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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 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, pumpkin Alfredo.
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, 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, parmesan, 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!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Could you use heavy cream instead of whole milk to make this richer? Or would it mess it up? If you can add heavy cream, how much would you suggest?
Hey Jasmine,
Sure, you could use an equal amount of heavy cream. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Can you substitute apple juice for apple cider? Or any other substitutes for apple cider?
Yes you can definitely use apple juice! xT
I think the pasta with your sauce looks exceptional. My husband is very particular about bread, pasta (well, everything). He wants pasta and bread to taste great by itself so that when adding the sauce it just gets better. Can you comment about this?
Hi Elisa,
So sorry, I am not sure what you are asking? Please let me know how I can help! xx
One of my favorite recipes of yours to make! I’ll be making it several times during the upcoming holidays! The flavor of the sauce is so delicious and definitely a crowd. Easy, yet elevated! Please keep making recipes with sage in them!
Hey there,
Wonderful!! I am so glad that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a go! xx
This is absolutely delicious. I made it twice this week. I will say the first time I made it the milk split as it simmered and the end product was a bit curdled/loose. The second time I halved the milk and instead of simmering it, heated it just to the point it was hot enough to melt the cheese, and I got a velvety smooth, awesome sauce. I’m seeing now other reviews mentioning success with adding the milk and cheese slowly, so I’ll try that next time. And there will be a next time because the flavors are spot on and it’s such a cozy, tasty dish. Love this.
Hi! I’m so sorry that the first try didn’t turn out as well, but love to hear that it turned out great for you! xT
You’ve really got to update the recipe to let people know they must add the milk and cheese in slowly while whisking. I didn’t know this until I read all the comments after I made it, trying to find out where I went wrong. Apparently the sauce will break and look curdled when you just dump the milk and cheese in. Would’ve been nice to know this ahead of time. Lots of wasted time and money on a thin broken sauce that looks like watery cottage cheese. We ate it anyways because we aren’t wasteful, but I’d be embarrassed to serve this to anyone else. I gave a few stars for the flavor, which was good! We are big fans of yours and I hope you’ll fix this so others don’t keep making this mistake.
Hey Amy! I’ve never had this happen. I am so sorry! I will update the recipe to include this note. Thank you for the kind feedback. This is so helpful! Apologies for all the trouble!! Xx