Pumpkin Pasta Bake with Crispy Sage, Kale and Buttered Pecans
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This cheesy pumpkin pasta bake comes out of the oven bubbly and cheesy and is loaded with comforting fall flavors – hearty pasta, kale, and gooey cheese are smothered in an easy-to-make creamy pumpkin sauce and topped off with butter pecans and earthy sage. It’s the perfect comfort food to add to your fall dinner rotation. Or make it for a standout Thanksgiving side!
This pumpkin pasta bake with kale and buttered pecans is everything I love about fall cooking wrapped up in one bubbling casserole dish. It’s creamy, comforting, and loaded with those warm, cozy flavors that make you want to curl up on the couch with a giant bowl. And the best part? It’s wonderfully simple to make.
The pumpkin sauce is silky and flavorful, clinging to every piece of pasta in the most irresistible way. A handful of kale gets stirred in for color and texture, and the whole thing bakes into a golden, bubbly dream. It’s the kind of dish that feels impressive but comes together with easy, no-stress steps.
And then there are the crispy sage leaves and buttered pecans — the stars on top. The sage brings an herbaceous note while the pecans add a toasty crunch that makes every bite feel special and totally crave-worthy. Whether you’re serving this for a cozy weeknight dinner or bringing it to a fall gathering, this pasta bake always disappears fast.
Ingredients needed
This pasta pumpkin bake calls for ingredients that come together to make a bubbly pan of delicious fall comfort – gather these items:
- Short pasta: Opt for a short pasta, like fusilli or penne. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water to thin out the sauce as desired.
- Salted butter: For toasting the pecans and crisping the sage leaves.
- Sage leaves: Add a fragrant and earthy herb that tastes like fall.
- Pecans: Coarsely chopped pecans bring a nutty crunch.
- Olive oil: For sautéing the veggies.
- Vegetables: Red onion and kale balance the dish.
- Garlic: For savory depth.
- Canned pumpkin: Luscious and velvety pumpkin adds a rich base to the sauce.
- Cheese: Cottage cheese adds a creamy tang, and mozzarella melts into a gooey golden topping.
- From the spice rack: Sea salt, black pepper, and cayenne enhance and balance all the other flavors.
What to serve with this pumpkin pasta bake
This baked pumpkin pasta dish is a cozy comfort food that can be enjoyed as a meal on its own or as a tasty side. This is the perfect side dish to for fall dinners and is a stand out side, potluck favorite, and great for Thanksgiving feasts.
Enjoy this next to a crisp salad, such as this brussels sprouts caeser salad or this arugula wild rice salad. Round out the meal with some sauteed asparagus or roasted broccoli and carrots.
Or serve beside a protein such as braised pork ribs, or contrast the creaminess with a citrus twist, like this lemon herb butter roast chicken.
Pumpkin Pasta Bake with Kale and Buttered Pecans
Ingredients
- 12 ounces short pasta
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 10 whole fresh sage leaves
- ½ cup pecans (coarsely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium red onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 14 ounce canned pumpkin
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon EACH: black pepper and cayenne
- 8 ounces mozzarella (grated)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta, and then return it to the pot.12 ounces short pasta
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the recipe. Melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the whole sage leaves and cook until they're crispy, about 1 minute. Remove them from the pan and set them aside.1 tablespoon salted butter, 10 whole fresh sage leaves
- In the same pan, add the pecans and let them toast until they are fragrant, about 5 minutes.½ cup pecans
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook till soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and kale and cook until the kale is wilted, about 2 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium red onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 cups chopped kale
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix the pumpkin, cottage cheese, sage, black pepper, cayenne, and salt.14 ounce canned pumpkin, 1 cup cottage cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage, ½ teaspoon EACH: black pepper and cayenne, 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Pour the pumpkin sauce over the cooked pasta, add the kale and half of the mozzarella cheese, and mix well. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved pasta water until it is nice and creamy.8 ounces mozzarella
- Transfer the pasta to a 9×11-inch casserole dish and top with the remaining mozzarella, crispy sage leaves, and buttered pecans. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes, or until the pasta is hot and bubbling.
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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This came out great. Will definitely be making again. I did take the advise of one of the reviewers who said the sauce was too thick and needed to be thinned out. While blending I adding some half and half and once I mixed it all together with the pasta, it was still a bit too thick so I added some reserved pasta water. Instead of a cup of cottage cheese I used 1/2 cup plus another 1/2 cup of ricotta. I used the mozzarella per the directions but I also topped everything with 1/2 cup of grated fontina cheese before popping it into the oven. I also used rotini, not fusilli. I noticed the photos of this recipe was different than the directions of the recipe. You said to chop the sage and the pecans, yet your photo shows full pecans and full sage leaves. I guess you did it that way because it photographed better.
I’m sorry to hear that it wasn’t a hit for you.
Definitely a keeper! We loved it. I did change it up a bit:
Subbed smoked paprika for cayenne, since we’re not huge fans of spicy hot.
Put the cottage cheese and pumpkin in the blender to make it nice and smooth.
And then I reserved a bit of mozzarella and the nuts, threw everything in the pasta pot, mixed it up, topped it with the cheese and nuts and popped it in the oven.
I didn’t see much point in layering the ingredients. It’s not lasagna, and I really did want the sauce and all the goodies well-integrated with the pasta. Also, I was running out of time and it seemed simpler to just mix it all up.
Good call on mixing it up rather than layering. Definitely a time saver! So happy to hear that the recipe as a hit!
Ahhhh mazing. So so good. For my hubby I thew in some sausage instead of the pecans. Instant favorite for all of us including our one year old baby girl; who said, and I quote, ” mmmmmmm” and cleaned her plate.
Awww I love it! Best compliment!
We love this! I thought the pecans would be strange but everyone agreed that they made the recipe. Will make it again!
I’m so happy you liked the recipe!
Delicious!! My husband and I couldn’t stop eating it! I loved the contrast of the pecans to the creamy sauce and I thought the use of red onion was really unique. We are adding this to the fall dinner rotation!
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit!!
Super excited to try this tonight! Swapping ricotta for cottage cheese (because cottage cheese freaks me out) and adding some ground turkey (browning it in the dutch oven after the onions but before the kale) at the request of the BF – fingers crossed it all works, it sounds divine!
I hope you love it!!
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t love it.