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This silky smooth and extra creamy Brown Butter Pumpkin Tortellini Alla Vodka is that cozy bowl of pasta we’re all craving most. Cheese Tortellini tossed in a nutty brown butter pumpkin vodka sauce that’s creamy and so delicious! The pumpkin adds a vibrant layer of flavor and richness to this silky smooth and creamy tortellini. Serve this quick cooking dinner up any night of the week. It’s delicious and looks pretty on any table…and everyone LOVES a GOOD creamy vodka pasta. Such a fun fall twist!
It’s mid-October, and in my book, the more creamy pasta and pumpkin recipes the better. I’m trying my best to keep a balance. But with the temperature drop and all the snow this week, I’m really just embracing the cozy.
And this cheesy, creamy tortellini is a true reflection of that.
It’s the perfect dinner to cook up when you’re in need of something simple, but totally delicious and comforting too.
I based this recipe off of my traditional vodka sauce, but added in pumpkin and cheesy tortellini.
It’s all really quick to throw together!
Since we’re using pumpkin, I wanted to include a little sage. I just love the flavor blend of sage and pumpkin…with brown butter. So start out by crisping the sage in butter. The butter will brown on the sage leaves and create a really delicious base for your pumpkin vodka sauce.
Next, add the shallots, garlic, oregano, and chili flakes – for a little extra heat. Then stir in the pumpkin and tomato paste and cook until the mix thickens up a bit.
Now stir in the vodka and let everything simmer for a few minutes. Then add the cream and parmesan and let the sauce hang out for a bit.
In a traditional vodka sauce, the vodka adds a sharp bite that helps to balance out the sweetness of the tomatoes. And the same is true with pumpkin. When used in small amounts, the vodka will boost and intensify the aroma of the sauce. The key is to slowly simmer vodka into the sauce. This will release its flavors and cook out the alcohol.
If you prefer to not cook with alcohol, swap the vodka for chicken broth, vegetable broth, or even just water. That will be totally fine and your sauce will still be great.
While the sauce is slowly cooking, bring some water to a boil for the tortellini. Boil off the tortellini, it should only take a few minutes. I love to use the cheese tortellini from Whole Foods, but Trader Joe’s has really nice options too!
Now toss that tortellini in the sauce. Then serve up bowls of creamy pasta topped with those crispy sage leaves and an extra dusting of parmesan.
An extra special, but super easy, fall dinner. Oh, and I like to serve this up with a big salad on the side – yum!
Looking for other simple winter pasta dishes? Here are my favorites:
Sage Butter Pumpkin Cheese Ravioli
One Pot Spicy Pesto Cheese Baked Rigatoni
Creamy Bacon Tortellini with Charred Broccoli
Lastly, if you make this Brown Butter Pumpkin Alla Vodka Tortellini, 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.
I made this and your chicken meatballs for a small dinner party and both were delicious. The Pasta had a little kick to it that was a bit much for some of my guests but I loved it. Maybe next time I will eliminate or reduce the red pepper flakes. The chicken meatballs will definitely be a staple!! Thank you for all of your great recipes.
Happy Thursday! So glad this recipe was enjoyed and thanks for making it! xTieghan
Absolutely wonderful!! I followed the recipe, using a roasted pie pumpkin and about 1/2 the red pepper. Next time I will double the sage … a wonderful addition. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish.
Thank you, Tieghan!!
Had to make with Sweet Potato Puree and it was still incredible! Had some issues browning the butter/shallots, but after my second shot, it turned out perfect. A crowd pleaser for sure :).
Hey Anna! This is awesome, I’m so happy to hear this recipe turned out the way you’d hoped! 🙂 xTieghan
Made this last night… quick dinner after spending a long weekend at the cabin. My whole family loved it! I just chopped up the fried sage and added it to the dish and also added some grilled chicken I had on hand. oh and yes, for sure save some pasta water, a little bit definitely made it a great consistency.
Definitely going to make this again!
Hey! This is awesome, I’m so happy to hear this recipe turned out the way you’d hoped! 🙂 xTieghan
Yum! These were great. My husband is obsessed and asked me to make them every Sunday. Dangerous! Also love that they would be easy to make ahead.
Hey! This is awesome, I’m so happy to hear this recipe turned out the way you’d hoped! 🙂 xTieghan
We made this for dinner last night using farm fresh pumpkin puree and it was fantastic!! This recipe was quick and super simple to make, yet felt extremely luxurious and gourmet. I did dial the heat back a bit (I used 1/2tsp), but this dish was top notch quality and I absolutely loved it. Thank you so much for this and soo many other great recipes! 🙂
Hey! This is awesome, I’m so happy to hear this recipe turned out the way you’d hoped! 🙂 xTieghan
Can oat milk be used instead of coconut milk?
Yes definitely! 🙂 xTieghan
Can this sauce be held in a warmer?
Yes! xTieghan
This recipe was great! A few things to note for anyone reading:
I used spinach and ricotta ravioli from Costco, this amount of sauce was perfect for over a pound of ravioli, honestly I could’ve stretched it to a full package and the sauce would’ve likely spread with some additional water.
Speaking of water, definitely reserve some cooking liquid, I needed it.
You will want a good amount of salt at the end to round out all of the flavors and make the pumpkin pop. I only did 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes, I feel like any more would’ve masked the beautiful pumpkin and just made it spicy sauce.
I only used 1/4 c cream and it was still plenty rich. Could’ve even used just a couple of tablespoons. This is rich, so you’ll only need a small portion to really fill you and then have a huge salad along with!
Hi Megan! Thank you so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it! 🙂 xTieghan
Can you give me a non alcoholic alternative for the vodka
Chicken broth! xTieghan
I’m gonna try this today. Looks so good! I don’t have vodka – do you think tequila would be ok?
Hi there! I haven’t tried this recipe with tequila but it should work fine! 🙂 xTieghan
Loved this meal! I am not HUGE into pumpkin flavored foods but this one is amazing. I used 1 and a half tsp of red pepper flakes and it was pretty spicy. If you can’t tolerate spicy foods I definitely recommend a pinch of red pepper flakes. I also felt this meal was super easy to shop for and cook. We definitely will be cooking this meal over and over again this fall!!
Hi Melisa! I’m so happy you loved this recipe, I hope it was delish! Thank you and have a happy weekend! xTieghan
I burnt the shallots……It just was so quick… Next time I will have everything ready to go! This might be the quickest recipe ever!
Darn it! It happens to the best of us 🙂 xTieghan
This recipe was AMAZING. My boyfriend and I had this for dinner last night and both loved it. The sauce was creamy without feeling too heavy and was very flavorful. Perfect recipe for fall. Will definitely be making this one again.
Hi Michelle! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I hope it was delicious! xTieghan
Just made it and loved it! My partner is quite picky and even he was happy with it; despite being skeptical. It was easy and fast! If cooking alone, definitely prep and measure the ingredients beforehand because it cooks up quick! The only “change” I’d make for next time is to crisp more sage because it was so delicious on top.
Hey Dana! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan