Pumpkin Parmesan Pasta

The most delicious and comforting bowl of cool weather pasta awaits! Pumpkin Parmesan Pasta is prepared with a creamy sauce made with pumpkin puree, heavy cream, sour cream, and vegetable stock. Finished with freshly grated parmesan and fresh sage, this is one pasta recipe you’ll to make over and over again!

I like to believe that I’m adventurous when it comes to trying new foods, but sometimes I’ll get stuck on the notion that I’m not going to like something just because – like this Pumpkin Parmesan Pasta, for example. My brain had convinced me that pumpkin should only ever be consumed in sweet recipes such as pies, cakes, cookies, etc. Savoury pumpkin dishes was just one of those things I was sure I was not going to like.

I remember a few years back, in a previous life before I met John.e, my then partner used to prepare a stew with pumpkin, potato, onions, tomatoes, chicken, and black olives. The smell was incredible! But, I would not try it. First of all, I’d have to be half starved to death to consume an olive of any type, but chunks of fresh pumpkin cooked in a stew was something I had convinced myself that I would not like.

Fast forward nearly 15 years later, and I find myself with a backyard garden and produce that I would once screw up my nose at, has become a favourite. Now, you will not need fresh pumpkin for this pasta. It is prepared with store-bought, canned pureed pumpkin. You should know by now that Lord Byron loves a good shortcut!

WELCOME TO A LORD BYRON CHRISTMAS!

I’m going to tell you all about this recipe and how you can make it in your home this holiday season, but first, I want to tell you about what you can expect from Lord Byron’s Kitchen this Christmas. I know we’re getting closer to the big day, so it’s time to get to the holiday-themed recipes! Over the past decade, I have built a reputation for sharing series-type recipes. The most popular would be my annual 24 Cookies of Christmas, which was fashioned after an advent calendar. But, I have others that are only 12 days, which were fashioned after the 12 Days of Christmas.

This particular recipe is a part of my first holiday series for this year. So, welcome, Dear Reader, to Lord Byron’s 12 Holiday Pumpkin Recipes Series. Just like every other series that I’ve shared over the years, this one will also see a new recipe shared each day for the next 12 days – even on Saturday and Sunday! You might be asking yourself, how many Christmas recipes could one possibly have or need? Well, I say you can never have too much of a good thing. And, I love having lots of choices. Who wants to prepare the same holiday recipes year after year?

SUBSCRIBE NOW AND NEVER MISS ANOTHER RECIPE!

Traditionally, every year I share a series of recipes that you might already be familiar with. For example, I’ve previously shared 12 Holiday Trifles, 12 Holiday Bars & Squares, and even these 12 Edible Holiday Wreath recipes! Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! And, just in case you’re curious, you can see previous annual posts for my 24 Cookies of Christmas Series here!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Pasta – I’m using penne pasta, but any short-shaped pasta shape will do.
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Onion
• Garlic – Use freshly minced garlic for best results.
• Pumpkin Puree – Most of us buy this in a can, but you can make it yourself.  It is peeled and cooked pumpkin that has been pureed without the addition of any other ingredients.
• Vegetable Stock – Use low sodium vegetable stock so that you can easily control the saltiness of the finished dish.
• Sour Cream
• Cream – Sometimes referred to as heavy cream or whipping cream.
• Pumpkin Spice – This is a blend of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.  Depending on the brand, allspice is sometimes absent, but I think the flavour is better with it. I have a homemade version that I use for everything. You can find it here.
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• Parmesan Cheese
• Fresh Sage and Fresh Parsley

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN PARMESAN PASTA

Bring a pot of water to a full boil. Add a good pinch of salt and the pasta. Cook until just al dente. Drain and set aside. Add the butter, olive oil, and onion to a large skillet. Over medium heat, cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the minced garlic. Stir into the onions and cook for 3 minutes.

Next, add the pumpkin puree, vegetable stock, both the heavy and sour cream, pumpkin seasoning blend, salt, and ground black pepper. Whisk to combine with the onions and garlic. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook the sauce for 10 minutes.

Add the cooked pasta and and stir into the sauce. Continue to cook for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the sage and half of the parmesan cheese. Plate and garnish with more parmesan, sage, and fresh parsley. Serve immediately.

HERE’S WHAT YOU WILL NEED TO MAKE A PUMPKIN SPICE BLEND

If you do not have a jar of store-bought or pre-made pumpkin spice seasoning blend on hand, you can make your own quite easily. Most of us have a spice rack or cabinet with the following ingredients in it. You can find the exact amound needed right here!

• Cinnamon – Cinnamon is a spice created from the inner bark of the Cinnamomum tree.   The bark is dried until it curls into a roll known as a cinnamon stick.  These are ground into powder.  Commonly found in baked goods, cinnamon is aromatic with a warming flavour.
• Ginger – Ground ginger is fresh ginger that has been peeled and dried before being ground into a powder.  It has a pale yellow in colour and a pungent, spicy smell.  It adds a warming, spicy flavour to recipes.
• Nutmeg – Nutmeg is a seed that comes in whole or ground form.  It is a key ingredient in many baked goods and is essential to anything eggnog related.  I often use it in fall dishes, especially in mashed potatoes!
• Allspice – Contrary to what its name suggests, allspice isn’t a blend of other spices.  Allspice comes from a dried brown berry from a tree.  It is a warm-tasting spice and is very aromatic.
• Cloves – Ground cloves come from whole cloves which have been finely ground.  They are a flower bud that comes from the clove tree.  Whole dried cloves look like small nails.  The name clove comes from the Latin word for nail.  They are extremely fragrant and commonly found in spiced cakes and confections.

PARMESAN CHEESE

I know a wedge of parmesan – even a small one – can be anywhere from 12 to 20 dollars. So, you can use other cheeses that will save you a few bucks. My go-to cheese if I can’t get good parmesan is pecorino romano. It has a very similar taste and texture.

I have another option that’s a little outside the box, but don’t knock it until you try it! Have you heard of nutritional yeast? It’s quite good and is an ingredient many vegans will use as a parmesan alternative. Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast commonly used as an ingredient in creamy, dairy-free cheese substitutes. You can often find it used as a topping for foods like my Doritos Cool Ranch Popcorn.

I’ve also used it in my Homemade Ranch Seasoning, which is great stirred into buttermilk to make a salad dressing. Or into sour cream for a very tasty ranch dip! I’ve also used it in this Garlic Bread recipe. Honestly, Dear Reader, it’s delicious!

HEAVY CREAM VS WHIPPING CREAM

Confession time – I use them both interchangeably, depending on what is available at the store, or whatever is on sale! Both of these can be quite costly. If memory serves me correctly, a 250mL carton, or one cup, here in Canada, will run just short of $5! There is a difference in the two, but not enough to concern yourself with when it comes to Pumpkin Parmesan Pasta.

Just in case you’re interested, the most basic difference is the amount of fat contained in both. Whipping cream has 35% fat. It can be whipped into peaks and it’s also rich enough that it won’t curdle when heated in soups and sauces. It’s nearly identical to heavy cream so if a recipe calls for heavy cream and you can only find whipping cream, feel free to use that instead. In contrast, heavy cream, which is sometimes called heavy whipping cream, contains about 38% fat. Either of those would work well in this recipe. I used 35% whipping cream.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!

Finally, as I stated previously, every day I will be posting a new recipe. If you miss one, don’t fret. You can find my entire collection of Christmas Recipes right here! There are over 200 Christmas recipes and counting. There’s something for everyone! Cheers!