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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. Hi Cindy,
      So sorry about this! Did you use apple cider or apple cider vinegar? Seems this might be an issues for some! xT

  1. I may need to take back previous comment and try a 3rd time…I made a grave mistake…I used apple cider vinegar (I could have sworn I read that), but I looked again and it says just apple cider…big difference! I shall try again.

      1. 4 stars
        Update: 3rd times a charm! Would’ve gotten it once if I had paid closer attention to the ingredient list (aka apple cider…NOT apple cider vinegar). Both my husband and I loved it! Creamy, smooth, and beautiful well-balanced flavours. Definitely will make again next fall!

  2. 4 stars
    Flavours are all there and super delicious…unfortunately, I tried twice – with the sauce splitting both times! I followed another comment of slowly adding the milk to the pumpkin batter in a separate bowl (I even warmed the milk a bit beforehand), and I kept the heat almost off when re-adding to pan…all was fine up until here, but when I went to add the cheese it split almost immediately. Everything was room temp. Not sure what I’m doing wrong!

    1. Hi Katie,
      Happy Thursday! Thanks so much for making this dish! So sorry to hear about the sauce splitting, I’m not sure why some are having this issues. I just keep the heat going and stir constantly. I hope this helps! xT

  3. 5 stars
    Looooved this one! Creamy, sweet, savory. The sage was just absolutely perfect. We paired this with some fancy mushrooms and served over a bed of fresh greens. Thank you for this recipe!!!

  4. 5 stars
    Delicious! Took the advice of another commenter and took out half the pumpkin mixture and added the milk slowly in a separate bowl off the heat. No separation! The pumpkin flavor is subtle and helps cut the heaviness of the sauce. My toddler loved it!

    1. Hey Caitlin,
      Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xTxT

  5. So excited to try this! Would it be weird to use oat milk instead of coconut milk?… Not sure how much of the coconut flavor will come through

    1. Hey Emily,
      Sure, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope this recipe turns out tasty, let me know if you give it a try! xT

  6. 5 stars
    WOW! So yummy! I added the milk very slowly, whisking the entire time, and it did not split. I am typically not a fan of alfredo sauce, but I love all things pumpkin so I decided to give this recipe a try. And it was delish! Just the perfect hint of pumpkin, plus the sage added so much flavor. Didn’t take very long either. This recipe is a keeper for sure 🙂

    1. Hey Mackenzie,
      Happy Monday! 👻 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Happy Halloween! 🎃

  7. 5 stars
    I made this but gluten and dairy free and it was spectacular!

    Traded out the cheese for dairy free parm and smoked gouda and used reduced fat coconut milk. I also added some roasted garlic and chicken bouillon.

    It was absolutely delicious and was gone in seconds at a halloween party!

    1. Hi Holly,
      Happy Monday! 👻 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! Happy Halloween! 🎃

  8. 4 stars
    I’m not a huge pumpkin fan, but my husband is, so I decided to give it a try. It had enough cheese, sage, and garlic that I liked it, but I still felt like it needed something. I added in some bread crumbs when I had some of the leftovers for lunch the next day and I thought that improved it. I will probably still make it again though!

    1. Hi Tina,
      Awesome!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your feedback! xT

  9. 5 stars
    I really enjoyed this dish! I had no issues lightening this up with a little less butter, and skim milk since that was in the fridge! It was still incredibly creamy and delicious. I agree with a low and slow process when whisking in the dairy and the grated cheese, and I had no issues with the sauce splitting. Thanks for a great recipe!

    1. Hey Caitlin,
      Perfect!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and what worked well for you, so glad to hear that this recipe was a hit! xT

  10. Awesome recipe. Thank you for a lovely dinner. I used a pureed fresh of a roasted butternut squash which turned out great!

    I saw a few comments about milk splitting. When adding milk to a simmering dish there is a high chance it will curdle (although there are other factors that may affect it as well). To minimise the chance of splitting I temporarily reduced the heat of the stove to low, taken a ladlefull of pumpkin mixture from the pan into a bowl and *slowly* mixed it 1/2 of the milk. I poured it back into the pan and mixed well. Then repeated for the rest of the milk. Once mixed in, I gently brought it to simmer again.
    The splitting is the reason you see whipping cream / double cream used in recipes. Due to higher fat content there is a much reduced chance of splitting. You can work with milk as well, but you have to be more careful. 🙂

    1. Hey Nataliia,
      Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe turned out tasty for you, thanks so much for sharing your tips and what worked well for you! Have a great Saturday! xT

  11. Omg. Made this twice. First time, the sauce split and I was SO sad! (Figured it was my fault since I was doing my typical distracted-cooking.) Round two…I took “low and slow” to another level, and whisked the ENTIRE time. STILL split! Dying to know how to avoid this haha.

    1. Hey Sierra,
      Ohh no!! So sorry to hear this! Ahhh I don’t know why people are having issues with the sauce splitting. One reader suggested pureeing the sauce and that seemed to help. Were all of your ingredient room temp? Let me know! xx

  12. Hi!! So excited to try this on Halloween night!! Looking to add some protein, any recommendations that might pair well? I was thinking Italian sausage?

    Thank you!!!

    1. Hey Theresa,
      Totally, ground Italian sausage would be great to use here! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx

  13. 5 stars
    I gave this a shot. I couldn’t get any fresh sage, however I did do my best to find some very high quality ground sage. My little family loved how it came out. I highly recommend making this dish. It’s fast, easy, and absolutely to-die-for.

      1. 3 stars
        This wasn’t my cup of tea, but it wasn’t hard to make and it cooked nicely. I think I’ll try less parmesan cheese and add more Gouda cheese instead. I will continue to experiment other recipes.
        I made the tostada’s and cream cheese swirl pumpkin bread and they were delicious.

        1. Hi Lisa,
          Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear you didn’t love it! Hope you’re having a great Friday! xx

  14. My sauce split too… followed the instructions, anyone figure out why this happens??

    Update: salvaged it by pureeing it! This took out all the lumps and gave it that nice thick texture. It is yummy!