Table of Contents

• The Story Behind the Recipe
• Why You’ll Love Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta
• Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta Recipe Ingredients
• How to Make Pumpkin Baked Pasta
• Tip for Success
• More Pumpkin & Squash Pasta Recipes

• Jump to the Full, Printable Recipe
• Read Comments & Reviews

The Story Behind the Recipe

We recently spent an afternoon at the pumpkin patch with our toddler daughter. Fun! But exhausting!

Naturally, it felt important to follow it up with a rib-sticking, warming, comforting dinner. And what better way to celebrate an afternoon with pumpkins than by eating more pumpkin?!

Why You’ll Love Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta

• It’s comfort food, fall-ified. Basically, double the dose of cozy!
• It’s kind of like pumpkin mac and cheese but without the cheese. I love pumpkin in this dish. It’s incredibly macaroni-and-cheese-esque, but the sauce itself doesn’t have any cheese. It’s all creamy pumpkin goodness, tossed with these amazing huge rigatoni that trap extra bonus sauce inside each and every tube.
• It’ll convince you that savory pumpkin dishes ARE the bomb. On the fence about the whole idea of savory pumpkin dishes? This might be your gateway drug. I’m just sayin’.

Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta Recipe Ingredients

• Pasta – 8 ounces of rigatoni pasta. You can also use penne or ziti, but there’s just something about those big rigatoni tubes that is perfect!
• Olive oil
• Onion
• Flour – All-purpose flour which helps to create a thick, rich béchamel.
• Salt & pepper
• Milk – I like whole milk for a rich béchamel, but you can use 2% or even a plant-based milk alternative (just make sure it’s unflavored and unsweetened!)
• Pumpkin puree – Feel free to use canned puree or make your own pumpkin puree.
• Bay leaf – For a nice bit of savory flavor.
• Nutmeg – A bit of freshly ground nutmeg complements the pumpkin and adds to the autumn vibes.
• Parmesan cheese – Just a bit of shredded Parmesan to melt over the top.

How to Make Pumpkin Baked Pasta

1. First, cook the pasta. Drain and set aside.
2. Next, make the béchamel. Saute the onion in olive oil and then add the flour, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook the flour for a bit, then stir in the milk and pumpkin and top with the bay leaf.
3. Whisk the mixture for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens nicely.
4. Stir in the nutmeg and taste the sauce, adding more salt and pepper if you like.
5. Stir in the cooked pasta and pour it all into a baking dish. I like to use a small 5″x8″ dish, but 8″x8″ will work fine too.
6. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top then bake until the cheese is melted and the pasta is golden and bubbly.

Tip for Success

• Don’t overcook the pasta. You want it cooked JUST to al dente, then by the time it’s done baking in that gorgeous pumpkin béchamel, it will be perfect.

I hope this Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta becomes a fall and winter staple for you and your family! We love this as an alternative to baked mac and cheese at Thanksgiving, but it’s a popular side (or even a main!) for weeknight dinner too.

Print

Creamy Pumpkin Baked Rigatoni

Rigatoni and creamy pumpkin bechamel sauce team up to create this simple, scrumptious macaroni-and-cheese-esque baked pasta dish.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Diet Vegetarian

Keyword creamy baked pumpkin pasta, creamy pumpkin baked pasta, creamy pumpkin pasta bake, pumpkin baked pasta

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 331kcal

Author Kare

Ingredients

• 8 ounces rigatoni pasta
• 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 1 cup finely diced onion about 1/2 large
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Boil the pasta until just al dente, according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking, and return to the pan you boiled it in. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to turn transparent, about 4 minutes.
• Add the flour, salt, and pepper. Stir constantly over medium heat for about three minutes.
• Stir in the milk and pumpkin. Add the bay leaf.
• Keeping on medium heat, whisk constantly for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
• Add the nutmeg and taste. Add additional nutmeg and more salt and pepper if desired.
• Remove sauce from heat. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
• Pour the sauce over the cooked rigatoni and gently toss until all pasta is coated.
• Pour coated pasta into a 5-inch x 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan, and then drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until it’s bubbly throughout and golden brown on the top.
• Serve.

Notes

Meat option:

Top with cooked, crumbled bacon when serving for the carnivores. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 335mg | Potassium: 377mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 6570IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 200mg | Iron: 1mg

More Pumpkin & Squash Pasta Recipes

• One-Pot Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
• Butternut Squash & Spinach Pasta Pie
• Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta Bake
• Vegan Mac & Cheese (with Sweet Potatoes & Butternut Squash)
• Stovetop Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
• Butternut Squash Tortellini

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