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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.
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, 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!
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.
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
I opted for this instead of the Pumpkin Spaghetti O’s since they were almost the same, and I had the perfect long, curly pasta for it. My husband really liked it, and I thought it was pretty good. After reading all the comments, I was careful to add the milk and cheese slowly, and the sauce didn’t separate, had a pleasant flavor and there was a lot of it. Since this one turned out well, I might even try the Spaghetti O’s next!
Thank you so much Helen! xT
Love this recipe! I read the comments and whisked everything in very slowly and it turned out great. Very rich in consistency. Would make again.
Hi! So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for trying it out! xT
I made it exactly as written and followed some of the suggestions also and it is absolutely delicious!!!
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! Have an awesome weekend! xT
This is such a soulful fall dish, I will be making this all season long!!
Next time I’m adding extra sage leaves, they’re soo delicious and crispy. I used full fat coconut milk because I didn’t have whole milk, I also added a few extra TBs of pumpkin puree and doubled the nutmeg. I used radiatori pasta which has a fun mouth-feel but I’d love to try it with the noodles pictured as well. As fancy/complex as it sounds and tastes, this recipe is easy to execute and forgiving. We had this with steak which may seem weird but I’m so full and happy I could go into a food coma.
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe! Have an awesome weekend! xT
Making this tonight! Looks delicious! How would you recommend preparing chicken to go with this? Can’t wait to try it!
Hi there! I would just grill or sautee some chicken to mix in with it!
Wow this is amazing! Just made it tonight! I let my cheese sit out so it would be room temp when I incorporated it and slowly added the milk and cheese, little at a time. The crispy sage on top is a must!!!! This would be great with added crumbled sausage for those husbands that need some meat:)
Thank you so so much Rebecca! xT
I read the comments ahead of time so I knew to stir in the milk and cheese slowly, and it came out great! Especially with some extra parm on top. I skipped the chili flakes because I’m a wimp but excited to have this for lunch for the week!
Thank you Jesse!
Wah I was so excited for this but it really missed the mark. I’m not sure what I did wrong. Before I added the cheese I noticed the sauce had broken. It was a pretty loose sauce even though I let everything “thicken” for quite a while. Idk even without that part it was just a little boring. No hate, I love you, this just wasn’t my fav!
I am so so sorry Jamie!! Thanks for letting me know! xT
My friend, Jill, made this for our friend Rebecca’s birthday dinner last night. It was SO good! We all are big fans of yours, so it was very fitting we had a festive, seasonal meal – thanks to your creativity!
Aww sounds like so much fun! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! xT
I cooked the pasta with healthy kamut pasta and added more pastawater and less milk! So yummy!
Thank you! So glad to hear you’re enjoying this recipe! xT
I really wanted to make this recipe but my heart would’nt let me do it!! It looks amazing and my hat is off to you for creating such a rich and flavorful dish! I simply choose not to eat this way as my health is top priority. I wish it were yours, Tieghan. As a Licensed Clinician, I see your Eating Disorder at every photo you post. I look forward to the day that you can be in your truth about your struggles and get the help you so desperately need. You really are discrediting yourself by making these decadent meals and then lying about eating them. Remember, the body tells the score. I wish you a full recovery.
This is absurdly rude and unnecessary. It’s none of your business!
As a clinician myself, it concerns me that you are making a diagnosis without examining or interviewing the patient. I might consider looking in the mirror about your career decisions before casting your very clear bias and unhappiness on others.
Btw this recipe is delicious and I highly recommend it. This is my truth.
The recipe separated. I should have known to add the milk slowly but it was entirely ruined and chunky. No saving it. Will have to try this again.
Oh no I’m so sorry about that!! xT
Made this to go over mushroom ravioli. Great with a side of broccoli! My kids love the sauce, so I made it again, but added a box of chicken stock. Soup! Great with fresh toasted sourdough bread. Thanks for a wonderful fall dish!!
Thank you for taking the time to try out this recipe! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! xT
I was so excited to make this as I am every time I make one of your recipes, but it turned out awful. I followed the recipe to a T and looked at the video and recipe a bunch of times to see where I was going wrong and have no idea. My sauce is separated, soupy, and grainy.
OH no!! I’m so sorry about that! Is there anything I can do to help? xT
This recipe was delicious but could have been written better. A lot of people commented on the sauce separating. When making an alfredo type sauce it absolutely needs to be put in the recipe to very slowly whisk milk or cream to the melted butter/pumpkin and cider, little pours at a time where as the recipe just says to add it all at once which isn’t correct. Mine didn’t separate at all and was delicious.
Add the milk or cream in small amounts at a time and whisk slowly and consistently. Don’t add the cheese until all the milk is added and do the same thing, add it little by little until combined. It also would have been helpful for the recipe to say that after removing the crisped sage from the butter to save them for a topping at the end, I threw mine away thinking they wouldn’t be needed anymore.
Thank you for this feedback Amy! xT
3 stars for flavor, minus 2 for texture. The sauce was thin and texture was grainy. Not sure what went wrong.
Hey Emily! So sorry about that! Is there anything you did differently? xT