Name: Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Brown Butter and Sage
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 350 g rigatoni or penne, about 12 oz; 3 tbsp butter; 8 sage, fresh; 1 onion, small, finely chopped; 3 clove garlic, minced; 1 cup pumpkin purée, about 245 g, plain, not pie filling; 1 cup vegetable stock; ½ cup heavy cream; ½ cup Parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve; ¼ tsp nutmeg, ground; 1 tsp salt, to taste; ½ tsp black pepper; 40 g pecans, toasted and chopped, optional

Italian Autumn 40 min 4 servings650 Calories

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Pumpkin pasta is the cosy dinner that autumn was made for: a velvety sauce built from canned or roasted pumpkin purée, finished with nutty brown butter and crisp sage leaves. It tastes rich and savoury rather than sweet, it comes together in about 40 minutes, and it is a lovely vegetarian main for the busy week before Thanksgiving, when everyone wants something comforting that is not turkey.

What makes it work

The pumpkin does the job of a cream sauce. Cooked gently with onion, garlic and a little stock, it turns smooth and glossy, and a splash of cream and a handful of Parmesan round it out. The real flavour comes from the brown butter: butter melted until the milk solids turn golden and smell like toasted hazelnuts. Sage leaves fried in that butter go crisp and fragrant, and they are the classic partner for pumpkin in northern Italian cooking.

Choosing your pumpkin

Use plain pumpkin purée from a can (check the label says 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which is sweetened and spiced). If you prefer fresh, roast a small sugar pumpkin or butternut squash until very soft, then mash or blend it. Butternut squash is a perfectly good substitute and is easy to find all year.

Tips for the best sauce

Save pasta water. The starchy cooking water loosens the sauce and helps it cling to every piece. Add it a splash at a time.
Watch the butter. Brown butter goes from golden to burnt quickly. Take the pan off the heat as soon as it smells nutty and the foam settles.
Toast the purée briefly. Cooking the pumpkin with the onion for two or three minutes removes the canned taste and deepens the colour.
Season at the end. Parmesan and stock are salty, so taste before adding more salt. A pinch of nutmeg and black pepper lifts the whole dish.
Pick a pasta with ridges. Rigatoni, penne, shells or conchiglie catch the sauce best. Gnocchi works beautifully too.

Easy variations

Add protein: stir in browned Italian sausage, crispy pancetta or white beans.
Add greens: wilt in a couple of handfuls of baby spinach or kale at the end.
Add crunch: top with toasted pecans or walnuts, as in the card, or breadcrumbs fried in butter.
A little heat: a pinch of chilli flakes balances the sweetness of the pumpkin.
Dairy-light: replace the cream with extra stock and a spoonful of mascarpone or cream cheese.

Serving ideas for the holiday week

Serve it with a sharp salad of arugula, apple and lemon dressing, and a loaf of crusty bread. For a Thanksgiving-week dinner party, it pairs nicely with roasted Brussels sprouts and a sparkling cranberry drink. It also makes a good meatless main on a table where some guests do not eat turkey.

Storage and reheating

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. The sauce thickens as it cools, so reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water or stock, stirring until silky again. You can also make the sauce up to two days ahead and cook the pasta fresh. Cooked pasta with sauce freezes less well, so freeze only the plain sauce for up to two months.