Pumpkin Pasta Bake Recipe
Warm, comforting, and bursting with flavor, this Pumpkin Pasta Bake is the perfect cozy dish to try for your next dinner—creamy, cheesy, and irresistibly satisfying!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dry pasta such as mezzi rigatoni, shells, ziti, fusilli, or farfalle
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh sage leaves divided
- 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 oz. cremini baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 to 4 handfuls fresh baby spinach
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15-oz. can pumpkin purée
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups grated fontina cheese divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook the pasta until 2 minutes shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add walnuts and 1 tbsp. sage; cook for 5 minutes until toasted. Season with salt and transfer to a bowl.
- Return the pan to medium heat, add olive oil, mushrooms, and onion. Cook until soft, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the paste caramelizes. Gradually add spinach, stirring until wilted. Add oregano, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and remaining 2 tsp. sage.
- Pour in vegetable broth, scraping any browned bits. Add pumpkin purée, Parmesan, and 1/2 cup fontina cheese. Stir until smooth. Add pasta and coat well.
- Transfer the mixture to a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle remaining fontina cheese and the walnut-sage mixture on top. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes at 375ºF. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.
Notes
Notes:
For a crispy topping, broil the dish for a few minutes after baking.
For a crispy topping, broil the dish for a few minutes after baking.