This simple Pumpkin Pasta pairs the baked ziti we all know and love with creamy pumpkin, sage, and sharp white cheddar cheese for an unbelievable Fall dinner!
Fall is all about pumpkin spice! And while I love all of those delicious pumpkin desserts and pumpkin smoothies and pumpkin muffins... I also love a nice savory pumpkin dish.
Pumpkin is kind of like tofu in that it doesn't really taste like very much. It's mildly squashy (squashy is a word!), but it's really all about what you add to it.
The flavor and scent most people attribute to pumpkin is actually the spices commonly used with it - without those spices, pumpkin can be something completely different. It doesn't always need to be sweet!
In fact, pumpkin puree makes a great base for a pasta sauce - it's naturally creamy, so it gives you an alfredo-like texture without having to use heavy cream.
And so I decided to put a pumpkin-inspired twist on my popular Vegetable Baked Ziti recipe with this pumpkin baked ziti! I think it's the perfect pasta dish for Fall.
This pumpkin pasta is:
- Serious comfort food.
- Tossed in a deliciously creamy pumpkin sauce.
- Loaded with cheesy goodness.
- Baked to a golden perfection.
- An easy vegetarian dinner!
Tips, Tricks, & Variations
I tested this recipe with fontina as a topping at first, and it was also very tasty, but I liked it even better with a good sharp white cheddar. You can use whichever you prefer.
Feel free to add other fresh herbs of your choice. Sage is a classic fall flavor, but parsley and basil are also great matches for this dish.
Make sure you are using plain pumpkin puree and not the pre-sweetened pumpkin pie filling kind - check the label carefully. The only ingredient should be pumpkin!
More Recipes
The holidays are quickly approaching! If you're still planning that menu, don't miss our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!
And if you love this basked pumpkin pasta, be sure to check out these other delicious ideas:
- Tasty Vegetarian Pasta Recipes
- Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Pumpkin, Mushroom, and Spinach Tater Tot Casserole
- Easy Pumpkin Hummus
Recipe
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
- pinch ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 ounces whole wheat ziti pasta or penne or rigatoni, cooked al dente
- ¾ cup sharp white cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and spray a square 8" x 8" baking dish with an oil mister or cooking spray.
- Prepare the pasta according to the package directions, if not already done, and set aside.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of 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 give it a good stir. Cook, continuing to stir often, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Grab a whisk and slowly pour the milk into the skillet, whisking it into the flour mixture. Once the milk is incorporated and the sauce is smooth, add the pumpkin to the skillet and whisk that in. Let the sauce cook on medium heat until it's thickened, about 7 minutes, continuing to whisk often.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese, ¼ cup of the sage leaves and a pinch of nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then fold in the cooked penne. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and top with the shredded cheese. Cover the baking dish with foil and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes covered, then uncover and cook for 10 minutes more. If you want a browned top, broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
- While the casserole is baking, make the crispy sage topping. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining sage to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until crispy, about 3 minutes. Keep a close eye on the sage because it will go from crispy to burnt really quickly! When the sage is done, transfer it to a paper towel to soak up some of the excess oil. Sprinkle the crispy sage onto the baked ziti before serving.
Sam @ PancakeWarriors says
Oh pumpkin and sage are so beautful together. I love the use of pumpkin in savory dishes! Thanks for sharing!
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche says
This looks just gorgeous! Can't beat comforting baked pasta at this time of year, and pumpkin and sage are such a classic combination. Love it!
Hannah @ CleanEatingVeggieGirl says
This sounds amazing! The pumpkin and cheese combination is surprisingly delicious, so I am looking forward to trything this.
Tina muir says
Ooooh this looks delightful! Yum! This is exactly the kind of warming dinner I want to have on those fall nights. Love the ingredients in this, although I m not sure I have sage, and that is kind of important 🙂 Join me for meatless monday please? Lots of great recipes on there today 🙂
Millie | Add A Little says
Sounds gorgeous - pumpkin and sage is a combination made in heaven!
Katie (The Muffin Myth) says
I looooove pumpkin in a cheese sauce like this. I've got a pumpkin mac and cheese recipe, and the sauce is so velvety smooth. I'll definitely have to try this baked ziti, and yes, the sage is a perfect addition.
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
I love anything pumpkins sage, this is the perfect fall pasta!
ami@naivecookcooks says
Gosh this looks so so good!!
Allison says
I love the creamy, sharp cheddar with the sweet pumpkin. And penne is something that I rarely pick up for some reason. I need to change this! What a gorgeous recipe to start fall. Warm and cozy 🙂
Olwyn says
How could you make this vegan? I am allergic to dairy. Would really like to make it but not sure how to substitute nor what to substitute. Thanks!
Kiersten Frase says
It's hard to say for sure without testing it myself, but I'd try a non-dairy milk and nutritional yeast in the sauce, and a meltable vegan cheese (like Daiya) for the topping.
Rachel says
Made this for dinner last night, and it was absolutely delicious! Thank you!
Kiersten Frase says
I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says
I'm actually not ready to break out the pumpkin just yet, still working on apple season! But I definitely love pumpkin and sage together and will save this for later!
Kiersten Frase says
I have a huge bag of Honeycrisps in the kitchen waiting to be devoured. 🙂
Katie | Healthy Seasonal Recipes says
I love the squashy (ha!) fall version of baked ziti you have here, and I love Emily's photos too! I am totally in favor of a non-traditonal recipe like this.
Kiersten Frase says
Casseroles are tough to photograph, but Emily managed to make it look beautiful! 🙂
Kellie says
Made this tonight. Oh my goodness...it was amazing! I choose to broil for 5 mins at the end of baking which added a wonderful crisp to the top. I will make this again and again!
Kiersten Frase says
Thank you for your comment - I'm happy to hear it was a winner! 🙂
Joanne says
I LOVE pumpkin in savory recipes - without the traditional pumpkin spice, of course! Especially in cheesy dishes. Baked ziti FTW!
Rachel D says
I made this last night and oh my it was delicious-I added cubed roasted butternut squash and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Hopefully it makes great leftovers.
Kiersten Frase says
Thanks for the comment - I'm happy to hear the recipe was a hit! I can confirm that the leftovers ARE great. 🙂
Liz says
Made this last night and it was wonderful! I added some panko crumbs on top for a little crunchiness, but otherwise made the recipe as written and turned out great. The fried sage made it extra fancy 🙂
Kiersten Frase says
I thought about adding panko to it too! You can never go wrong with panko. 🙂
Luci says
I made this last night and it is SO good! Your other baked ziti recipe is also a regular in my house. Please create more baked-pasta recipes - you clearly have an amazing talent for them!
Kiersten Frase says
I'm so happy to hear that! Now that it's fall, I'm sure I'll have a few more recipes like this over the coming months. 🙂
Libby says
Awesome recipe, whole family enjoyed it. Definitely recommend the broil, the crispy cheese bites were the best bite. I didn't burn my sage either!
Erica says
Ahhhh, this looks so magical! I'm definitely going to have to give it a try this fall. I love fall comfort foods!
Jasmin says
I just recently realized that sage can be eaten (instead treating it solely as a healing plant),
this recipe will be just perfect to get into another sage cooking adventure - I'm sure it will be pretty successful 🙂
Renee says
Thanks for the great recipe! I could barely contain myself from eating it all when pouring it into the dish pre-bake! Just a tip for the other readers-- I heated the milk in a saucepan before adding it to the flour mixture, and I think that helped preventing lumps and kept the sauce smoother. This was delicious and I will definitely be making it again.
Sarah says
i just wanted to to let you know that I made this for some friends on New Year's Eve and it was a big hit. I paired it with your Kale and Delicata Squash Salad with Citrus-Maple Vinaigrette and it made a beautiful and delicious dish. Thanks for sharing all these great, vegetarian recipes!
Kiersten Frase says
I'm so glad to hear both recipes were a hit! 🙂
Mary @ Fit and Fed says
Beautiful, Kiersten, and so well presented. The orange pumpkin in it almost looks like a cheese and makes this look so rich and creamy– and I'm sure it is, but in a healthier way with just a little whole milk and cheese. It really is fall, breaking out the pumpkin and the sage.
Kiersten Frase says
Thank you! I'm never quite ready for summer to end, but pumpkin season certainly softens the blow. 🙂
emily says
made this saturday.. very much enjoyed it!! our first pumpkin pasta dish ever.. thank so much 🙂
Kiersten says
I'm glad you enjoyed it - thanks for your comment!