Pumpkin Baked Pasta with Sausage

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Easy Pumpkin Baked Pasta with Sausage is a fun spin on a classic! Canned pumpkin puree pairs with the sausage and sage to create an easy fall dinner. Best part? This baked pasta can be baked in the same skillet that you make the pumpkin sauce.

Why I love it:

Ready in under an hour
Pumpkin Recipe - When fall rolls around I love any recipe that lets me use some pumpkin!
Filling and Flavorful - The combination of pasta in a meat sauce is so filling! If you don't have pumpkin, try this Rigatoni al Forno (baked rigatoni) recipe.

Ingredients You'll Need for Pumpkin Baked Pasta:

Grab a can of pumpkin and some other staple ingredients to make this baked pumpkin pasta recipe.

Pasta - I like using ziti or rigatoni noodles, but you could use another short noodle like penne or fusilli
Onion and Garlic
Olive Oil - or other cooking oil like canola or avocado oil
Spices: Ground Nutmeg, Red Pepper Flakes, Salt, Pepper
Canned Pumpkin Puree
Sweet Italian Sausage - You can use a spicier sausage, if you prefer. I like how the sweeter variety pairs with the pumpkin.
Fresh Sage
Vegetable Broth or Stock
Grated Parmesan Cheese

How To Make:

Prep - Start by preheating the oven and getting a pot of water boiling for the pasta.
Cook Sausage and Onion - Heat a large (12-inch) oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Add the sausage and diced onion. Cook until the sausage is browned and the onions are soft.
Cook the Pasta - While the sausage is cooking, cook the pasta according to the box directions until al dente.
Finish Sauce - Lower the heat and add the garlic and spices, cook until fragrant then add the stock, scraping bits from the bottom, and add the pumpkin. Stir until the sauce is combined and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in about ½ cup of the parmesan cheese and allow the sauce to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Bake - Turn off the heat and gently fold in the cooked pasta to the sauce. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese. Bake in the preheated oven until bubbly.
Serve - Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with extra chopped sage and parmesan cheese.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does pumpkin pasta taste like?

Canned pumpkin puree on its own is very mild in taste, so it's great to take on the other flavors that you add to the pasta sauce.

Should pasta be cooked before the pasta bake?

Yes, in most pasta bake recipes you will cook the pasta first. It's important to cook the pasta just until al dente (or even a little under) so it doesn't overcook in the oven.

Can you prep a pasta bake the day before?

Yes, you can prep it in advance! Follow the recipe as follow, but before baking allow to cool and store in the fridge, covered. I like to remove it from the fridge while the oven preheats.

close up of pumpkin baked pasta with sausage

Recipe Tips

Use an Oven Safe Skillet: I like to make this recipe in a large (12-inch) cast iron skillet. Then you can make the pumpkin pasta sauce in the same skillet that you bake the recipe. If your skillet isn't big enough to toss in the pasta, then you can transfer to a baking dish.
Cheese Optional - If you want to make this dairy-free, you can omit the cheese. OR if you love cheese, then you can add more to both the sauce and on top. I love the pairing of parmesan but you can swap in another shredded cheese - mozzarella is another good choice.

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating:

Storage - Leftover baked pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze - For longer storage, you can freeze the pasta tightly covered, for up to 3 months.
Reheating - Refrigerated leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or in the oven until warmed. The frozen leftovers can be reheated in the oven from frozen or thawed.

Other Pumpkin Recipes:

Pick up an extra can or two of pumpkin? Here are some of my favorite fall recipes using pumpkin:

Pumpkin Mac and Cheese - It’s creamy, family-friendly, easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes. Instructions for both stovetop and Instant Pot!
Pumpkin Streusel Bread - This pumpkin bread is moist, dense, and topped with a crispy streusel crumb topping that uses pumpkin pie spice. This recipe is easy to mix up (no electric mixer needed) and the perfect breakfast or afternoon treat in the Fall.
Soft Pumpkin Snickerdoodles - Chewy, a mild pumpkin flavor from the puree, and extra Fall feels from the pumpkin pie spice. The dough balls are rolled in cinnamon sugar like your classic snickerdoodle.
Homemade Pumpkin Peanut Butter Dog Treats - Don't forget about your furry friend! All you need is peanut butter, pumpkin, whole wheat flour, and eggs.

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Recipe

Pumpkin Baked Ziti

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

Author: Kathleen
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Category: Main, Pasta
Method: One-Pot, Oven, Stove
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

12 ounces ziti or rigatoni Pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 small yellow or white onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 sage leaves, chopped
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1.5 cups vegetable stock or broth
15oz can pumpkin puree
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided

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Instructions

Prep - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and boil a pot of water to cook the pasta.
Cook Sausage and Onion - Heat a large (12-inch) oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Add the sausage and diced onion. Cook, while crumbling the sausage, until the sausage is browned and the onions are soft.
Cook the Pasta - While the sausage is cooking, cook the pasta according to the box directions until al dente.
Finish Sauce - Lower the heat of the skillet to medium-low and add the garlic and spices. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the vegetable stock, scraping any bits off the bottom, then add the pumpkin puree. Stir until the sauce is combined and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in about ½ cup of the parmesan cheese and allow the sauce to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Bake - Turn off the heat and gently fold in the cooked pasta to the sauce. If your skillet isn't big enough you can transfer to a baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining ¼ cup of cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until bubbly.
Serve - Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with extra chopped sage and parmesan cheese, if desired.