Easy & Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

overhead view of plate filled with penne pasta tossed in a creamy pumpkin sauce topped with some parmesan cheese

Servings: 6

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 25

A luxurious and savory pumpkin pasta sauce made with simple ingredients that's ready in 10 minutes.

4.97 from 28 votes

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Ingredients

16 ounces penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup reserved pasta water
1 ½ cups half and half or whole milk*, or a mix of both
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, optional
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, more for serving

Instructions

Cook the pasta:

Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserve 1 cup pasta water, drain, and set aside.

Make the sauce:

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the pumpkin puree and half of the reserved pasta water. Whisk until a smooth paste forms.
Add the half and half, nutmeg (if using), and salt to the sauce and bring it to a simmer, while stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for 5 minutes to thicken it. Add in the grated Parmesan and whisk until the cheese is dissolved.

Combine:

Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more of the pasta water. Serve it topped with additional parmesan cheese.

Notes

I like to combine 1 cup half-and-half with ½ cup whole milk when making this sauce. Using only half a half yields a richer and thicker sauce, which may require additional pasta water to coat the pasta evenly. Using only milk tends to yield a runnier/thinner sauce. However, know that there's no right or wrong way of doing it; it just depends on how thick and creamy you like your pasta sauce.

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