This Pumpkin Sage Baked Ziti tosses tender pasta in a silky pumpkin cream sauce, tucks it under a blanket of sharp white cheddar, and finishes it with a shower of crispy fried sage. It's the cozy, cheesy pumpkin pasta bake you'll want on repeat all fall, and it's easy enough for a weeknight vegetarian dinner!
Pumpkin on its own doesn't taste like much. It's mildly sweet and a little squashy, and most of what we think of as "pumpkin flavor" really comes from the spices we pair it with. Skip the cinnamon and cloves, and pumpkin puree turns into a fantastic savory base for pasta sauce. It's naturally thick and creamy, so it gives you an alfredo-style texture without any heavy cream. This recipe takes the idea behind our classic Vegetable Baked Ziti and gives it a golden, autumnal twist.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pumpkin puree. Use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced. The label should list pumpkin as the only ingredient. Canned pumpkin like Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin works perfectly, or you can make your own pumpkin puree from a roasted sugar pumpkin. Butternut squash puree is an easy swap.
- Whole wheat ziti. Whole wheat pasta holds up well in a baked dish and adds a nutty flavor that pairs nicely with pumpkin. Ziti is traditional, but whole wheat penne or rigatoni work just as well. Regular semolina pasta or a gluten-free variety are fine too.
- Fresh sage. Sage does double duty here: half of it is stirred into the sauce, and the rest is fried until crispy for the topping. Dried sage won't crisp up, so fresh is worth seeking out for this one.
- Shallots. Shallots are milder and a little sweeter than onions, which keeps the sauce mellow. Half of a small yellow onion, finely diced, will work in a pinch.
- Milk. Whole milk or 2% makes the creamiest sauce. Unsweetened oat milk is the best dairy-free option because it thickens nicely and has a neutral flavor.
- Sharp white cheddar and parmesan. Sharp white cheddar melts beautifully and has enough tang to balance the pumpkin. Fontina or gruyère are tasty alternatives. Traditional Parmigiano-Reggiano is made with animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian parmesan-style cheese if that matters to you.
- Nutmeg. Just a pinch of ground nutmeg adds warmth to the sauce without making it taste like dessert.
Helpful Tips
Undercook the pasta slightly. The pasta keeps cooking in the oven as it soaks up the sauce. Boil it for a minute or two less than the package says so it stays tender with a little bite instead of turning soft after baking.
Add the milk slowly. Pour the milk into the flour mixture a little at a time while you whisk. Adding it gradually is the key to a smooth, lump-free sauce. If a few lumps sneak in, keep whisking over the heat and they'll usually smooth out.
Watch the sage closely. Fried sage goes from crispy to burnt in a matter of seconds. Pull the leaves out as soon as they darken slightly and stop sizzling, and drain them on a paper towel. They'll continue to crisp up as they cool.
Use the right size dish. An 8-inch square baking dish gives you a thick, saucy bake with plenty of cheesy top. Grease it well first; an oil mister makes it easy to coat the corners with just a light layer of olive oil.
Broil for a golden top. For those browned, bubbly cheese spots, finish the bake under the broiler for a few minutes. Keep the oven door cracked and your eyes on it, since broilers vary a lot and cheese can scorch quickly.
Variations
- Add greens. Stir a few big handfuls of baby spinach or chopped kale into the hot sauce so they wilt before you add the pasta.
- Mushroom pumpkin ziti. Sauté 8 ounces of sliced cremini mushrooms with the shallots for a meatier, earthy version.
- Make it vegan. Use unsweetened oat milk, nutritional yeast instead of parmesan, and your favorite vegan cheese shreds on top. Or try our stovetop Vegan Pumpkin Pasta.
- Swap the herbs. Fresh thyme, rosemary, parsley, or basil all pair well with pumpkin if sage isn't your thing.
- Add some heat. A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or a little smoked paprika in the sauce adds a gentle kick.
- Crunchy topping. Sprinkle panko breadcrumbs tossed with olive oil over the cheese before baking for extra crunch.
Serving Ideas
This baked ziti is rich and filling, so it's best with something fresh and a little bitter or tangy on the side. A crisp Kale Caesar Salad or a simple arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette cuts right through the creamy sauce.
For a full fall dinner, add a pan of Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Apples and some warm crusty bread for mopping up the extra sauce. It also makes a great vegetarian main dish for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving, and it's easy to double in a 9x13 pan for a crowd.
Storing & Freezing
Let leftovers cool, then cover the dish tightly or transfer portions to airtight containers. The baked ziti keeps in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat individual servings in the microwave with a splash of milk stirred in to loosen the sauce, or cover the dish with foil and warm it in a 350ºF oven for 15 to 20 minutes. The crispy sage will soften in the fridge, so store it separately if you can.
To freeze, assemble the ziti without baking it, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake covered at 350ºF for about 25 minutes, uncover, and bake 10 to 15 minutes more until hot and bubbly. Fry a fresh batch of sage for the topping just before serving.
More Cozy Pumpkin & Pasta Recipes
If you loved this pumpkin pasta bake, here are a few more you might enjoy:
- Butternut Squash Stuffed Shells
- Pumpkin, Mushroom, and Spinach Tater Tot Casserole
- Easy Vegan Pumpkin Recipes
- Tasty Vegetarian Pasta Recipes
Planning a holiday menu? Don't miss our Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Skillet large
- Oil mister optional
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, + 2 teaspoons, divided
- 2 shallots, large , peeled and diced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups milk, 2% or whole milk
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ cup sage leaves, thinly sliced, divided
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces whole wheat ziti pasta, or penne or rigatoni
- ¾ cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish with olive oil from an oil mister or with cooking spray.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes less than the package directions, so it's just shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until just beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and stir well. Cook, stirring often, until the flour is golden, about 3 minutes. Slowly pour in the milk a little at a time, whisking constantly, until the sauce is smooth. Whisk in the pumpkin puree. Let the sauce simmer over medium heat, whisking often, until thickened, about 7 minutes.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the parmesan, ¼ cup of the sliced sage and the nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then fold in the cooked pasta until evenly coated. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the shredded cheddar evenly over the top. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 10 minutes, then uncover and bake for 10 minutes more, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling. For a browned top, broil for 2 to 4 minutes, watching closely, until the cheese is golden.
- While the ziti bakes, make the crispy sage topping. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining sage and cook, stirring often, until crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Watch it closely, because sage goes from crispy to burnt very quickly. Transfer the sage to a paper towel to drain, then sprinkle it over the baked ziti just before serving.
Justine says
hiya, love the sound of this! And where can I get that cool serving spoon?
Annie says
I'll now have to spend half an hour on google figuring out the difference between baked ziti and mac and cheese now.
But I'm concerned that you think pumpkin is tasteless. Crazy talk! Are you perhaps using those orange ones you're supposed to carve? I cooked one of those once. Cubed and roasted the whole bugger' then my husband (who is a human garbage truck and will anything that's not meat-containing) put one in his mouth, then spat it out and told me to toss the lot. it was disgusting, no flavour whatsoever. If you want to cook with pumpkin, choose the right variety. The easiest to find is butternut. Just peel, cube and roast with some oil and salt. Delicious. While it pairs very well with sage and pine nuts it is an equal partner in the flavour stakes.
Mary says
I usually make this in an 8x8. If I double the recipe, would it fit in a 9x13? We have a big crowd this year.