This simple, creamy, pumpkin pasta sauce is rich and comforting with notes of fall, making it an easy and delicious weeknight meal. Topped over homemade pasta with sausage meatballs, this hearty sauce is perfect for fall.

creamy pumpkin sauce tossed into spaghetti. Four meatballs nestled in the pasta and topped with cheese and fresh basil.

Fall is upon us! And one of my favorite things about fall is… the pumpkins! I love coming up with new ideas on how to utilize this very underappreciated vegetable (although, if you are a botanist, you would probably call it a fruit).

This year, I only planted one variety of pumpkin – the Jarrahdale pumpkin. It is my favorite for culinary purposes, but also the beautiful, sage green, matte skin makes it perfect for fall home decor.

Since we have so many coming out of the garden right now, Iโ€™ve been making pumpkin puree and using it in recipes. It is much easier than you think. All you need is an instant pot and a blender (or immersion blender).

I use pumpkin in so many foods: fromย soup andย chili,ย to lattes andย cobblers; so after I made someย sourdough pizza with cream sauce, a creamy pumpkin sauce sounded delicious.

I’ve played around with it a bit, and now this recipe is perfect for fall, and might become your new favorite pasta dish. The touch of cinnamon with the flavors of pumpkin, garlic, and cheese is irresistible.

Pair it with some fresh einkorn pasta and sausage meatballs, and your family will be begging for seconds. 

For busy nights, you can also keep some packaged pasta on hand (I like Jovial einkorn pasta, or you can even use a gluten-free spaghetti).ย Or make this sauce ahead of time and keep it stored in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Mix before adding to warm pasta.

Couldn’t be easier or more delicious.

a cast iron skillet with spaghetti topped in pumpkin pasta sauce with fresh basil leaves on top

Tips For Making Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

  • An immersion blender makes this sauce super smooth and creamy. If you donโ€™t have one, you can also use a whisk.
  • I used homemade pumpkin puree (find the tutorial here), but you can easily use canned, store-bought pumpkin.
  • The cinnamon adds such lovely and subtle warm notes to this recipe. You could also add a touch of fresh nutmeg, as it pairs well with creamy sauces and adds another layer of warmth to the dish.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

creamy pumpkin pasta sauce with spaghetti noodles mixed in in a cast iron skillet and garnished with basil. The skillet is placed on a white and gray quartz countertop

What cheese goes best with pumpkin?

For this recipe, I loved pairing the tanginess of fresh parmesan cheese with pumpkin. For other recipes, pumpkin also pairs well with goat cheese, mozzarella, and sharp cheddar. 

fork twirling pumpkin pasta on a white plate
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What goes well with pumpkin pasta sauce?

The sweet and savory flavors of this pumpkin pasta sauce pair exceptionally well with sausage meatballs.

Pasta: You can easily serve this sauce with a variety of different pastas.

Serve with a salad or a side of roasted veggies.

Crusty sourdough bread

Roasted chicken

Garlic butter pork chops

close up picture of spaghetti with creamy pumpkin sauce topped with cheese and garnished with basil in a cast iron skillet

What type of pasta can I use?

You can technically use whatever pasta you have on hand. Usually, I pour it over homemade einkorn pasta, but make it your own! Use spaghetti, shells, macaroni, or even tortellini.

This recipe would also be amazing with ravioli to make it a pumpkin ravioli sauce.

Can I make this gluten-free?

Yes! This pasta sauce recipe is naturally gluten-free, so pair it with gluten-free pasta and gluten-free meatballs.

tongs picking up spaghetti noodles  out of a cast iron skillet with basil

Tools you may need:

Dutch oven or large pot

Immersion blender

Measuring cups

Grater

two plates of spaghetti with pumpkin pasta sauce topped with cheese and basil on a white countertop

How To Make Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

In a pot, add cream cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, heavy cream, pumpkin, and spice. Place over medium heat.

Heat until all the ingredients have melted, stirring occasionally.

pumpkin pasta sauce in a copped pot with a wooden spoon scooping out the sauce and allowing it to drip back into the pan

Blend with immersion blender (you can also use a whisk or blender) until smooth.

Toss with einkorn pasta cooked al dente and serve with sausage meatballs, plus a little more freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Find more delicious from-scratch recipes:

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Thank you!

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

4.53 from 46 votes
This simple and creamy pumpkin pasta sauce is rich and comforting with notes of fall, making it an easy and delicious weeknight meal.

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
creamy pumpkin pasta sauce with spaghetti noodles mixed in in a cast iron skillet and garnished with basil. The skillet is placed on a white and gray quartz countertop
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Ingredients 

  • 1 package cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • several grindings of fresh black pepper
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree

Instructions 

  • In a pot, add cream cheese, parmesan cheese, garlic, heavy cream, milk, pumpkin, and spice. Place over medium heat.
  • Heat until all the ingredients have melted, stirring occasionally.
  • Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
  • Toss with pasta and serve with sausage meatballs.
  • Top with a little more freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Notes

An immersion blender makes this sauce super smooth and creamy. If you donโ€™t have one, you can also use a whisk.
I used homemade pumpkin puree, but you can easily use canned, store-bought pumpkin.
The cinnamon adds such lovely and subtle warm notes to this recipe. You could also add a touch of fresh nutmeg, as it pairs well with creamy sauces and adds another layer of warmth to the dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 566mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7241IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 149mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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18 Comments

  1. Carolyn Cantrell says:

    This was profoundly delicious!
    Iโ€™ve admired this recipe from afar for two years I think, but I am not a big pasta person, so I havenโ€™t made it.
    I decided to enjoy it over spaghetti squash beside smoked meatballs (heavy Italian sausage content) and this meal is incredible!
    Thanks for all you do, Lisa! You keep my family fed in delicious nutritious ways! โค๏ธ

    1. Lisa says:

      Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!

  2. Hรฉlรจne says:

    To make a recip that uses the whole can of pumpkin, simply multiply it all by 1.5. The can holds half again as much pumpkin as the 1c called for.
    Simple!
    I always adjust recipes to use whole packages for the pkgd things I use. No waste then. Pasta however will keep just fine.
    Pumpkin lattes in the morning tho may make stick to the original recipe and snarf the extra 1/2c for the next morning or 2!

  3. Lindsay says:

    I made this tonight & I LOVED it!! Thank you!!

  4. Renae Morgan says:

    Can this be frozen?

  5. Lauren says:

    I was wondering what kind of ground sausage you use? Is it Italian? I’m super excited to make this for dinner this week! Thanks!

  6. Margaret says:

    Hi ๐Ÿ˜Š. What size/weight is the cream cheese please?

    1. Hรฉlรจne says:

      If u watch her vid making this, itโ€™s 8oz

  7. Lisa Moran says:

    Hi, I love your blog/youtube channel. My favorite ones are the what we eat videos :0) I only found you a couple weeks ago and am having to pace myself going thru your videos, haha.
    Quick question about sourdough starter. Twice I have started it in a large mason jar, gotten to day 7 with everything going fine, only to find mold around the inside top rim of the jar. Very discouraging. I have a large bowl of veggie scraps/coffee grinds on another countertop and it sits out daily–could mold from that be transferring to the sourdough jar? I want to start another one but want to wait until I can figure out what’s going wrong. Thank you so much for any advice you can offer. Have a great day!

    1. Margaret says:

      It might help to wipe out the inside of the jar ( after youโ€™ve fed your starter)to keep it as clean and starter free as possible. I use a silicone spatula to scrape down the jar and then use a damp piece of paper towel to wipe around to keep it clear. Hope this helps ๐Ÿ˜Š