Pumpkin Spaghetti O’s.

This cozy bowl of Pumpkin Spaghetti O’s has quickly become one of our favorite fall pastas. I took the small little O-shaped pasta in a can, that we all grew up enjoying as kids, and updated it with a rich and creamy pumpkin sauce and golden brown butter. Simply boil everything together until al dente, mix in a bit of cheese, and finish with herbs. It’s a very cozy bowl of cheesy spaghetti O-s that’s just fit for fall.

Ok, I know this is kind of different. We all think of Spaghetti O’s and immediately we think of the red sauce O-shaped pasta. Maybe yours had meatballs, maybe it didn’t. Either way, we’re all familiar with the canned pasta.

Honestly, I didn’t grow up eating a lot of Spaghetti O’s. It was more something my older brother, Creighton enjoyed. But I’ll forever remember opening up the kitchen cabinet and consistently seeing the two cans of Spaghetti O’s my mom kept on hand.

I’ve always been more of a cream sauce or oil-based pasta girl. But I’m sure I had a can or two of Spaghetti O’s in my lifetime. Either way, I love the fun O-shape pasta and we all know that I have a lot of fun recreating old-school recipes.

Now that it’s the fall season, I try to think a little outside of the box when it comes to pumpkin. Most of the time we bake with canned pumpkin. But I love using pumpkin in savory soups, pasta, and pizza too!

It’s certainly not just for baking!

Pumpkin Spaghetti O’s details

Step 1: find the pasta

For the 0-shaped pasta, I ordered anellini pasta on Amazon, as it’s not a shape I can easily find in my local stores.

That being said, you can change out the pasta shape for something similar in size. Orzo or tiny shells work wonderfully too!

Step 2: make the pumpkin sauce

This is just like a pumpkin Alfredo sauce. It’s very creamy and rich, but in the best way possible. I love to start with a brown butter. Then add sage and fresh thyme leaves, my go-to herbs throughout the fall.

Then add garlic and fresh chili flakes for even more flavor. The chili flakes are essential. They’re a nice spicy balance to the sweet pumpkin.

Mix in the pumpkin, then add a splash of cider. The cider adds a sweetness that balances out the richness in the sauce along with those chiles. You can omit the cider, but in my opinion, it makes the sauce a little more special.

Once you have the cider and pumpkin in the pan, simmer everything down to intensify the flavor, then add the pasta and water! The water will cook the pasta right down in the very same pan as the sauce. Super simple.

Step 3: finish the sauce

Now that the pasta is all cooked, add parmesan, and creamy sweet gouda cheese. or try pecorino!

I love to leave my spaghetti-os on the saucy side, so I pull the pasta off the heat and quickly serve with a sprinkling of sage and thyme for some added color. You can thin the sauce with milk or cream, as needed.

Every last bite is a delicious one. My whole family really loved this meal.

I know it may seem a little odd to use pumpkin in such a savory way, but trust me, it’s so good. The pumpkin lends a creaminess to the pasta that hits both sweetness and autumn flavors.

Beyond delicious! Please give this one a try, I know you’ll love it – and your family will have fun with it too!

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 these Pumpkin Spaghetti O’s 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!