Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce is easy to make and can be served over any pasta! Fresh sage, shallots, garlic, and miso paste add an amazing depth of flavor!

Easy and Delicious Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

The cooler temperatures have me craving comfort food meals – and this easy Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce is just the thing I want for dinner any day of the week.

Pureed pumpkin is just as delicious in savory recipes as it is in sweet, especially when it’s mixed in a creamy rich sauce and served over your favorite pasta.

The pumpkin sauce gets a surprising savory depth from fresh sage, fresh Parmesan cheese, and yellow miso paste – a fermented soybean paste that is inexpensive, available in most supermarkets, and adds a wonderful undertone of flavor that really makes this sauce special.

After tossing the pasta in the creamy pumpkin sauce, we sprinkled crispy fried sage and toasted walnuts on top before serving. This makes a great option for a fall dinner party, but it’s easy enough to serve for a weeknight meal.

• The flavors and creamy texture of this sauce are so satisfying – especially when served over your favorite pasta.
• It’s easy to prepare and a great menu option for cool weather evenings or even a holiday dinner.
• This pasta sauce is a delicious choice when you are looking to serve a meatless meal for vegetarian family or friends.

• Pumpkin – Use 100% pureed pumpkin, canned or homemade. Don’t use pumpkin pie filling which is seasoned and sweetened.
• Fresh Sage – You’ll use fresh sage leaves to season the sauce, and fried and crumbled as a topping when served.
• Butter – We always cook with unsalted butter so we can add salt (as needed) later in the recipe.
• Oil – Choose a light/neutral-flavored oil such as safflower or grapeseed oil.
• Shallots
• Garlic – Always cook with fresh, not jarred, garlic.
• Seasonings – Kosher salt, ground white pepper, nutmeg, and dry ground thyme.
• White Wine
• Half and Half – Some areas of the country sell ‘half and half’ in cartons, but if you can’t buy it locally, it is simply half whole milk and half light cream.
• Parmesan Cheese
• White Miso Paste – Sometimes also called mellow, yellow, or light miso, white miso is sold in most supermarkets. Sometimes fresh miso is sold in containers or tubs in the refrigerated produce section next to the tofu, while other times, you can find it in the Asian aisle in plastic bags or squeeze tubes/pouches. (You can also buy it online here – but it will be much less expensive at the supermarket.) Miso adds a salty, umami flavor that really enhances the pumpkin and grated Parmesan cheese in this sauce. It’s made from fermented soybeans so if you cannot find it, you can swap in a small dash of soy sauce instead, but it won’t be quite the same as if you had added the miso paste. Red miso paste can also be used – it has a much stronger taste than the white miso so use sparingly.
• Walnuts – Chopped and toasted to serve over portions.
• Pasta – We used fussili lunghi – a curly long pasta, but any pasta shape or length can work for this recipe.

1. Fry the sage leaves, then drain on paper towels.
2. Saute shallots and garlic in butter and oil, along with minced fresh sage, salt, pepper, dry thyme, and nutmeg.
3. Deglaze skillet with the white wine.
4. Add pumpkin puree, miso paste, half and half, and Parmesan cheese. Whisk to combine, then simmer on low.
5. Cook pasta, per box directions. Drain but reserve two cups of the pasta cooking water.
6. Toast the chopped walnuts while the pasta cooks.
7. Place the drained pasta in the pan with the sauce and stir to combine. Add some of the pasta water to thin if necessary. Save extra pasta water for reheating the leftovers.
8. Serve the sauced pasta with chopped toasted walnuts, crispy sage, and additional grated Parmesan cheese.

• Can I make Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce ahead of time?  Yes, you can make the sauce ahead of time, toast the nuts, and make the crispy sage ahead too. For best results, you should wait to cook the pasta then toss it in warmed sauce just before serving.
• How do I store leftovers?   Store refrigerated in a covered container for up to three days.
• How do I reheat leftovers? Use some of the reserved pasta water to thin the mixture down as you reheat it in a saucepan on the stove, or gently reheat portions in the microwave.
• Can I freeze?  No, we do not recommend freezing the sauce or pasta.

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