Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

Penne in Cheesy Pumpkin Pasta sauce with Toasted Pecans is a delicious, cheesy, and creamy Pumpkin Pasta dinner recipe. The Pumpkin Pasta sauce is cheesy, creamy, and decadent. It's made with fresh Pumpkin Puree, Sour Cream, Heavy Cream, Garlic, and a hint of spices, which is tossed with Penne Pasta, Colby Jack Cheese, and topped with toasted and chopped Pecans, Fresh Basil, and Freshly grated aged Parmesan Cheese.

This Pumpkin Pasta sauce is seriously the best savory Pumpkin recipe of the season. I know, Pumpkin is generally used in desserts, but the subtle and earthy flavors of Pumpkin make for a fantastic ingredient that you can easily use in savory recipes like Risotto or Pasta, or even a Ravioli.

Hello friends! Today, I'll share with y'all one of the most loved Fall dinners of our home. This Pumpkin Pasta is seriously a special recipe in our home. However, the first day, I said I was making this, no one seemed to be ready for dinner. 🙂

However, after the first bite, they loved this. This is creamy and so comforting. Also, as my younger one says, you can hardly tell that this one has Pumpkin in it.

In fact, the Pumpkin flavors hit you in such a different way, which is so comforting, cheesy, and creamy, that you will really feel like you're having something so delicious.

Pumpkin has a very subtle flavor to itself and hence, it doesn't dominate the dish. What dominates this Pasta is loads of cheese! The delicious kick of the Parmesan is what I love the most about this recipe.

How to make the Pumpkin Pasta Sauce?

The Pumpkin Pasta sauce here is so creamy and cheesy. I have made it with fresh Pumpkin Puree. However, you can use canned Pumpkin Puree as well.

To, make the Pumpkin Pasta sauce, I have sauteed the garlic with olive oil and then I have added the Pumpkin Puree, Sour Cream, Ground Nutmeg, Cayenne Pepper, Dried Chili Flakes, Heavy Cream, Vegetable Broth, Salt, and freshly cracked Black Pepper into this. After cooking this over a low flame for about 5 minutes and stirring constantly, my Pumpkin Pasta sauce gets ready.

Now, all it's left to do is add the Pasta of your choice. I love Penne Pasta so I have used that. You can use any Pasta you love. This tastes especially good with Shells Pasta or Angel Hair Pasta. But, actually, you can use any Pasta you love.

For the Cheese, I have added some Colby Jack while preparing the Pasta. I love the decadent feel of Colby Jack Cheese. However, you can use sharp Yellow Cheddar Cheese or aged White Cheddar Cheese, or a combination of the two in your Pasta.

Make sure you add the Pasta and the Cheese, only after you've put out the heat.

How to Make Pumpkin Pasta sauce in the Slow Cooker

You can make the Pumpkin Pasta sauce in the slow cooker as well. It should take you about 7-8 hours on low.

The Pasta sauce will be thick in the beginning and shall get thin and creamy after it gets done. Once it gets done, you can add the Cheese, Heavy cream, Vegetable Broth, and the cooked Pasta to it.

Stir well and serve with the toasted Pecans, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, dried chili flakes, and fresh basil leaves.

How to Make a Vegan and Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pasta sauce?

This recipe calls for Heavy Cream, Colby Jack Cheese, Sour Cream, and Parmesan cheese. You can do the following replacements to make your Pumpkin Pasta sauce, Dairy-free, and Vegan friendly.

Replace Heavy Cream with Coconut Milk. Coconut has a sweet and earthy flavor to it which goes extremely well with Pumpkin.

Replace Parmesan cheese with some Nutritional Yeast. You can add this right into the sauce and mix well until it gets smooth. Skip the Colby Jack Cheese for the Vegan version.

Repace Sour Cream with Cashew Paste. To make the Cashew Paste, soak the Cashew nuts in lukewarm water for about 1 hour and then blend them in the food processor until it gets smooth and creamy.

You can use this in place of Sour Cream & Heavy Cream if you're making Vegan or Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pasta sauce.

How to Store this Pumpkin Pasta Sauce?

This Pumpkin Pasta sauce is made with heavy cream and sour cream so it will stay fresh in an airtight mason jar, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It won't stay longer than that because dairy doesn't store well for long.

However to store this for a longer period of time, skip out on the Heavy Cream and Sour Cream. You can add them later while making the Pasta. This Pumpkin Pasta sauce, without the Heavy Cream and Sour Cream can stay fresh for up to a year.

Ingredients I have used

• 8 oz Penne Pasta
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 2 1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1/2 teaspoon grated Nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 1/4 cup Sour Cream
• 1 cup Vegetable Broth (low sodium)
• 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
• 1/2 cup shredded Colby jack cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Toasted Pecan nuts, Dried Red Chili Flakes, and chopped basil leaves for garnish.

How to make Pumpkin Pasta Sauce with Toasted Pecans

First - Bring a Pot of water to boil with a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. Add the Penne Pasta and cook it as per package directions or until it gets al dente.

After it gets cooked, drain the water and keep the cooked Pasta aside.

Second - Now, you will have to make the Pumpkin Pasta sauce, For this heat some olive oil in a deep dish skillet. Add the minced garlic and cook over a low flame until they get fragrant. Do not brown the garlic. Next, add the Pumpkin Puree, grated Nutmeg, Dried Chili Flakes, Cayenne Pepper, Salt, and Freshly cracked Black Pepper. Also, add the Sour Cream to this Pumpkin Mix. Keep the flame to medium-low and keep stirring constantly so that the Sour cream doesn't curdle.

Third - Once it gets mixed completely, add the Vegetable Broth and Heavy cream. Stir until it gets combined.

Fouth - Now, turn off the heat and add the Pasta and the Cheese. Mix well until it gets combined. Meanwhile, chop some Pecan nuts and toast them over low heat until you get a nutty aroma. This should take about1-2 minutes over low flame.

Fifth- Finally, serve this Pumpkin Pasta with some of the toasted Pecans, some Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, dried red chili flakes, and some basil leaves.

So, this is how you make Pumpkin Pasta sauce. I hope you liked this recipe and shall make it soon. If you happen to make this recipe, then comment below and rate this recipe. Also, tag me with #recipemagik on Instagram.