Description
Brown Butter Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta is a creamy, cozy fall dish that blends nutty browned butter, pumpkin purée, warm spices, and parmesan cheese into a rich and comforting sauce. Perfect for Halloween night or any chilly evening, it’s a quick and elegant dinner that’s ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni or other short pasta
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 1 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- In a large, light-colored skillet or saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 4–5 minutes.
- Add garlic and chopped sage to the brown butter and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in pumpkin purée, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cardamom. Mix well.
- Pour in the heavy cream and simmer the sauce for 2–3 minutes until it begins to thicken.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce along with parmesan cheese and ½ cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir until creamy, adding more water as needed.
- Serve hot, topped with additional parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Add red pepper flakes with garlic for a spicy version.
- Use dairy-free butter and cream for a vegan variation.
- Sautéed mushrooms, kale, or spinach make great add-ins.
- Leftovers can be turned into baked pasta with extra cheese on top.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 390mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
