I had some dear friends and family for dinner recently, and wanted to serve a pasta dish that was a little different than a typical pasta dish with red sauce. I found a handwritten recipe for “PUMPKIN PENNE PASTA” in my recipe cards, and thought this is perfect! It’s still that time of year where we all love pumpkin and can’t get enough of it! And my guests love pasta, so “Winner, Winner, Pumpkin Pasta Dinner”!

And no herb goes better with pumpkin than sage. We just had our first frost this week here in PA, and most of my garden herbs died off, but the sage is so hearty I will have it through November! And penne was the perfect pasta for this dish! I usually try to serve dishes that don’t need me at the stove while my guests are here, but this was a very easy dish to cook while my guests were in the kitchen around the island having drinks and appetizers.

While your pasta is boiling, all you need is another saucepan for making the pumpkin sauce. After sautéing shallots and garlic in olive oil, you can add the reminder of the ingredients (pumpkin puree, heavy cream, chicken broth, nutmeg, cinnamon, red pepper flakes), and just mix well on medium heat until the sauce thickens nicely, And oh my goodness, when you pour it on the pasta, it’s a marriage made in heaven!

Garnish with some fresh sage, and dig in! Everyone LOVED it, and I can’t wait to make it again (and again)! This will certainly be a staple pasta dish in my household!

Until next time,

Let’s get cookin’

Madeline 

Print Recipe

Pumpkin Penne Pasta

Make a delicious spin on a pasta dish that has a pumpkin cream puree for the sauce! You may never have tomato sauce again on your pasta! With a little cinnamon and nutmeg spices added to the sauce, it's like having a crisp, comforting fall experience while you eat!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: All

Keyword: cinnamon, Colavita, garlic, nutmeg, Pasta, pumpkin, pumpkincreamsauce, sage, shallots

Servings: 6

Author: Madeline Kohler

Equipment

• 4 - 8 Quart Pot with Lid
• Large Stove Top Sauté Pan

Ingredients

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 2 tbsps Olive oil
• 3 shallots, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 15 ounces pumpkin puree
• 2 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 7 leaves fresh sage (roughly chopped)
• ¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Boil pasta according to directions, making sure it is al dente.
• In a medium skillet, sauté the shallots and garlic in olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in chicken broth, pumpkin and cream.
• Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes.
• Lower heat and stir until thickened, about 5 - 10 minutes.
• Drain pasta, and toss pasta with sauce.
• Sprinkle pasta with cheese and fresh sage.

Notes