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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.

Sage Brown Butter Pumpkin Pasta Alfredo | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Sage Brown Butter Pumpkin Pasta Alfredo | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Sage Brown Butter Pumpkin Pasta Alfredo | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Sage Brown Butter Pumpkin Pasta Alfredo | halfbakedharvest.com

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.

Sage Brown Butter Pumpkin Pasta Alfredo | halfbakedharvest.com

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!

Sage Brown Butter Pumpkin Pasta Alfredo | halfbakedharvest.com

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

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
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.

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.
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Sage Brown Butter Pumpkin Pasta Alfredo | halfbakedharvest.com

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Comments

  1. 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?

    1. Hey Jasmine,
      Sure, you could use an equal amount of heavy cream. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx

  2. 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?

  3. 5 stars
    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!

  4. 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.

    1. 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

  5. 2 stars
    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.

    1. 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