Is Pumpkin Alfredo the new PSL? I developed this recipe and photographed it months ago in anticipation of fall and I feel like I’m seeing it everywhere now! Either way, it’s DELICIOUS and a fun recipe to add to your fall rotation. Pumpkin itself is very mild so it really adds some color, texture and underlying flavor notes. It also lightens this heavy dish up a bit since we are basically replacing half of the heavy cream in traditional alfredo with pumpkin!
Ingredients Needed
- Fettuccine – Regular boxed pasta works great. I also love the fresh pasta sold in the refrigerator case near the deli.
- Butter – Use real butter here!
- Fresh sage – While delicious and fun, you can absolutely skip this step if you like. Although I love the crunchy fried sage, it doesn’t really affect the overall flavor of this dish enough to matter if you skip it. If I’m making this for company or special occasion I’ll include it, but if it’s just for family dinner, I’ll often just skip it and save a couple dollars on my grocery list!
- Fresh garlic
- Heavy cream
- Pumpkin puree – Make sure you’re buying plain canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese – While you could use pre-grated in a pinch, freshly grating your parmesan really does result in a much smoother texture and deeper flavor profile.
How to Make Pumpkin Alfredo
- Get your pasta cooking then focus on your sauce. You’ll start by by cooking the sage in butter. This does 2 things: Makes beautiful bits of crispy fried sage. Brown your butter. Herbed brown butter, oh my gosh. You will want to drink it.
- Use a slotted spoon to put your sage crispies on a paper towel and then leave all that beautiful butter and swirl some garlic around in there.
- Then we’ll move on just like a standard alfredo with butter, Parm, and cream- but also pumpkin!
- Toss with your pasta and serve immediately. The best part is that this looks just like mac and cheese so your kids won’t be freaked out there’s pumpkin in it. (Shhh they don’t have to know.) It’s thick and creamy and you’ll want an enormous bowl of it.
Storing and Other Tips
- If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 3-4 days for best results.
- You may need to add a splash of milk or broth when reheating pasta already mixed with sauce. If you are storing your sauce separately, you can thin with milk, broth, or starchy pasta water when reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Could I make this with anything beyond pumpkin?
Absolutely! Butternut squash would be a great option. You could try other similar-textured squash varieties or even mashed sweet potato.
Pumpkin Alfredo
Creamy decadent pasta with fried sage and brown butter!
Servings servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb fettuccini noodles cooked to package directions
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 5 ounce sage, packaged about ½ cup, roughly chopped; see note
- 5-6 cloves garlic finely minced or pressed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1.5-2 cups parmesan cheese freshly grated
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large pan. Add chopped sage and cook, stirring lightly for 3-4 minutes until butter is light golden brown and sage is bubbly. Use a slotted spoon and let butter drip into pan and then place sage on paper towels to drain. Set aside.
- Add garlic to pan and stir for about 30 seconds on low heat. Add pumpkin and cream and bring to a simmer. Whisk in cheese and stir to melt. Sauce should be bubbling for a few minutes. If sauce feels too thick, you can always add more cream (or a little pasta water), and if it ends up too thin at any point, just a add a little more pumpkin! It's very flexible. Taste sauce and add salt to taste.
- Drain noodles and add them to pan with sauce. Toss. Top with more parmesan if you like and sprinkle sage on top.
Notes
- Sage: While delicious and fun, you can absolutely skip this step if you like. Although I love the crunchy fried sage, it doesn’t really affect the overall flavor of this dish enough to matter if you skip it. If I’m making this for company or special occasion I’ll include it, but if it’s just for family dinner, I’ll often just skip it and save a couple dollars on my grocery list!
- If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 3-4 days for best results.
- You may need to add a splash of milk or broth when reheating pasta already mixed with sauce. If you are storing your sauce separately, you can thin with milk, broth, or starchy pasta water when reheating.
Nutrition
Calories: 675kcal, Carbohydrates: 60g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 39g, Saturated Fat: 24g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 165mg, Sodium: 550mg, Potassium: 344mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 7647IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 368mg, Iron: 2mg
Calories: 675kcal
Cost: $8
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Questions & Reviews
I loved this so much! My kids had no idea there was pumpkin in it. The browned butter takes it over the top. And the crispy sage added the perfect crunch.
Creamy pasta with fried sage and brown butter! I can’t get sick of it! The taste is amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Your Pumpkin Alfredo is Nice Recipe to Taste. I will try this at one day. Thank You for Sharing.