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–+ servings
A rectangular white baking dish filled with baked pumpkin pasta—creamy pasta layered with melted cheese, pecans, and herbs—while a wooden spoon scoops this comforting pumpkin pasta bake from one corner.

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Bake with Crispy Sage and Pecans

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Short pasta in a savory pumpkin and cottage cheese sauce with kale and red onion, baked under mozzarella and finished with sage leaves and pecans crisped in butter.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces short pasta
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter
  • 10 whole fresh sage leaves
  • ½ cup raw 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, NOT pumpkin pie mix
  • 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
    A pot filled with cooked rotini pasta, perfect for transforming into a delicious baked pumpkin pasta, sits on a light-colored countertop.
  • 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
    White pot on a marble surface with melted butter and fresh sage leaves being stirred by a spatula, perfect for infusing flavor into a cozy baked pumpkin pasta or pumpkin pasta bake.
  • In the same pan, add the pecans and let them toast until they are fragrant, about 5 minutes.
    ½ cup raw pecans
    Chopped pecans scattered in a white enamel pot on a marble surface, ready to add the perfect crunch to your baked pumpkin pasta.
  • 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
    Sautéed kale and red onions in a beige skillet on a white surface, perfect as a vibrant side or topping for your favorite baked pumpkin pasta.
  • 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
    A whisk in a white bowl with orange batter for baked pumpkin pasta sits on a marble surface.
  • 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
    A white bowl filled with spiral baked pumpkin pasta mixed with vegetables, greens, and a red-orange sauce, with a wooden-handled fork resting inside.
  • Transfer the pasta to a 9x11-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.
    Baked pumpkin pasta casserole with fusilli, melted cheese, herbs, and chopped pecans in a white dish with a wooden spoon.
Serving: 1 serving = ⅙ of the recipe, Calories: 490kcal, Carbohydrates: 54g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 39mg, Sodium: 765mg, Potassium: 483mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 12946IU, Vitamin C: 26mg, Calcium: 332mg, Iron: 3mg