Description

This creamy pumpkin pasta recipe is a comforting and flavorful dish perfect for autumn and winter. It combines tender pumpkin blended into a smooth sauce with mascarpone and tomato purée, paired with al dente rigatoni or penne pasta, and finished with grated Parmesan. The result is a rich, velvety pasta that’s easy to prepare on the stovetop, making it a great weeknight dinner option.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
500g pumpkin or squash, peeled and cut into roughly 3cm cubes
50–100ml whole milk
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tbsp mascarpone
40g grated parmesan or vegetarian alternative, plus extra to serve

For the Pasta

350g short pasta (rigatoni or penne)

Instructions

Fry the Onion: Heat the olive oil in a large, shallow, flameproof casserole or frying pan over low-medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion with a pinch of salt and fry gently for 10-15 minutes until softened and translucent, stirring occasionally to avoid browning.
Add Garlic: Add the crushed garlic cloves to the onions and fry for an additional minute until fragrant. Remove the pan from heat and let it cool slightly.
Cook the Pumpkin: Meanwhile, place the pumpkin cubes in a pan of boiling salted water and cook for 10-15 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife. Drain well.
Blend the Sauce: Transfer the cooked pumpkin into a blender or use a hand blender. Add 50ml of whole milk and the fried onions with garlic. Blitz until completely smooth, gradually adding more milk if necessary until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Simmer the Sauce: Pour the pumpkin puree into a large frying pan and add the tomato purée and mascarpone. Warm gently over low heat, stirring occasionally until smooth and heated through.
Cook the Pasta: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta following the package instructions until al dente. Reserve about 50-100ml of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta.
Toss Pasta with Sauce: Return the drained pasta to the pan and add the pumpkin sauce, grated Parmesan, and reserved cooking water. Toss thoroughly to combine, loosening the sauce with more cooking water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Serve: Divide the creamy pumpkin pasta between serving bowls and scatter with extra grated Parmesan before serving.

Notes

Use fresh pumpkin or butternut squash for best results.
Adjust the milk quantity in the sauce to achieve your preferred consistency.
Vegetarian Parmesan alternatives are suitable for vegetarians.
Reserve some pasta water to help loosen the sauce and bind it to the pasta.
This dish pairs well with a simple green salad or garlic bread.
For a vegan version, substitute mascarpone and Parmesan with plant-based alternatives and use plant-based milk.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Main Dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: pumpkin pasta, creamy pumpkin sauce, vegetarian pasta, autumn recipes, easy pasta dinner, mascarpone pasta sauce