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This cozy bowl of Sage Brown Butter Pumpkin Pasta Alfredo is becoming one of our favorite fall pasta dishes. I took a classic pasta recipe and updated it with a rich and creamy pumpkin sauce, golden brown butter, and fried sage leaves. Every twirl of creamy pasta has delicious fall flavors that melt in your mouth. It’s the coziest, creamiest Alfredo that comes together in under 30 minutes. Great for busy autumn nights.
Remember yesterday how I said I was hoping the snow would hold out a few more weeks? Well, we got snow. Not much, but I saw some white this morning and I can confirm, I am not ready.
I want these autumn colors to last, but sadly our fall is quickly coming to an end. I knew the day was coming, but it still doesn’t mean I am ready for it. Of course, with the colder temperatures, I crave cozier foods. Fall foods, which we all know are my favorite to create.
I’ve been dying to share this recipe for a while. It’s a dish I knew I wanted to make this year. I’ve thought about it in years past, but with limited days in the fall, I’d always run out of time.
Not this season. October is here and I am embracing every last fall-themed recipe I can cram in. Starting with a staple, a pumpkin pasta recipe.
Here are the quick details
Start with pasta. Use classic fettuccine or something of a similar cut for this. I wanted something long, but fun. I found this Manfredi Lunghi Pasta on Amazon and bought 6 packages. The squiggly edges reminded me of a skinny lasagna noodle and I just couldn’t resist buying them. I knew I would use them for this pumpkin Alfredo.
While the pasta water is coming to a boil, start and finish the recipe. Just like a classic alfredo sauce, this is really simple.
The sauce is a quick mix of butter browned with fresh sage leaves, garlic, canned pumpkin, and then a splash of cider. The cider adds a sweetness that balances out the richness in the sauce. I know it sounds odd, but you have to take my word here, the cider makes the sauce special.
Once you have the cider and pumpkin in the pan, simmer everything down to intensify the flavor, then add milk or cream, parmesan cheese, and creamy, nutty gouda cheese. Of course, gouda cheese is not traditional, but I found it to be really delicious with the pumpkin.
If you want to make this a little lighter on the dairy, use canned coconut milk. It will be just as creamy, if not creamier, but uses less cow dairy if that’s a concern.
Add the pasta to the sauce, and toss! As you add the pasta to the sauce, it will immediately begin to thicken and become very creamy. Let the pasta cook in the sauce for a minute or two, then serve immediately.
I top with the fried sage leaves and a fresh grate of parmesan.
The sauce is creamy with warming notes of pumpkin and sage, and nuttiness from the golden brown butter. It’s my favorite combo.
Perfect for chillier nights or when you need to throw together a quick dinner!
Looking for other fall pasta recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Lemon Pepper Cajun Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
4 Cheese Roasted Garlic Alfredo Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
Brown Butter Pumpkin Tortellini Alla Vodka
Butternut Squash Pasta Carbonara with Rosemary Bacon
Browned Sage Butter Chicken Piccata with Mushroom Pasta
Slow Cooker Saucy Sunday Bolognese Pasta
Lastly, if you make this Sage Brown Butter Pumpkin Pasta Alfredo be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Sage Brown Butter Pumpkin Pasta Alfredo
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 419 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves plus 2 teaspoon chopped sage
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- chili flakes
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 1/3 cup apple cider
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 1/2 cup shredded gouda cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- 1 pound fettuccine or similar cut of pasta
Instructions
- 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain.2. Melt together the butter and sage leaves in a large skillet set over medium heat. Cook until the butter is browning and the sage is crisp, 4 minutes. Remove the sage leaves from the butter. 2. Reduce the heat to low, add the remaining chopped sage, the garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes. Cook 1 minute, then stir in the pumpkin and apple cider. Simmer 2-3 minutes, until thickened slightly. Slowly whisk in the milk, whisk until smooth. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook 5 minutes, until thickened slightly. Stir in the parmesan, gouda, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. 4. Toss in the pasta and cook 3-5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Divide the pasta between plates and top with crispy sage. Eat and enjoy immediately.
Notes
This post was originally published on October 3, 2022
Lovely flavours, but if you’re using scraped fresh pumpkin like I was post Halloween don’t make the same mistake I did and substitute it like for like straight into the saucepan, it needs roasted in oil first at a high her to get the liquid out. My pasta was watery rather than creamy as a result
Hi Mary,
Thanks a bunch for making this dish and your feedback, I’m so glad to hear it was enjoyed!
This is one of the best pasta dishes ever!! We made it with the malfadine pasta, coconut milk + added grilled chicken… and it was sooo fantastic!! Definitely make again and thank you!!
Hey Jess,
Happy Monday! I’m thrilled to hear this recipe turned out well for you!
Thanks for making it and your comment:)
Omg the flavors!!! I added zucchini, mushroom, and bell pepper for some veg. The sauce.. 10/10!!
Hi Liz,
Love to hear this! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your feedback! Happy Fall!
Yeah and I did a few substitutions. Used dried sage instead of fresh sage leaves, used chicken broth instead of apple cider, and I used one cup heavy whipping cream and one cup 2% milk. I shredded my own Gouda but I then I used the powdery Parmesan. All of this worked really well for me so I think the recipe is still great.
Hey Anne,
Happy Monday! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it turned out well!
A perfect pasta recipe. It’s so quick and simple. Few ingredients and still so delicious. You hardly taste the pumpkin yet it provides the pasta with such a great texture.
Hey Anne,
Happy Monday! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it turned out well!
This recipe is SO GOOD! It was a hit at cook book club and my husband said it’s his favorite pasta I’ve ever made.
Hey Alivia,
Yay!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad it was enjoyed! Have the best fall weekend!
I’ve made this in the past and can’t remember what I substituted for apple cide (which obviously isn’t your problem). Is there a substitute for apple cider you would most recommend? My stores run out super fast this time of year so it can sometimes be hard to come by.
Hi there,
You can just use broth in place of the apple cider. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Same issues as everyone else. Milk separated, very grainy sauce.
Very sorry to hear this, thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your feedback.
Would definitely recommend making this recipe with heavy cream and NOT milk! Do half heavy cream and half pasta water instead and it won’t separate / will be extra creamy
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Emily!
The other thing you could do to fix the milk issue is to sprinkle flour over the cooked down pumpkin and butter, stir it, and then whisk in your milk for an creamy bechamel like texture
I was thinking of trying with adding flour to the butter with the sage and garlic. Do you think it would be a different outcome than your suggestion of adding it to the pumpkin mixture?
I think that would be just fine for you to do!
I made this last night, it was SO GOOD!!! Made it once before and my sauce split too but I didn’t care because it still tasted great and it’s just for my family at home. This time before I started any of the steps I got the milk and cheese out to let them sit/warm up on the counter while I prepared all other ingredients and started cooking, when it was time I poured the milk slowly, gently whisking the whole time, and no split! I thought it might split when I added the cheese because I forgot to be slow and just kinda dumped it all in at once (oops) but it was fine, still no separation. I also added like 2ish cups of shredded rotisserie chicken at the end with the pasta and it was an excellent addition! love this recipe 🙂
Hey Tori,
Thank you so much! I’m so glad this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for your comment! Thanks for your notes on what worked well for you:) xT
Girl, I always freaking love your recipes. And this is very very tasty. I read and followed to a T and also read everyone’s reviews and advice. Super slow addition of milk and cheese. I could tell it was getting funky when I added the milk slowly and it looked grainy. I’m wondering if heavy cream is the answer? The flavor is bomb but I certainly got that separated sauce. Ugh.
Hey Brandie,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and so many others! Ahhh so sorry about the sauce! Was your milk room temp? You could try heating it first next time to see if that helps, or definitely could try heavy cream! Let me know if those work:) xT