Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

Easy to make, this Pumpkin Pasta Sauce has depth of flavor from browned butter and sage. Enjoy it tossed with your favorite shape of freshly cooked pasta. Or try it with chicken or pork with my Roasted Potatoes and Carrots . This sauce is naturally gluten-free and sure to become your new favorite savory pumpkin recipe.

Pumpkin pasta sauce in a cast iron skillet topped with browned butter and sage leaves. - 2

This pumpkin pasta sauce is inspired by the incredible pumpkin ravioli I had at a restaurant, served with a classic browned butter sage sauce. It was a next-level dish with freshly made pasta, so delicate and flavors so perfect you could cry.

Watch How To Make Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

But that’s not the sort of thing you make for your average dinner! So I wanted to use the same flavors to create a simple pasta sauce. And this recipe is indeed easy enough to make even after a hard day at work.

This sauce works well on any shape of pasta, and I have my best gluten-free pasta options listed below as well. I’ve had so many people tell me they’re surprised to find out these pasta brands are gluten-free because they’re so good!

Pumpkin cream sauce tossed with rigatoni pasta topped with parmesan cheese and sage leaves. - 3

Ingredients & Substitutions

Pumpkin purée, heavy cream, white wine, butter, garlic, and sage leaves in bowls on a wood cutting board. - 4

Pumpkin Purée – look for pumpkin with 1 ingredient – pumpkin. You don’t want pumpkin filling/pumpkin pie filling for this sauce, which is sweetened. You’re just looking for pure pumpkin.
Butter – I use salted butter, but unsalted works too. There isn’t a substitute for butter because when you brown it for the sauce, it becomes part of the flavor profile.
Sage – is my favorite herb to use with browned butter and pumpkin, but rosemary is really nice too.
Garlic – freshly minced garlic is essential for the best flavor. I don’t recommend jarred garlic because it has a harsh flavor, but a garlic press gives you fresh garlic super fast.
White wine – a white wine that’s not sweet, like Sauvignon Blanc, is perfect for this sauce. The white wine adds acidity and depth of flavor that brings dimension to this pumpkin sauce, keeping it from tasting flat.
Heavy cream – heavy whipping cream adds the perfect amount of creaminess to this sauce to complement the pumpkin.

How to make this recipe step by step

Four photos in a collage showing melting and browning butter in a large white cast iron skillet. - 5

Step 1: Start by melting the butter over medium heat. If you have a light colored pan, it’s much easier to see how your butter is progressing.

Cook, stirring often to keep the particles moving, as the butter begins to foam and then turns golden brown.

When brown begins to appear, like the bottom right photo, add the sage and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring for about 30-45 seconds.

Stirring white wine into the browned butter sage mixture. - 6

Step 2: Then add the white wine and simmer until reduced by half.

Be sure to use a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc and not a sweet/dessert wine!

Stirring the pumpkin purée into the white wine mixture with a spatula. - 7

Step 3 : Add the pumpkin purée and stir to combine.

Adding heavy cream to the pumpkin sauce and stirring with a spatula. - 8

Step 4: Next, add the heavy cream and simmer until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remember, it will thicken up when it’s simmered with pasta.

Season to taste and serve as desired.

Finished pumpkin cream sauce in a white skillet topped with swirls of browned butter and sage leaves. - 9

Ways to serve this

Serve this sauce, simmered with 1 pound of freshly cooked pasta and showers of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Try this as a sauce with chicken or pork, plus my Roasted Potatoes and Carrots . I love this creamy pumpkin sauce with roasted chicken breasts or pork chops.

Yes, you can use homemade pumpkin purée, but it may require more simmering time if it’s not as thick as canned pumpkin purée. Also, be sure to use plain pumpkin without any sweeteners or spices added.

Any shape of pasta works for this pumpkin sauce recipe, from penne, rigatoni, and fusilli to noodle shapes like linguine, fettuccine, and pappardelle.

Storing leftovers

To store : place any leftover pasta sauce in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Make ahead – this sauce is perfect made ahead. When you’re ready for dinner, cook the pasta fresh, add the already-made pumpkin pasta sauce, and serve.
Reheating – reheat over low heat until hot, stirring often. If the sauce is already tossed with pasta, you’ll need to add a bit of water and cook over medium stirring until heated through. If the pasta sauce breaks, add a touch more water and stir until it comes back together.
To freeze – this sauce freezes well in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Pumpkin pasta sauce tossed with rigatoni in a pottery bowl topped with parmesan cheese and sage leaves. - 10

Tips & Tricks

The quality of ingredients in this super-simple sauce really counts for the best flavor. Fresh sage and garlic are star players, and the white wine needs to have a decent amount of acid – never a sweet dessert wine! A sweet wine will throw off the entire sauce.
We like this sauce with pasta shapes like rigatoni, penne, farfalle, etc., but it’s also great with fettuccine, linguine, or tagliatelle.

Dietary Options & Substitutions

Dairy-free – you can use olive oil to sauté the garlic and sage, omitting the butter. Then swirl in Kite Hill cream cheese after simmering the sauce with your pasta instead of heavy cream. You may need to add a bit of chicken stock to your pumpkin sauce so it can simmer properly without being too thick.
Gluten-free – use a good quality gluten-free pasta like Jovial or Delallo, which are 100% brown rice. I avoid any gluten-free pasta that has other ingredients like corn, quinoa, or lentils because the texture is grittier and falls apart more easily.

A wood spoon scooping up some pumpkin cream sauce topped with browned butter and sage leaves. - 11

More Sauce Recipe Inspiration

Garlic Parmesan Sauce
Lemon Cream Sauce
Mushroom Cream Sauce
Creamy Tomato Sauce
Mustard Cream Sauce (coming soon)

INGREDIENTS1x2x3x

4 tbsp salted butter
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 tbsp fresh sage leaves - finely chopped, 2 tbsp for a stronger flavor
1 cup dry white wine - Sauvignon Blanc
1 can pumpkin purée - 15 ounces, see notes
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp sea salt - or to your taste
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 pound pasta - any shape works, see notes
Grated parmesan cheese for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by melting the butter over medium heat. If you have a light colored pan, it’s much easier to see how your butter is progressing.
Cook, stirring often to keep the particles moving, as the butter begins to foam and then turns golden brown. It will foam up in the pan right before it turns from golden to browned.
When brown begins to appear, add the sage and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring for about 30-45 seconds.
Then add the white wine and simmer until reduced by half, 3-4 minutes. Next, add the pumpkin purée and stir to combine.
Finally, add the heavy cream and simmer until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6-10 minutes. Remember, it will thicken up even more when it’s simmered with pasta.
While the sauce is simmering, cook your choice of pasta to al dente. When the pasta is done, drain it, then add it to the sauce. Simmer for 1-2 minutes and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

NOTES

nutrition facts