides the ultimate warm, earthy bite, with Parmesan cheese enriching the sauce with a nutty, cheesy edge.
Enjoy!
Ingredient Notes
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pasta — I prefer using rigatoni, which is the perfect vehicle for catching all that sauce and transporting it straight to my waiting mouth, but any short pasta shape may be used.
- Butter — Is melted to fry up the sage, and during the frying process the butter gently browns. Brown butter adds so much depth to the pasta sauce, so don’t skip this step!
- Fresh sage — This recipe can’t be made with ground sage, only fresh will work since it’s being fried until crispy.
- Aromatics — Fresh shallot and garlic flavor the pumpkin sauce without overpowering it.
- Red pepper flakes — Add a subtle kick of heat that makes the sauce flavorful, not spicy.
- Pumpkin puree — Not pumpkin pie filling! You can make your own pumpkin puree or use about half of a can to make the sauce.
- White wine — Nothing fancy, but one you would drink. A Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio would be perfect.
- Cheese — Mascarpone adds creaminess while grated Parmesan adds flavor.
Heidi’s Tip: When I’m feeling extra indulgent, I’ll top the pasta with garlicky breadcrumbs like I did in my tomato pesto pasta recipe.
How to Make This Creamy Pumpkin Sage Pasta
- Cook your pasta. You know the drill, salt your water like the sea and cook it to al dente.
- Fry your sage. To keep this recipe speeding along, melt the butter and fry up the sage leaves while the pasta boils. Watch your sage like a hawk because it crisps up fast!
- Build your sauce base. Sauté the shallot, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in the reserved browned butter until the shallot softens. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan and then stir in the pumpkin.
- Make it creamy. Adding some of the reserved pasta water thickens the sauce without us having to add extra mascarpone or bust out the heavy cream. You want to add the mascarpone at the very end to prevent it from splitting, and if your Parm is freshly grated it will melt seamlessly into the pumpkin pasta sauce and not clump up.
- Garnish and serve. Go on, sprinkle a little extra cheese on top! Then crumble the crispy sage over the pasta and dig in.
Protein Add-Ins
As written, this is a fantastic (and filling!) vegetarian fall pasta. We often enjoy it as is, but you can also bulk it up by adding your choice of protein:
- Italian sausage
- Shredded rotisserie chicken or turkey
- Ground turkey, beef, or chicken
- Crispy Parmesan chickpeas
What to Serve on the Side
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Brown Butter Sage Pumpkin Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup fresh sage leaves
- ¼ cup minced shallot
- 2 cloves garlic , minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup pure pumpkin puree (8 ounces)
- ½ cup white wine
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
- ½ cup mascarpone cheese (4 ounces)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese , plus more for serving
Instructions
- Boil the pasta. Fill a large pot with water for your pasta. Once the water is boiling, generously season with kosher salt and add the pasta. Cook the pasta until al dente (follow the package instructions). While the pasta boils, continue with the rest of the recipe. After it's done cooking, reserve ½ cup of pasta water then drain the pasta but do not rinse.1 pound rigatoni
- Meanwhile, fry the sage. While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the sage and sauté until slightly crispy, 2-3 minutes, scraping up those browned butter bits from the bottom of the pan. Remove the sage using a slotted spoon and set aside.6 tablespoons unsalted butter, ¼ cup fresh sage leaves
- Make the pumpkin sauce. To the skillet, add the shallot, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and sauté until the shallot is softened, 2-3 minutes. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, and simmer for about 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and stir for about 1-2 minutes. Check the pasta which should now be al dente.¼ cup minced shallot, 2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ½ cup white wine, 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
- Add the reserved pasta water and cheese. Add reserved pasta water to the skillet and stir in the mascarpone. Once the mascarpone has melted, add the pasta and Parmesan and stir well to coat the pasta in the sauce.½ cup reserved pasta water, ½ cup mascarpone cheese, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Season and serve. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if desired. To serve, portion pasta in bowls and crumble reserved sage leaves on top, followed by more fresh grated Parmesan.
Notes
Nutrition
More Fall Pasta Recipes You’ll Love
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Lisa
Any way to make this in advance?
Hayley
Hi Lisa! You could make this the day before and reheat gently in a large skillet. We hope you enjoy!
Charlene Chan
Delicious recipe! Btw It doesn’t say in the directions when to add the garlic.
Hayley
Thank you for bringing that to our attention, Charlene! You add the garlic at the same time as the shallot. Sorry about that!
Sharon
Had this tonight. It was awesome. Will definitely make again. Would be great for fall entertaining. Thanks!
Hayley
We’re so happy you enjoyed it Sharon!
Ann
Hi Heidi. I was wondering if I can skip the wine. Deglaze with something else?
Thanks.
Hayley
Hey Ann! Yes, you could deglaze with sherry cooking wine or white wine vinegar.