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This creamy pumpkin pasta is rich, velvety, and ready in just 15 minutes (because comfort food shouldn’t be complicated). Kitchen-tested, reader-approved, and weeknight-worth…it’s foolproof!
save this recipe!A weeknight hero
Cozy, creamy, and ready before your playlist ends. I developed this pumpkin pasta sauce after testing every version I could think of (heavy cream vs. cream cheese, tomato paste vs. none). The result? A sauce that’s silky, slightly tangy, and rich without feeling heavy; comfort food with a nutritionist’s touch (🙋🏼♀️).
The best part? It’s secretly so simple to make (seriously, we’re talking a handful of ingredients and 15 minutes, folks). Serve it up with air-fried Brussels sprouts or a hearty tabbouleh salad, or just grab a fork and dive in. Let’s do this!
Reader rating
Key Ingredients
- Pumpkin Purée: The star. We tested canned and homemade — canned wins for consistency and creamy texture.
- Cream Cheese: Adds richness and body without needing heavy cream. Bonus: reheats beautifully.
- Tomato Paste: A small amount deepens flavor and balances the pumpkin’s natural sweetness.
- Garlic + Sage: Classic aromatics that bring warmth and a hint of holiday coziness.
- Vegetable Broth: Lightens the sauce while keeping it velvety.
Easiest Pumpkin Pasta (So Creamy)
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta, bucatini, fettuccini, rigatoni, or your favorite variety, 340 g
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, 15 mL
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped sage
- 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, 425 g
- 1 cup vegetable broth, 226 mL
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste, 30 g
- ¼ cup cream cheese, about 2 oz, 50 g
- ¼ tsp each salt and pepper
- To serve: grated parmesan
Instructions
- Pasta: Cook 12 oz pasta in salted water according to the instructions on the package.
- Garlic: Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add 3 cloves garlic (minced) and 1 Tbsp finely chopped sage, cooking until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Sauce: Stir in 1 15-oz can pumpkin puree, 1 cup vegetable broth, and 2 Tbsp tomato paste. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer, letting it simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in ¼ cup cream cheese and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper.
- Optional Blend: If you want an even smoother sauce, carefully blend using a handheld immersion blender or countertop blender (leave the lid cracked to allow steam to escape).
- Serve: Toss cooked pasta and pumpkin sauce. Transfer to serving bowls, topping liberally with freshly grated parmesan.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Is there a replacement for the tomato that you would recommend or maybe leaving it out? My partner can’t have it because of allergies! I would love any suggestion!
You could just omit the tomatoes here or perhaps blend in some roasted red pepper!
This was super easy and super tasty and just what I was looking for in a pre-Thanksgiving meal that was both appropriate for the season, honored a bit of my Italian roots and was able to make vegan by substituting veg and cream cheese and vegan parmesian. The only other
change’ I made was by topping w/toasted pine nuts!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe . I will be making this again.
Thanks so much Lynne, and so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Have a lovely Thanksgiving x