This creamy pumpkin sage pasta is not only absolutely divine, but it's healthy and balanced, coming together in just under 30 minutes and using only one pot and one pan for minimal clean up!
Freshly minced shallots, garlic cloves and sage come together to create an aromatic and flavorful base. Ground chicken is added for a healthy, lean protein source. Pumpkin puree is the star of the show, providing the ultimate cozy essence while also adding fiber and essential nutrients. A small amount of half and half and grated parmesan cheese provides creaminess while keeping the dish from becoming overly indulgent and lastly, the pasta is added in to provide complex carbohydrates and add satiety to the dish!
While you can enjoy this dish year round, it's particularly perfect to enjoy during the colder months in the fall or winter time when pumpkin is in season!
If you love this recipe, you will love my high protein sage and butternut squash pasta or my Tortellini bake with boursin and tomato.
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Ingredients
- Shallot, finely minced
- Fresh sage, finely minced
- Garlic cloves, finely minced: together with the fresh sage and shallot provides aromatics that pair nicely with the pumpkin puree in the dish.
- Avocado Oil: a heart healthy oil with a high smoke point, great for cooking at high temps.
- Ground chicken or Turkey: serves as a lean protein source for this dish!
- Salt & Pepper
- Can of Pumpkin Puree: star of the dish, offering fiber, nutrients and the essence of fall!
- Half and half: Added in small portion to add creaminess to the dish without becoming overly indulgent.
- Pasta water
- Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Pasta of Choice: choose whole wheat, quinoa, chickpea or lentil pasta for healthier options!
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Start by finely mincing your shallot, sage and garlic cloves.
- Next, add a drizzle of avocado oil to a medium pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add in your minced shallots, sage and garlic cloves. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until your shallots start to become translucent and your garlic, sage and shallot become aromatic.
- Next, add in your ground chicken or turkey to the pan. Use a meat mincer utensil or a wooden spoon to break apart the ground poultry. Then season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook your ground poultry for 7-8 minutes, stirring and continuing to break apart the poultry occasionally until it is no longer pink and has reached an internal temperature of 165 F.
- While your ground chicken or turkey is cooking, boil some water and cook your pasta according to the instructions on the back of the packaging. Make sure to reserve ¼ cup of pasta water towards the end of your cooking time before draining the pasta.
- Once your ground poultry is cooked through, lower your heat and then add in a can of pumpkin puree to the chicken along with ¼ cup of half and half. Stir until everything is well combined and then season with some more salt and pepper to taste along with 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan. Stir again until the seasonings and cheese are evenly distributed.
- Lastly, add in the ¼ cup pasta water to the pan and then add in your drained pasta. Stir until everything is completely combined and your pasta is evenly coated with the creamy pumpkin chicken sauce. Serve, garnish with some additional grated parmesan cheese (optional) & enjoy!
Hint: freshly grated parmesan tastes best in this dish, but feel free to use store bought pre-grated parmesan as well!
Substitutions
- Ground Chicken - as stated earlier, feel free to substitute for ground turkey if you're not able to find ground chicken or prefer turkey.
- Gluten-Free - Make sure to use gluten-free pasta to make this dish gluten-free.
- Dairy-Free - use coconut milk and dairy-free parmesan cheese to make this dish dairy-free.
- Vegetarian- Use cannelini beans, great northern beans or ground tempeh instead of ground chicken or turkey to make this dish vegetarian!
Variations
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish
This dish is already kid and toddler friendly as is!
Equipment
All you need to make this pumpkin sage pasta is:
- A Medium Pan: I just bought the ceramic Caraway pan and I am obsessed!
- A Medium Pot: I just bought the ceramic Caraway Pot and I love it!
- Digital Meat Thermometer: This is a similar meat thermometer to the one I have, and I use it every time I cook meat or poultry of any kind!
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I make a small commission if you choose to purchase through qualifying links.
Storage
After bringing your leftovers to room temperature, you can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days in an air-tight container.
FAQ
Any type of pasta works, but short pasta like penne, rigatoni, or fusilli holds the sauce well. If you prefer long pasta, fettuccine or linguine are great options too.
Yes, but fresh sage provides a more vibrant flavor. If using dried sage, reduce the amount by about half as dried herbs are more concentrated.
If the sauce thickens too much, you can thin it out by adding a splash of pasta cooking water, chicken broth, or milk.
Dinner
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Fall
Looking for other fall recipes like this one? try these:
Jump to: Recipe
Creamy Pumpkin Sage Pasta
Equipment
- 1 Medium Pan
- 1 Medium pot
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Shallot finely minced
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh sage finely minced
- 2-3 Large Garlic cloves finely minced: together with the fresh sage and shallot provides aromatics that pair nicely with the pumpkin puree in the dish.
- 1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil
- 1 Pound Ground Chicken or Turkey
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
- 1 Can Pumpkin Puree Make sure not to get pie filling.
- ¼ Cup Half and half
- ¼ Cup Pasta water
- 2 Tablespoon Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 8 Ounces Pasta of Choice Choose whole wheat, quinoa, chickpea or lentil pasta for healthier options!
Instructions
- Start by finely mincing your shallot, sage and garlic cloves.
- Next, add a drizzle of avocado oil to a medium pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add in your minced shallots, sage and garlic cloves. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until your shallots start to become translucent and your garlic, sage and shallot become aromatic.
- Next, add in your ground chicken or turkey to the pan. Use a meat mincer utensil or a wooden spoon to break apart the ground poultry. Then season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook your ground poultry for 7-8 minutes, stirring and continuing to break apart the poultry occasionally until it is no longer pink and has reached an internal temperature of 165 F.
- While your ground chicken or turkey is cooking, boil some water and cook your pasta according to the instructions on the back of the packaging. Make sure to reserve ¼ cup of pasta water towards the end of your cooking time before draining the pasta.
- Once your ground poultry is cooked through, lower your heat and then add in a can of pumpkin puree to the chicken along with ¼ cup of half and half. Stir until everything is well combined and then season with some more salt and pepper to taste along with 2 tablespoons of grated parmesan. Stir again until the seasonings and cheese are evenly distributed.
- Lastly, add in the ¼ cup pasta water to the pan and then add in your drained pasta. Stir until everything is completely combined and your pasta is evenly coated with the creamy pumpkin chicken sauce. Serve, garnish with some additional grated parmesan cheese (optional) & enjoy!
- Hint: freshly grated parmesan tastes best in this dish, but feel free to use store bought pre-grated parmesan as well!
Notes
Nutrition
FOOD SAFETY
- Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 F
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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