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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.
Here are the quick details
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.
What does the vodka actually do?
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!
watch the how-to video:
Brown Butter Pumpkin Alla Vodka Tortellini
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 477 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 8 fresh sage leaves
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/4 cup vodka
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk
- 1 pound cheese tortellini
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- 1. In a large skillet, melt together 2 tablespoons butter and the sage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is browning and the sage is crisp, 4 minutes. Remove the sage leaves from the butter and set aside.2. To the skillet, add the olive oil, shallot, garlic, and oregano. Cook until the shallots begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the tomato paste, pumpkin, and red pepper flakes, cook 4-5 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the vodka, cook another 2 minutes. Stir in the cream, 1 tablespoon butter, and the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm over low heat.3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook according to package directions until al dente. Just before draining, remove 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain.4. Add the tortellini to the vodka sauce, tossing to coat. If needed, thin the sauce with pasta cooking water.5. Divide the tortellini among plates and top with crispy sage and parmesan. Enjoy!
Just finishing up eating this and it is absolutely PERFECT! So good. I added ground Turkey.
Hey Abra,
Happy Sunday! 🎃 So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it and sharing your feedback! xx
It’s delicious but the delicate flavors of pumpkin and sage are completely overwhelmed by the amount of red pepper flakes. I only used the low end- 1tsp- but it’s too much for the other flavors. Instead of enhancing it overpowers. The textures are amazing though and it’s still delicious. Just get zero pumpkin or sage. Suggest 1/4 tsp.
Hey Steve,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for trying it out! Have a great weekend! 👻
This was absolutely delicious! I forgot a shallot at the store, so I used half of a yellow onion instead. It tasted good, but I know the caramelized shallot would have been better as the onion didn’t caramelize quickly and I didn’t burn the butter.
One change I would consider making next time is swapping the fresh sage leaves for ground sage. The flavor it adds to the butter and dish overall is delectable and essential, but I’m not a huge fan of garnish. That’s the only change I would make to this dish. Could not reccommend it more!
Hey Allison,
Awesome!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for trying it out! Have a great weekend! 👻
For a law student without a ton of time to make fancy meals, this recipe was perfect. It all came together quickly and had a unique enough flavor to feel special on a Thursday night. Great work as always.
Hey Madison,
Happy Friday!🎃 I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for trying it out and sharing your review! xx
Hey!
I have sausage tortellini, is that an okay sub?
Hi Michelle,
Sure, that will work well for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope this recipe turns out amazing! xT
I gave it 4 stars because I don’t want to hurt the rating on this recipe. I think I must have done something wrong. The sauce had a bitter taste. I tried to figure it out and tasted the crispy sage and it was bitter. Do you think I over cooked the sage, giving the brown butter a bitter taste. Any advice would be appreciated.
Hi Sue,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try, so sorry to hear it was bitter for you! Yes, I think it the sage was “burnt” that is probably where the bitterness came from. So sorry! Let me know if you give it another try! xx
Wow and I don’t even like pumpkin. I made it to the T and was throughly impressed. My bf who is a fall pumpkin spice junkie absolutely loved it! Second recipe I made from you and nothing has disappoint. Looking forward to more recipes 🙂
Hi Jasmine,
Happy Wednesday! I really appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review, so glad it was a winner! 🤩
Ever make so many substitutions that you wonder if you can even say you made this recipe? Regardless, I think I could serve this at a fancy restaurant. Changed vodka for vegetable broth, only had 2 tbsp of butter, used 2% milk instead of heavy cream and dumped in 3 large handfuls of spinach at the end. 10/10 and will be getting the normal ingredients for next go around 🙂
Hey Lauren,
Happy Monday!! 👻 I am so glad this recipe was tasty for you, thanks a lot for trying it out! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you! xT
Eight sage leaves would be how much dried sage from the spice jar in my cabinet?
Hi Judes,
So sorry, I’m really not sure, maybe a couple tablespoons:) Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Could the sauce be completed up until adding the vodka/cream/parm then reheat and finish it (then adding the last three ingredients above)? I do a 6-8 small plates Christmas Eve dinner every year and this sounds like a good option.
Hey Laura,
Totally, that would definitely work well for you! I hope this recipe turns out amazing, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
Believe it or not none of my supermarkets had fresh sage, can I use dried sage?
Hey MaryBeth,
Totally, dried sage would be just fine for you to use! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
I tried it and we loved it! I have just begun making your recipes and I am hooked! Not only are they delicious but they are not complicated! A new fan! Off to make Halloween Monster Mash cookies with my grandson this weekend!
Thank you, Marybeth
Hey Marybeth,
Fantastic!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for trying it out! Have a great weekend! xx
I modified the spices in this just a tiny bit to my personal taste (no chili flakes, swapped out thyme for oregano, and added just a pinch of ginger and nutmeg) but WOW you guys this is literally the perfect fall sauce. Like, insanely good. I could eat this every week all fall long.
Hey Nikki,
Awesome!!🤩 I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your review and love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan
My picky daughter liked this! She’s been looking through your recipes and selecting the ones she wants me to make. This was one of them.
The only thing I added was about a 1/2 tsp of grated fresh nutmeg. Any squash always screams nutmeg to me, as does fried sage.
Thanks for the keeper!
Hey Aimee,
Happy Wednesday!👻 I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and appreciate you giving it a try and sharing your feedback! xx
Great fall dish with the added pumpkin. Served with bread and salad.
Hey Carrie,
Happy Monday!🎃 I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was tasty for you, thanks a bunch for making it! xx
I was entertaining a crowd so I doubled the recipe and made the sauce earlier in the day. It was easy to heat up as I was cooking the pasta. Note that 4t of red pepper was a lot of heat for some of our group (I loved it!). Easy, pretty, & tasty fall recipe.
Hi Jody,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xT