Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

This spicy and creamy pumpkin pasta is made with pumpkin puree, heavy cream, vodka, and warm spices for a cozy and easy dish that’s done in under 30 minutes.

It’s pumpkin season, baby, and that can only mean one thing: tons of cozy recipes that are as comforting as they are delicious.

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Ingredients

Pumpkin puree: Make sure to use 100% pumpkin puree here, NOT the pumpkin pie puree.

Heavy cream: At room temperature

Shallots and garlic: Finely chopped

Spices: We’ll be using salt, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, and nutmeg

Parmigiano-Reggiano: To finish the sauce and for topping

Vodka: Optional

Pasta: I’m using rigatoni today, but you can use whatever pasta you love

How to Make Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Here’s how to make this recipe.

Step 1: Prep your ingredients.

I like to start by putting a pot of water on the stove to boil, covered. That way it’s ready to go when I’m ready to use it.

Now is also the time to chop your shallots and garlic, get your heavy cream out of the fridge to warm up, and measure out your spices.

Step 2: Start your pumpkin cream sauce.

Add some olive oil to a skillet with high sides over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring, until translucent (about 3–5 minutes).

When ready, add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).

If using vodka, add that now and let reduce by ½.

Step 3: Add the pumpkin and spices

Add the pumpkin puree, salt, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to combine everything (it should look like a pumpkin paste). Turn the heat to the LOWEST setting, cover, and let cook for 7-8 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally so that nothing burns.

While this is happening, it’s the perfect time to put your pasta in the boiling water (with a pinch of salt, of course).

Once the 7-8 minutes are up, your pumpkin mixture should look like this:

Step 4: Add the heavy cream

With the heat still low, add the heavy cream to the pasta, mixing it all together until it’s a beautiful pumpkin cream. It will look like this:

Step 5: Add the pasta and Parm to the pumpkin cream

When the pasta is just shy of al dente, use a slotted spoon to add the pasta directly from the water to the pumpkin cream. Stir it all together and add a bit of starchy pasta water if needed to thin out the sauce.

Then, add the Parmigiano to the pumpkin pasta and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

This spicy and creamy pumpkin pasta is made with pumpkin puree, heavy cream, vodka, and warm spices for a cozy and easy dish.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: creamy pumpkin pasta, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin vodka sauce, spicy pumpkin pasta

Ingredients

• 8 oz pasta of choice uncooked
• ½ 15 oz can 100% pumpkin puree
• 1 shallot finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ cup heavy cream at room temperature
• 2 tbs vodka optional
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano plus more for topping

Instructions

• Bring a pot to boil, covered, on the stove.
• Add 1-2 tbs olive oil to a skilley with high sides over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook until translucent (3-5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 min).
• If using vodka, add that now. Bring to a bubble and let cook until ½ reduced. If omitting, just move to the next step.
• Add the pumpkin puree and spices to the pot. Stir to mix everything together. Bring the heat to LOW and cover. Cook for ~7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn. While this is cooking, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook 1 minute shy of the al dente directions.
• While still on low, add the heavy cream to the pumpkin and stir unti it becomes a beautiful pumpkin cream.
• When 1 minute shy of al dente, use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta from the pasta water to the pumpkin cream. Stir and add a bit of pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
• Add the grated parm and stir to combine. Serve immediately.