Occasionally, I live in a Disney fantasyland where candlesticks come to life and orchestrate the cleaning of my kitchen and Prince Charming actually texts me back.
In reality, dishes are piling up in the sink and my phone is all too quiet. On the bright side, even though this pumpkin didn’t magically transform into a carriage, it did turn into the tastiest alfredo of my life. Alfredo sounds like he could be a charming character, doesn’t he?
Technically, this is an abstract alfredo since it’s not loaded with butter and Parmesan like traditional alfredo sauce. Instead, it’s made creamy with pumpkin purée and seasoned with rosemary, red pepper and tangy goat cheese. It’s precisely what I’ve been craving in this chilly weather, especially after what’s-his-name didn’t holler back. Alfredo it is.
Last weekend, a guy teased me for using canned pumpkin purée instead of homemade in my pumpkin bread, so I went to the trouble of making my own for this recipe. Was it worth it? I’m not entirely convinced it was. The homemade purée not only took so long that I ran out of daylight to take photos of the finished pasta (grumble), but also has a higher moisture content than the organic canned stuff. Therefore, I’m not sure I would trust it for baking.
In terms of flavor, pumpkin purée really doesn’t have much of it—whether canned or homemade, it’s not that great until you spice it up and add a dash of salt. Conclusion? Make your own if you’re so inclined but feel free to crank open a can instead. I won’t judge.
Pumpkin Fettuccine Alfredo
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Fettuccine tossed with a creamy and comforting, alfredo-like pumpkin sauce, rosemary, Parmesan and spices. You can make your own pumpkin purée (see notes for instructions) or, for a quick meal, use canned pumpkin purée. It’s great both ways! Recipe serves two generously or three to four with sides.
Ingredients
- ½ pound (8 ounces) whole wheat* fettuccine or linguine
- 1 generous tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon flour of choice (whole wheat, all purpose, or gluten-free all-purpose blend will work)
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary, plus more for sprinkling on top (a 3-inch sprig of rosemary should do it)
- 2 cups low-fat milk
- 3 to 4 ounces goat cheese, cut into big chunks
- 1 cup pumpkin puree**
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Shaved Parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente (consult directions on package). Drain and set aside.
- Heat a 10 to 12-inch saucepan over medium heat and add butter. Once sizzling, whisk in flour and stir to create a roux, until bubbly and golden, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add in milk, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Stir constantly and increase the heat a little bit, if necessary, until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add in goat cheese, pumpkin, cinnamon, salt and pepper, whisking until smooth and thickened into a sauce. Season generously with additional salt (don’t be shy) and pepper to taste. Add cooked pasta to pan and toss to combine. Remove from heat and serve immediately; top each serving with a sprinkle of finely chopped rosemary (necessary), red pepper flakes (optional, if you like spice like me) and Parmesan shavings.
- Leftovers will keep well for up to 4 days. Gently reheat leftovers with a splash of milk.
Notes
Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is.
*Whole wheat note: Whole wheat noodles work particularly well here because they retain more of a bite and lend texture to a dish that might otherwise end up mushy. I used Mara’s Pasta fettuccine, which I like, but any brand will do.
If you don’t like goat cheese: Let me first say that I don’t understand you even though I used to be one of you… but I still love you. Try substituting mascarpone cheese or cream cheese or any melty cheese (fontina would be good) for the goat cheese.
**To make your own pumpkin puree: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut off the top-most part of the pumpkin where it meets the stem. Slice the pumpkin into two, from the top through the bottom. Use a large metal spoon to scoop out the seeds, reserving them for roasted pumpkin seeds if you’d like. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush the flesh of the pumpkin halves with a light coating of olive oil and place facedown on the baking sheet. Roast until the skin is easily pierced with a fork, about 45 to 55 minutes. Turn the halves over and let them rest until cool enough to handle. Use a large spoon to scoop the flesh into a food processor or high-powered blender (I found that I could just pull the skin off). Blend well. Measure out one cup for this recipe. Once the rest has cooled down, store it in the fridge, covered, for a few days or in an air-tight bag in the freezer for up to a few months.
Make it gluten free: Substitute a sturdy gluten-free noodle, such as a corn and quinoa blend. Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Jenna
Love that you were so blunt about the homemade pumpkin puree. Some people think that is the only way to go because it is truly from scratch. Some things are just not worth the hassle though.
Katrina
This sounds soooo good! Love this idea!
Kim
This sounds and looks amazing! I was wondering what camera and lens you are working with to shoot these lovely images?
Kate
Thank you, Kim! I used my trusty five-year-old Nikon D80 and Nikon’s 35mm f1.8 DX lens. Nothing too fancy.
Kristi@MSFK
I have been on such a pumpkin kick lately! I haven’t seen a recipe for fettuccine alfredo using pumpkin, that sounds (and looks!) soo good.
Cassie
I love pumpkin for a pasta sauce and the goat cheese is fabulous! Love this.
hayley
Looks delicious!
Most experts agree that since canned pumpkin is almost as good or equally as good as making it yourself, but SO much easier, the fresh stuff isn’t worth it, especially for baking as you said. (I once made pumpkin cheesecake with it – took me forever!)
gracie
Pumpkin cheesecake – oh my!
Kate
Speaking of pumpkin cheesecake, I just saw a recipe for it in Smitten Kitchen’s new cookbook. I think I will have to make it for Thanksgiving!
Inge
Oh, this sounds so good! Right up my alley. Thanks for sharing this recipe! :-)
And yes, thanks for saying that canned pumpkin is ok to use. It just makes things so much easier and I don’t think there’s much of a taste difference to bother with the hassle of making it from scratch.
Laura
Sometimes festering over a homemade pumpkin puree is so not worth it, unless you have an exceptional variety of pumpkin available, which seems to be rare in my area.
Wait, isn’t that a metaphor for dating?! I could defend canned varieties, but the comparison might go off the rails I think…
Anyway!, I love that you made an inherently orange-y-beige food look so tasty without an arbitrary sprinkle of something green too (I’m so guilty of this).
Kate
Ha! Thanks, Laura. I knew someone would appreciate the metaphor… shoulda known it would be you. Thanks for the photo compliment, too. Photographing this dish was a challenge.
sweet road
This makes me want pasta so much.
Whitney Young
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it.
Kathryn
This sounds like the perfect bowl of creamy and nourishing pasta; just the right thing for cold and dark evenings. Love this.
Ali | Gimme Some Ove
Mmmm, this looks so comforting! And bravo on the homemade pumpkin puree. But I’m totally with you on your conclusion!
Ashley
I’m 100% sure of two things, my dear:
1) any dude who doesn’t call YOU back is a wacko.
2) I need to come over for dinner soon – this pasta is to die for!
Kate
Right?! Obviously he never had my banana pancakes. Come visit!
Sue in RI
Your photos always make my mouth water, and your recipes are responsible for converting my husband to at least the occasional meatless meal, so thanks big-time! I agree with Ashley about nos. 1 AND 2! As for pumpkin puree, I made it from scratch (and saved and toasted the seeds) just once many years ago and quickly relegated that idea to the not-worth-it pile. But, having said that, I wonder how this recipe might be with another winter squash puree, like Butternut or Acorn? Perhaps a little sweeter, but it works so well in ravioli, why not here? In that case, I might sub sage for the rosemary. Hmmmm…
WonderBunny
Sue in RI, I was wondering about the same thing with another winter squash. I have a nice sweet buttercup squash that is already cooked and just needs pureed in my fridge so I might give that a go.
gracie
I made a similar pasta dish with creamy butternut squash and it was overly sweet to my taste. But I roasted the butternut squash first so it was extra sweet I suppose.
Kate
I say, go for it! The butternut will be sweeter than the pumpkin so you might add a little extra spice or salt so it doesn’t overwhelm.
Kate
Hey Sue, I think butternut and sage would be great substitutions! The end result will be sweeter, so you might want to go a little heavier on the spices and salt to cut that. I am not the biggest fan of acorn (too earthy) but if you try it, please let us know how it turns out!
Charlotte
Hi Kate. This recipe sounds great…I wanted to tell you. I make my own puree (sometimes) in a pretty painless way. I roast the pumpkin. It works great, and is easy. The puree has a perfect compactness and not a bit of that irritating watery-stuff. I don’t mean to flog my own blog, but I describe it here…coupled with another really nice recipe I modified from the Smitten Kitchen. http://thedailycure.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/when-food-home/
Kate
Pumpkin and sour cream pudding sounds amazing! I may not have picked the best variety of pumpkin for puréeing, so I think I’ll try again.
Charlotte
Good luck…love your upcoming post on the Chile Trail by the way, thanks for helping us out! ; ) and thanks too for this blog. I really love it. So fresh and appealing. I wanna try it all!
Valerie
This is seriously making my mouth water just reading it. I will give it a try very soon….yummy!
Ala
Is fictional Prince Charming texting you back under imagined circumstances as well? Knew he was a player. Glad you’re having a ball of it with Alfredo, though! (Although it’s probably best that we don’t get Charming–case in point being http://www.cracked.com/article_16905_7-classic-disney-movies-that-taught-us-terrible-lessons.html)
Kate
No, no texts from Prince Charming yet. That article made me smile. It’s time to give up this fairy tale charade! Thanks for sharing!
Christina
Cheers for the recipe. I realised last minute I didn’t have fettuccine, so stir fried some vegetables and tossed them through the sauce instead – and it was wonderful!! Love the rosemary with the pumpkin. You’re totally right about not being shy with salt and pepper. Great photos too, as usual :)
Kate
I love the idea of adding vegetables to this dish. Less carbs, more flavor… good thinking.
Joanne
Canned pumpkin is much more reliable than any boy, I’ll tell you that much. Especially in alfredo sauce form. SWOON.
Kate
Hear, hear!
Katherine Sacks
This sounds like a delicious alternative to traditional alfredo. I can’t get enough of squash right now, so I’ll have to make a batch!
WonderBunny
This looks awesome! I’m going to have to try this out.
Eileen
Yes please! Pumpkin, cream, and pasta sound like the best dinner on a chilly fall night.
gracie
I wish you were my flatmate! :D
Kate
I wish I had someone around to help me eat all this food! :)
Carey Morgan
So how are you dealing with the light situation? Especially now that daylight savings is here, I’m really struggling. Do you use external lights?
Kate
Daylight savings is the worst! Ug! I’m fortunate that I work from home, so I try to take advantage of the late afternoon light for photo shoots. Proper timing can be so frustrating. I’m not sure I will ever invest in external lights because I really prefer natural lighting, but it sure is frustrating when the sun goes down early.
Jackeline
Made this for dinner yesterday night and it was absolutely scrumptious! In fact, my mom loved it so much, she wants me to make it for Thanksgiving!
Kate
That’s terrific, Jackeline! Thanks for your feedback. I’m so glad you all enjoyed it. I’d be happy to eat this on Thanksgiving, that’s for sure!
Erin @ The Speckled
Very good to know about the homemade pumpkin puree. I got a sugar pumpkin (I think that’s what they called it) from our CSA last week, and this looks like that I need to make with it, especially since I need to roast it.
This looks like the perfect chilly weather snack! Thanks for sharing, Kate!
Kate
Well, apparently my pumpkin might not have been a sugar pumpkin after all, so yours may make great purée!
Ms. Morgan Leigh
Cooks Illustrated did Pumpkin Bread a month or so ago and addressed the canned versus fresh pumpkin quandary. They determined that the canned pumpkin tends to have a metallic tang to it that they found unsavory. However they also debated whether the roasting of the pumpkin in the oven is what makes the fresh so much better than the can. To test they cooked the canned pumpkin before they added it to their pumpkin bread. The result was that it vastly improved the canned taste making the difference between fresh and can pumpkin negligible. I didn’t follow their recipe last time I made pumpkin bread but I did cook the pumpkin and the bread (your recipe, I believe) turned out fantastic. In the past I always roasted pumpkin myself but I doubt I’ll mess with it now that I’ve learned this trick.
Kate
That is a great trick! Thanks for sharing, Morgan. How did you cook the canned pumpkin?
Ms. Morgan Leigh
I mixed the pumpkin, spices, and salt and then cooked it in a saucepan over medium heat. It reduces the pumpkin a bit so I just cooked more pumpkin than the recipe called for and measured it post cooking.
Kate
Interesting! I’ll try to remember to try that next time I use canned pumpkin. Thank you for getting back to me on that!
Stef
Love the slew of pumpkin recipes I find here for these cool autumn nights. Thanks for the inspiration, Kate!
★★★★★
Heidi @foodiecrush
Oh man, Alfredo can waltz me around anytime. Seriously, love the goat cheese and pumpkin idea, smarter and healthier, of course. I’m all for creating your own roasted pumpkin and squash but I see what you mean for baking, besides I need something to be easy.
Bev @ Bev Cooks
OMG I just seriously died. I LOVE THIS.
Andrea Clarke
Hi, I’ve been reading your blog for years and I’ve never commented before. Love your recipes! Great inspiration. I’ve tried many of them! I have no problem with you using canned pumpkin but I just wanted to let you know the reason you had such a high moisture content from the one you used is because that was not a cooking pumpkin. I have not really seen cooking pumpkins for sale in grocery stores. I grow my own and they don’t compare. You would never use one for carving because the flesh is very thick and when you cook it, it is much more dense and firm. Probably what they use for canned pumpkin…. ;-) You might have better luck with a similar winter squash like a Queensland Blue or a Butternut squash.
Kate
Thanks for commenting, Andrea! I’m glad to know you’re out there. I bought that pumpkin at a health store that carries local produce and checked with the girl at the counter to make sure it was a pie pumpkin like the sign said… apparently she was wrong! I’ll keep an eye out for a Queensland Blue at the farmers’ market. :)
Kasey
This sounds absolutely out-of-this-world amazing. I love most things pumpkin and especially adore it when it’s paired with some carby goodness. What a creative twist! What’s-his-name isn’t worth worrying about ;) He’s clearly missing out!
Kare @ Kitchen Treat
Oh, yum. I’ve been dreaming about a pumpkin fettucine alfredo for awhile now. Love that yours has rosemary and goat cheese. Whimper!
Nicole
This sounds amazing!! I made my own pumpkin purée last year and definitely agree with you. The extra moisture can be disastrous in some recipes and oh man is the daylight precious these days. Can’t wait to try this!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
I can’t even count all the ways I love this pasta dish – it’s perfection!
Allie
Has anyone tried making this with soy milk or almond milk? Can’t wait to try it! Thanks, Kate!
Kate
Sorry Allie, I don’t know that anyone has. If you try it, please let us know! I think it would work. You could also substitute olive oil for the butter if you want an healthier, vegan alternative.
Cassy
Hi! I know this comment is a little late, but I just made this tonight using olive oil instead of butter and unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead of milk. I made this recipe as is before, but being lactose intolerant I figured I would try and save on a little GI upset. I honestly thought it turned out AMAZING! I hardly noticed a difference and love it!
★★★★★
Sarah@StrawberryPlum
Wow…I just made a tart with almost the same flavor profile! Pumpkin and goat cheese custard with candied rosemary hazelnuts. It was good combination for dessert as I imagine it would be for pasta, as well. And I agree with you about the pumpkin- fresh is more trouble than it’s worth.
Kate
Goodness, that tart sounds phenomenal. If you enjoy those flavors together, no doubt you would love this pasta dish!
kaela
In my experience, the trick with homemade pumpkin puree is to strain the pumpkin juice out after you puree the flesh (let it drain for a few hours in a jelly bag or cheesecloth-lined colander). Makes the resulting puree as dense as the commercial variety, yet with a fresher flavor and brighter orange color. And you get bonus pumpkin juice, with is great for thickening up risotto or adding flavor to soup or stew.
sarah
Mmm, this sounds crazy good. I love pumpkin and goat cheese. {and I agree with you about the whole pumpkin debate}
Also, thanks for making me laugh. ;) Alfredo it is.
Petra
Just made this for dinner tonight. Perfect for this time of year. I love pasta & I love pumpkin so I had to try it. This was both delicious and easy!! I will be making this again. Thank you for a great, easy Fall recipe!
★★★★★
Sasha
I made this for dinner the other night since my friend and i were both craving comfort food. it was amazing. we both loved it. absolutely perfect and warming for the chilly nights.
★★★★★
Foodess
This sounds friggin’ DELICIOUS! On the to-make list…
P.S. I don’t know why it took me so long to come visit… but I’m so glad I did – I love your site!! I want to eat it all!!!
tracy
This looks way better than old what’s-his-name.
nicolette
This is making my mouth water- yumminess! My husband despises goat cheese- do you have any suggestions for substitutions because I must make this. Thank you!
Lil
Love this recipe. Substituted pumpkin for butternut purée, delicious! I love this website and all the great vegetarian recipes.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Lil! I’m so glad to hear that. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.
Kai
I made this the other day and it was SO GOOD. I subbed thinly sliced steamed cabbage for the noodles ’cause MAN did I eat a lot of carbs the day before, and it was delicious. (I know that probably doesn’t appeal to everyone, but it really *was* good.) Thanks, Kate! I am stoked to make this a gazillion more times with different kinds of cheeses and put it on lots and lots of different things. I also think using buttermilk in place of the normal milk would work too, and would amp up the tang of the goat cheese.
★★★★★
Kate
Happy to hear it, Kai. I never would have thought to substitute cabbage for the noodles, I might just have to try that as I still feel a little over-stuffed from Thanksgiving.
Kate
I can’t get ahold of canned pumpkin puree, unless I make a trip to the expat store and pay ridiculous prices. So it’s roast it myself or live without pumpkin puree. I roast the pumpkins without adding ANY extra liquid, as I agree with one of the previous posters that homemeade pumpkin puree tends to get watery…yuck. So no roasting in water. And no olive oil. And I roast them flesh-side down, so all the extra liquid drains out. Scoop out the flesh…usually it doesn’t even need to go through the food processor. I tend to do 2-3 pumpkins at once, then measure and freeze the puree in plastic bags for easy use later.
Jeez, sorry for the quasi-pointless lecture there. Don’t think I can even really tell the difference between canned and pureed pumpkin taste-wise, truth be told.
I’m totes going to try this recipe.
Joanna
I used heavy cream instead of milk. Delicious! It ended up being quite thick but that could be because I let it go a bit long (my pasta and sauce looks like mac and cheese). Overall, a delicious recipe!!
Kate
I think I used 1% milk in this recipe, so that could also explain why yours ended up thicker than mine. I love the creamy texture that the pumpkin lends, though.
Megan
This was easy and fun to make. I made it with a mild goat cheese, but I like think next time I would try a mixture of cheeses (and maybe add some shallots?).
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Megan. I don’t think you could go wrong with either of those ideas.
Janet
Kate, I’ve been wanting to try this recipe since you first posted it several months ago. I finally did! It was incredible. I’m counting down the hours until I can eat the leftovers for lunch. Thanks for this, I will definitely make it again.
Kate
Hi Janet! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. Hope you’re doing well and please give Kirsten a big hug for me.
Marla
I made this last week. I used vegan cream cheese (homemade based on ginger lemon girl blog recipe) for the goat cheese, nutritional yeast (for the parmesan), and a super small sprinkling of daiya vegan cheese I had in the freezer. It was one of the best vegan meals I’ve had. The rosemary added so much (and reminded me of sausage–which I used to like in fettucine alfredo), so glad I didn’t skip it (since you said it was “necessary” to sprinkle on top). Awesome recipe.
★★★★★
Claire
Could I substitute Almond Milk for the 2 cups of Low-Fat Milk? And would I use 2 cups of Almond Milk? I am so excited to make this recipe tonight! Perfect for Fall! Thanks for sharing!
Kate
Hey Claire, I haven’t tried using almond milk instead of low-fat milk, but I think it would work just fine as a 1:1 substitution. Please let me know if you try it!
Claire
Hi Kate,
I used the almond milk as a 1:1 substitution and I think the sauce was a bit watery/liquidy. But, I think it may have been because I didn’t do the roux right. I will have to try it again with the almond milk and make sure I get the roux right and then let you know:) For some reason, I have always had trouble knowing when the roux is ready. Thanks for all your awesome recipes!
Kate
Thanks for reporting back, Claire! I’m not a roux expert myself. I think that almond milk has fewer calories/fat than regular reduced fat milk, so maybe that’s why it was watery? Maybe scale back on the amount of almond milk next time? Sorry, I’m just guessing out loud here!
Mary
My husband and I love this recipe so much – I probably make it about three times a month! So easy, healthy, and delicious. :o)
Kate
I’m so glad you both love the recipe, Mary! I have been meaning to try substituting sweet potato or butternut puree for the pumpkin… I bet it would be great either way!
Kat
Hi Kate! I just wanted to tell you that I made this recipe last night and it was really, really something special. My (understanding but occasionally frustrated) husband initially balked at the idea of a pumpkin sauce, but when I reminded him that he’s perfectly fine with pumpkin ravioli he was a little more ready to give it a try… turned out he loved it as much as I did. This will be a staple in our kitchen going forward. It’s nice to have a lavishly creamy pasta dish in our repertoire that doesn’t make us want to go into a coma afterward!
We made a couple of tiny substitutions – lactose-free milk and macaroni instead of the fettuccine, and it worked perfectly (and looked quite similar to mac and cheese.) I think next time I’ll try it with thyme in place of the cinnamon!
I also recommend a can of Farmers Market brand organic pumpkin for the pumpkin itself – it was my first time using this brand and it had absolutely none of the undesirable raw metallic taste that certain other popular pumpkin companies have. After a lackluster pumpkin pie years ago, I have no desire whatsoever to puree my own pumpkin ever again! Too much work, very little payoff.
★★★★★
Kate
Kat, thank you! I’m delighted to hear that you both enjoyed the pumpkin pasta so much. Now I want to try it with macaroni… you may have inspired a spin-off recipe. :) Thank you for commenting! I’ll keep an eye out for Farmers Market brand pumpkin, too.
Melody
Just made this for lunch. It was absolutely delicious!!! I did modify it some. Didn’t have enough goat cheese, so I used parmesan and loaded it up with a bit of broccoli and peas (just my preference for alfredo). Tasted absolutely out of this world. I love incorporating pumpkin into recipes. Great way to sneak veggies into people’s stomachs. :)
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Melody! Broccoli and peas sound like a great way to lighten up the pasta. Delicious.
Heather
This was sooo delicious!! Really good as cold leftovers the next day too!
★★★★★
Mia
This was AMAZING. Kate, you never let me down. I had to make a gluten-free version for my friend with Celiac, so I simply added cornstarch to the milk mixture while it was cooking to help thicken (instead of flour), and of course used gluten-free noodles. Had to use dried rosemary in a pinch, because I didn’t have any fresh rosemary on hand.
The sauce was spectacular. Creamy, pumpkin-y, delicious, and the goat cheese was the perfect addition. Seriously, if you haven’t already, drop everything and make this recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Mia! I’m so glad you could make this recipe gluten free to share with your friend. Glad you enjoyed it!
Kyle
We just tried this recipe last week, and it was fantastic! We made some peas as a side dish, and it seemed to compliment the pasta very well. I ended up mixing the peas in at some point. Either way, great recipe!
★★★★
LeslieB
I made this tonight. I must confess I’m one of those non-goat cheese lovers. I threw in a TB of a creamy garlic cheese dip I had on hand! I think it still ranks as low-fat. Loved this and could not get enough! Thank you!
Kate
Sounds like a great substitution! Thanks, Leslie!
Jennie
Hi Kate! I’m relatively new to the cooking world and am planning to make this for friends tomorrow night. Does it matter what type of flour I use? Thanks for all the wonderful recipes (the eggplant spaghetti with miso and brown butter sauce was life-changing)!
Kate
Hey Jennie! So glad you enjoyed the eggplant spaghetti. Any flour with gluten should work as a thickener here, so all purpose or whole wheat would work. Let me know if you need other suggestions! Hope it turns out great.
Erica
I made this last night and it was a hit with the entire family!! Awesome recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
Yay, thanks Erica!
Julie
This was really delicious! I made it almost exactly as written, only I added a little (1/4 cup) parmesan right at the end and also sprinkled it on top. Served it with a simple salad. My husband loved it! It’s a keeper recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Julie! Your version sounds great!
kathryn
Hi, I don’t have pumpkin with me at the moment but do you think the sauce would work with sweet potato too?
Kate
I’m sorry for the slow reply. Yes, I think so!
kathryn
That’s fine, I made it with sweet potato puree last week (just popped 2 in the microwave for 8min) and it turned out amazing. I also swapped the goats cheese for cream cheese as it was what I had on hand. Everyone agreed that the sauce was to die for :) Thanks!
★★★★★
Kate
Good idea! I’m glad your pasta turned out well!
Christi
I just made this amazing Alfredo thanks to you! It’s so good and packed with so much vitamin A! Speaking of do you know the full nutrition information for this recipe?
Thank you so so so much for such a tasty recipe. I made it with cream cheese because I’m a chicken about eating goat cheese :) maybe I’ll woman up and try it with this recipe sometime!
Kate
Thank you, Christi! I’m sorry, I don’t have nutrition facts for the recipes yet, but I’m working on a solution.
Sarah
In the spirit of all things pumpkin, DH and I made this for dinner tonight. We used cream cheese instead of goat, asiago cheese instead of parmesan and left over canned pumpkin. Turned out great and DH said he would eat it again (that’s his seal of approval). Next time I think I will cook a full pound of pasta though, as we have quite a bit of the sauce left. Thanks for another great, easy recipe Kate!
Kate
Thanks, Sarah! I’m glad you both enjoyed it! I like my pastas extra saucy, so that might explain it. :)
Laurel
I made this on Friday…the leftovers are even better! Super flavorful, comforting, and easy. I went heavy-handed on the herbs & spices and I’m glad I did. Thanks for another winner!!
Kate
That is a win! Thank you, Laurel for sharing. If you wouldn’t mind leaving a star review, I would really appreciate it!
Kate P.
I also used to hate goat cheese and now don’t understand people who don’t like it, including my past self! I can’t wait to make this!!
Kate
Let me know what you think, Kate!
Sonia M
Made this on a whim today because I had pumpkin and cream cheese I needed to use up before leaving town and it was absolutely delicious! I added a bit of extra garlic and doubled the red pepper, and it turned out fantastic! This will now be my go to recipe!
Kate
I’m glad you made it :) Thanks for sharing, Sonia!
Briony
Super yummy and so so easy! I made my own puree in my Thermomix while doing the rest and it was done and on the table in about 30 minutes. Even my super picky 4 year old ate it all and loved it! Thanks for a another great vego recipe!!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Briony!
Rylie
So good but I found it really sweet.. anyone have any recommendations for balancing it out?
★★★
Kate
I’m sorry you didn’t love it, Rylie! I’m wondering if your pumpkin was a little sweet. You could add a little more salt.
Robin
This was the absolute perfect fall dinner! I’m not a rosemary fan, so I swapped it for sage and added a pinch of nutmeg. Incredible. I love how creamy and rich it tastes without being loaded with butter and cream. 10/10 will make again
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful, Robin! Thanks for your review.
Elena
I was wondering what you would recommend as far as replacing the milk with a non-dairy milk
Annie
I just made this today and substituted almond milk! it was quite thin at first, so I added a cornstarch slurry (dilute a tsp or so of cornstarch with some liquid from the pan, whisk, then stir back into the pot and heat until thickened). Once I added the pumpkin and goat cheese it came to a really nice consistency. Absolutely delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
Sorry, I haven’t tried it!
Joy
Hi Kate! I made this last night and it was delicious. Love that combo of pumpkin and goat cheese. Thanks for another successful recipe :)
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Joy!
Ellen
Just made this. It was good, but there was too much sauce to pasta ratio. You could definitely use at least another 4 oz of dry pasta, maybe more. Also, need to salt liberally at the end, as mentioned.
★★★★
Maart
Hey Kate, I was wondering if it is ok to store the sauce in the fridge and only combine one portion of pasta with a certain amount of sauce every time I boil some? Does the sauce thicken too much if left in the fridge and should it only be used right after being taken from the stove?
Kate
Hi Maart! I just added some details on how to best reheat the recipe (just add a splash of milk to loosen up the sauce). It’ll keep for up to 4 days. Hope that answers your questions!
Kelly
Can’t wait to try this! Does this sauce freeze well?
Kate
Hey Kelly! I haven’t tried freezing this sauce. I’m a little hesitant to suggest it, since it contains a good amount of milk (sometimes dairy doesn’t defrost well). If you do try it, please report back!
Kelly
Great, thank you for the feedback! I love your website and consult it regularly. Great work.
Jo
We bought a massive pumpkin at the farmers market, just before the lockdown happened – I’m now looking at different ways of using up pumpkin :-)
This was awesome – I was really worried because the milk sauce wasn’t thickening at all, but that changed as soon as I added the roasted pumpkin in.
I changed up, due to lack of goat’s cheese – added ricotta instead, and, as it’s my only chance for veg for the day (working from home, but crazy busy), I added some broccoli and zucchini in with the pasta.
Amazing flavour, and definitely adding to the “to make again” list. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kaysi M Mooney
Hello! What stores do you find MaraPasta in?
Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Kaysi! Any brand would do if you can’t find it.
Cathy
I’ve been following you for years and somehow only came across this recipe yesterday – what a winner! I happened to have most ingredients on hand – only sub was almond milk vs cow’s. It was easy to throw together and felt fancy. I was worried it’d be too sweet, but the red pepper flakes brought it together for me. I’ve stockpiled pumpkin puree for the season so I will be making this again!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m delighted you have been following along for sometime and found this one! I appreciate your review, Cathy.
Caryn
Wow this was so good! Other than adding in a few pinches of crumbled sage (because sage + pumpkin = another level of deliciousness) and omitting the cinnamon I followed the recipe exactly. Had some home grown pumpkin puree in the freezer and I was glad to use it in a main dish this time.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Caryn! I appreciate your review.
Trish
I’m roasting my Bay Baby pumpkins as I write this! So excited to try this recipe—and roast seeds as well. You’re my “go-to,” Kate. Hope all is well with baby❤️.
Kate
Thank you, Trish! I hope you love it.
Ken
This was very good. I used pumpkin puree that I have left from the large pumpkin that I did not carve and roasted after Halloween. I followed the recipe as is and used 3 ounces of goat cheese. The flavor is very good but when I make this again, I will either use a bit more pasta or cut down on the amount of milk a bit. I like a little less sauce on my pasta. My only negative was that perhaps this was a tad too creamy. My other thought was to maybe cook the pasta just a bit less than al dente and let it finish in the sauce for a few minutes so that it releases a bit of starch which in turn might thicken up the sauce. There was really nothing wrong with this and, as I said, it was very flavorful. I also think that this would lend itself to adding sauteed veggies – mushrooms, peppers, etc. I will definitely make this again.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Ken! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I appreciate you sharing your feedback on the creamy outcome.
Jillian
I have probably made this recipe 30 times this past year. When I checked out the cans of pumpkin at the grocery store around Thanksgiving, all the cashiers were very surprised when I said it was for pasta. I am one of those weird people who do not like goat cheese, so I use fontina and it has always been great.
Kate
That’s great! I’m glad you enjoy this pasta so much, Jillian.
Andrea M Tucker
Loved this recipe! Very easy and super tasty :) I added a bit of
fresh arugula for extra colour. It also packed well for lunches. Btw, I’m with you on the goat’s cheese. Yum!
★★★★★