Easy Creamy Pumpkin and Sage Pasta

This cosy pumpkin and sage pasta is full of warm fall flavours. The perfect comfort food meal that is also a breeze to make!

This pasta features smooth pumpkin purée, dotted with soft smooth cheese, and delicately spiced with sage, for a classic fall pairing.

Can I use fresh pumpkin for pumpkin and sage pasta?

Yes, fresh pumpkin tastes amazing in this recipe. The best pumpkin to use for this recipe is pie pumpkin. These are small, sweet, and easy to cut and cook.

Using Fresh Pumpkin

Cooking your own pumpkin is similar to cooking any winter squash.

• Preheat your oven to 350 °F (180 °C).
• Wash off your pie pumpkin, cut in half and scoop out the seed area.
• Place skin side up, in a pan. Add water to just cover the bottom. (About 1 cup (250 ml), depending on the size of your pan.)
• Bake for about 1 hour 30 mins, or until the flesh is very tender when pierced with a fork.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool, until you can easily handle it.
• Scoop out the flesh and purée, using a food processor, or mash by hand.
• Dump the pumpkin purée into a fine mesh strainer (or chinois) to remove excess moisture.
• Allow the purée to cool to room temperature.
• Separate into portions, label, and store in an airtight container, or freezer bags.
• Store in the freezer for up to 4 months.

How to store pumpkin and sage pasta

This is a great meal that you can make ahead and store for later!

Fridge

To store the leftovers in the fridge,

• Allow the pasta to cool to room temperature
• Cover fully with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container
• Store in the fridge for up to 2 day.

Freezer

The freezer is a great option to store this pasta dinner for a longer period of time,

• Allow the pasta to cool to room temperature
• Cover fully with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container
• Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Can I replace the pumpkin with squash?

Yes! You can absolutely replace the pumpkin in this recipe with a different type of squash. Pumpkin purée is easy to find canned at the grocery store which makes using pumpkin a quick and easy choice for this meal. However, if you would prefer to use a different type of winter squash, you will probably have to cook and purée it yourself first.

Some great squash alternatives for this recipe are,

• Acorn Squash It has a very similar taste to pumpkin. It has a very smooth and creamy texture when cooked.
• Hubbard Squash is a similar size to pie pumpkins. Cook this squash exactly the same as you would a pumpkin. This squash has a slightly more earthy taste, but don’t let that deter you. The cream, cheese, and spices balance out the flavour perfectly.
• Butternut Squash Similar in size to pie pumpkins. They have a sweeter, creamier, taste to pumpkin. They become sweet and tender when baked in the oven. This is why they are one of the most popular variety of squash!
• Buttercup Squash is very sweet and creamy. It is similar to pumpkin in taste, perhaps a little sweeter and earthier. It is also similar in size to a pie pumpkin, so using this as a substitution is pretty straightforward.

Can I make this recipe without pasta?

Yes! There are many delicious gluten-free pastas, or other pasta alternatives, to use with this creamy pumpkin sauce. Some great options are,

• Store bought pasta alternatives such as chickpea pasta, gluten-free pasta, lentil pasta, etc.
• Spiralized vegetables. Most commonly zucchini noodles but you can use a variety of vegetables cut this way.
• Spaghetti squash
• Rice
• Cauliflower rice
• quinoa

How to make Easy Creamy Pumpkin and Sage Pasta

Ingredients

1 lb dried pasta (use gluten-free pasta, if desired) 500 g

2 cups pumpkin purée 175 ml

2-3 Tablespoons oil 30-45 ml

1 shallot, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

½ cup ricotta cheese 125 ml

1 teaspoon brown sugar 5 ml

½ cup milk 125 ml

¼ cup heavy cream 60 ml

½ teaspoon nutmeg 2.5 ml

1/8 teaspoon ground clove 1 ml

½ teaspoon cinnamon 2.5 ml

½ teaspoon cardamom 2.5 ml

12 – 15 leaves fresh sage

Method

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.
2. Drain and reserve 1/3 cup of the pasta water.
3. In a large sauce pot or Dutch oven on medium heat, add a drizzle of oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
4. Remove about 15 fresh sage leaves and fry them in the oil until crispy, about 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.
5. Remove to a paper towel to drain.
6. To the sage infused oil, cook the diced shallots until they start to soften and become translucent.

7. Add in the minced garlic and fry along with the shallots.

8. Once the vegetables in the pan start to colour, stir in the pumpkin purée.

9. Stir in the spices, brown sugar, and reserved pasta water, enough to thin it down to a smooth sauce.

10. Simmer the sauce 10 minutes.

11. Turn the heat to low and stir in the ricotta cheese and cream.

12. Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce. Remove from heat.

13. Serve with crispy sage leaves and a dusting of parmesan cheese, if desired.

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