Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta
The following recipe was created in collaboration with Lauren Schulte. To see more of her bites and meals, visit her Instagram @TheBiteSizePantry.
It’s time to curl up with a bowl full of comfort food. My creamy Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta is perfect for these cooler fall evenings. Extra smooth and creamy with just a hint of fresh sage and nutmeg, this dish will get even the most avid summer fanatics all “pump’kined” up for fall.
This yummy recipe is the busy family’s best friend on weeknights because it has few ingredients, takes only 20 minutes to make, requires two pots and tastes great. As if those perks weren’t enough, it’s also one way to get your kids to eat nutritious pumpkin. The fresh sage and garlic add a nice touch of flavor to this dish, but if you and your family like more simplicity, you can leave them out and add more cheese.
Pasta is my go-to recipe when I don’t have much in the pantry. During these unprecedented times, we’re all trying to limit our time out and about, so this is a great way to use what minimal ingredients you have on hand. Around this time of year, I always seem to have a ton of canned pumpkin purée on hand. Adding pumpkin to your seasonal diet is a tasty way to reap the nutritional benefits it has to offer. It makes your meals more nutritious and delicious!
For this recipe, I used Flour Pasta Co. tagliatelle pasta. The pumpkin sauce spreads over the wide surface of each flat noodle making for more deliciousness in each bite. Also, who doesn’t love to slurp their noodles? For the creamy sauce you can you use heavy cream, 2% milk or plant-based milk. I like to use cashew milk myself. If you are making this recipe vegan friendly, use cashew milk and vegan white cheddar cheese for the sauce.
The best part about this dish is that you can customize it to fit any dietary need. If you have no dietary restrictions then you’ll fall in love with my creamy brown butter and sage Alfredo sauce, but if you need to eliminate dairy from your diet, cashew or any other type of plant-based milk works really well. It’s vegetarian friendly, but if you’re like me and like a little savory with your sweet, you can add some crispy bacon or sausage bits. If you like your meal meat-free (I love to do a meatless meal twice a week!) you can sub the bacon for Field Roast vegan grain meal smoked apple sage sausage. Field Roast is probably my favorite meat substitute out there. It has all the texture and taste of real meat and is a great option for meatless meals.
Recommended Substitutions and Additions
- Sub tagliatelle pasta with egg noodles or fettuccine
- Sub Pecorino Romano with vegan white cheddar cheese
- Sub heavy cream with cashew milk
- Add crispy bacon or Field Roast sausage (if vegan)
- Eliminate sage and nutmeg and just add salt and pepper
Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 4 bundles of Flour Pasta Co. tagliatelle pasta
- 8 oz. can of Heinen’s organic pumpkin purée
- 2 cups heavy cream (sub cashew milk, if vegan)
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 6 Tbsp. of butter (sub Earth Balance Butter Spread, if vegan)
- 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (Sub Follow Your Heart vegan white cheese blend)
- 4-5 fresh sage leaves
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Add-Ins
- 1 cup of Field Roast apple smoked sausage
- 1 cup crispy bacon bits
- Extra cheese, sage and parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While the pasta water is heating, start making the pumpkin Alfredo sauce.
- In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the fresh sage leaves and let the butter and the sage brown for about 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the pumpkin purée and heavy cream or plant based milk and mix well.
- Add the cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the pasta is done cooking.
- At this point the water should be boiling, add the fresh pasta to the water and cook for 3-4 minutes. Fresh pasta cooks a lot faster boxed varieties. If using boxed pasta, follow the cooking instructions on the box.
- Once the pasta is done, take a cup of pasta water, add it to the pumpkin sauce and mix well. Strain the rest of the pasta and add it back to the pot. Pour about half of the pumpkin Alfredo sauce over the cooked pasta and mix until every inch of the pasta is coated.
- Take a cup of the extra Alfredo sauce and spoon it onto your plate, then top with the pasta. You can add more cheese and crispy bacon bits or vegan sausage crumble to the top if you like.
Interested in making this recipe? Order the ingredients online for Curbside Grocery Pickup or Delivery.
