This creamy, fragrant and super flavorful pasta dish is a wonderful weeknight dinner but fancy enough for a date night. The pumpkin pairs beautifully with the sausage, sage, and a bit of nutmeg and cayenne. A delicious 30-minute meal!

Plate full of pumpkin sausage pasta on a table. Garnished with cheese and fresh sage.

In case you’re wondering if this pumpkin sausage pasta is as delicious and luscious as it looks.. the answer is YES! The spice of the sausage meets the sweetness of the pumpkin and creaminess of the sauce to create the most magical combination. Top it off with a little parmesan and fresh herbs and you’ll be thanking yourself for making this easy 30-minute plate of yumminess! Go ahead and use up that pumpkin you’ve been stashing in your freezer or pantry, because this recipe is so perfect for it!

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Why you will love this Pumpkin Sausage Pasta

Flavor town! There is so much flavor in this dish from the sausage, pumpkin, herbs, and wine. It’s amazing!
An easy, mostly one pot 30 minute meal for the win!
Leftovers are so good. Make this for meal prep and now you’ve got a delicious lunch for the week.
Easy date night dinner that’s perfect to pair with your favorite wine, a garden salad and some freshly baked bread? YES!

A plate full of pumpkin sausage pasta with a glass of wine and salad on the side

Ingredients and Substitutions

Pasta – Use your favorite or fancy pasta! I love rigatoni, cavatappi, gemelli, fusili, radiatori, shells, or a sturdy long ribbon pasta. I used rigatoni for the photo shoot and it was definitely as yummy as it looks!
Sausage – I like to use mild Italian sausage because it adds a lot of flavor and spice to the dish to balance out the sweetness of the pumpkin and creaminess of the sauce. When I make this recipe with our local farmers’ Italian sausage it is less spicy so I like to add extra red pepper flakes.
Veggies – You will need some shallot and garlic for the aromatic flavor base of the sauce. You can substitute the shallot with finely chopped sweet onion or even omit it.
Pumpkin – Use fresh or canned. I always use my homemade pumpkin puree. See here on tips for making your own. You can substitute other winder squash for the pumpkin – use butternut squash, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, etc. What a wonderful way to use up that delicious fall harvest!
Liquid ingredients for sauce – chicken broth (homemade or store bought), heavy cream (can substitute half-and half), and white wine. The wine will add great flavor but you can use more broth here instead.
Herbs – fresh (or dried) sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, cayenne, and black pepper
Garnishes – parmesan cheese, parsley and/or other fresh herbs

How to Make Pumpkin Sausage Pasta Step-by-step

Step 1 – Cook the pasta

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water. Meanwhile, you can get started on the sauce.

Step 2 – Cook the sausage

Cook the sausage on your skillet until browned and cooked through.

Step 3 – Sauté your veggies

We will make an aromatic flavor base for the soup by gently sautéing garlic and shallot. This will add lots of good flavor to your pumpkin sauce.

Adding garlic to the shallots in the skillet

Step 4 – Add the rest of your sauce ingredients

Add the wine, then add the rest of the sauce ingredients and herbs to let everything cook for 5-10 minutes!

Skillet full of ingredients for the pumpkin sausage pasta

Skillet filled with sauce for the pumpkin sausage pasta

Step 5 – Combine your pasta and sauce and Enjoy!

Your sauce is ready and now you can mix everything together and enjoy! How easy and delicious is that? Bon appétit!

As always, I would love to hear how it turned out. If you make this yummy pumpkin sausage pasta, take a picture and post it on Instagram or Facebook and use the hashtag #anyascookbook so I can see it 🙂

Plate filled with pumpkin sausage pasta with a salad on the side.

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Pumpkin Sausage Pasta

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Author: Anya
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions.
While the pasta is cooking heat a large skillet, such as a cast iron, over medium high heat. Cook the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and browned, about 6-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain some of the grease.
In the same skillet, add shallot and cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add a drizzle of olive oil if the pan seems dry. Add garlic and cook, stirring, about a minute.
Pour in the white wine and let it sizzle and bubble for about 30 seconds. Add pumpkin, sausage, broth, sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, cayenne, black pepper, and heavy cream. Bring it up to a simmer and let it cook for 5 to 10 minutes, lowering the heat if needed.
Toss the cooked pasta and sauce together. Garnish with parmesan cheese and fresh herbs.

Notes

Long ribbon, tube shaped, and shell shaped pasta work the best in this recipe.
The wine you use will slightly change the flavor of the dish. Make sure you use a wine you enjoy.
Storing: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Meal Prep: This is a great meal prep recipe and will taste great reheated. Just make make sure to reheat the paste and sauce gently, taking care not to overheat.

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Dinner
Method: Stove-top
Cuisine: American, Italian