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Can’t get enough pumpkin this time of year? Then you’ll definitely want to make my Creamy Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta Bake a part of your meal plan this week! It’s cheesy, creamy, and full of all that pumpkin flavor you’re craving this fall.
Pure Fall Comfort Pasta
I don’t cook pasta nearly as often as I used to. Seriously, in high school and college, I probably ate pasta at least two or three times a week, and no, it wasn’t of the instant ramen variety.
But it’s not because I don’t love pasta anymore. I do. I just like to challenge myself to create more than just pasta sauces.
When I do create pasta sauces, they need to be special. And this one, certainly fits the bill. It’s full of spicy chorizo, creamy pumpkin, and crunchy kale. And who doesn’t like a healthy amount of cheese baked on top?
Farmers Market Ingredients and Substitutions
Sugar Pumpkins
Sugar pumpkin puree, or really any kind of squash puree, is really the star of this baked pasta recipe. Look for squash varieties with a creamy, not stringy, texture. Kabocha squash, butternut squash, and sugar pumpkins are all great choices. Don’t try to make this with spaghetti squash; neither the flavor or texture will be great if you do.
If you don’t want to go through the effort to make your own squash puree, you can use canned pumpkin. But be sure to find canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. The latter is full of spices, sugar, and fillers that you don’t want in this baked pasta dish.
Onions
This Pumpkin Pasta Bake recipe calls for yellow onions, but you can easily substitute with other onions you find at the farmers market. You’ll need about a half a cup total of chopped onions, so use whatever you have on hand.
Kale
Adding kale bumps up the nutritional value of this pasta bake. And while one bunch might seem like a lot of kale, it’ll wilt down handsomely. Leafy greens always melt down into almost nothing.
Any kale you find at the farmers market will work in this baked pasta; doesn’t matter if it’s curly kale, Lacinato kale, or Russian kale. And if you can’t find any kale at your farmers market, you can substitute with any dark, leafy green. Try it with swiss chard, spinach, or even collard greens.
Save those stems!
Leftover kale stems can be used to make either my Farmers Market Celebration Bread or this Savory Cheddar Dill Buttermilk Bread. Don’t let those good veggie bits go to waste.
Ground Pork
While this recipe calls for ground pork, you can easily substitute with either ground turkey or ground chicken. Both of these substitutes are leaner than pork, however, so you will likely need to add a little bit more liquid into the sauce to prevent it from feeling too dry. Consider adding a splash of cream into the sauce before baking to address the dryness.
Tips and Tricks
Don’t want to use canned pumpkin puree to make this Creamy Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta Bake? You don’t have to! Making your own squash puree is easy, but you’ll need to prepare ahead of time.
The first way to make your own pumpkin puree is to bake the whole pumpkin whole until it is soft. This will take some time, but is the easiest method for making the puree. Once the pumpkin is soft, you’ll be able to easily cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and puree the flesh.
However, if you’re short on time, I highly recommend using an Instant Pot. You’ll need to cut your pumpkins into chunks small enough to fit in your Instant Pot bowl, but you won’t be able to beat the speed. This method could be as fast as 25 minutes until you have some fresh pumpkin or squash puree. Use the wire rack that comes with your Instant Pot for the best results.
If you have leftover pumpkin puree, you should totally make my Caramel Kabocha Squash Pie; it’s the perfect pumpkin dessert to match this pumpkin pasta!
Serving Suggestions
This Creamy Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta Bake is very rich, so I wouldn’t serve it with anything more than a light side salad. Keep it simple so that the pasta remains the star of the dinner.
But what about the leftovers?
Leftover Pumpkin Pasta Bake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. It also freezes incredibly well; you can store your leftovers for up to three months in the freezer. Reheat the leftovers in the oven for the best results; you may need to add a splash of water or cream to bring the sauce back to its original consistency.
Creamy Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta Bake
Make my Creamy Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta Bake part of your meal plan this week! It's cheesy, creamy, and full of all the pumpkin flavor you're craving!
Ingredients
- 12 oz small pasta shapes, such as penne, macaroni, or gemelli
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 lb chorizo sausage, removed from casings if purchased as links
- 1½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt, to taste
- 14 oz pumpkin puree (either homemade or from a can)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped into bite sized pieces
- 1½ cups white cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup cilantro, finely diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 10-12 minutes or until al dente. Once the pasta has cooked, strain and keep to the side.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat avocado oil on medium high heat in a high walled oven-safe pan. Sauté onions until soft and translucent. Add the chorizo and sauté until the chorizo is fully cooked. Season the mixture with the smoked paprika, chili powder, red pepper flakes, and salt, to taste.
- Add the pumpkin puree and whole milk to the pan and stir until combined. Bring to a simmer, then add the kale. Stir the kale until wilted and incorporated into the sauce.
- Stir the reserved pasta into the the pan with the sauce until well incorporated. Top with the shredded white cheddar cheese and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and started to brown.
- Remove pasta bake from the oven and top with the chopped cilantro.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 728Total Fat: 47gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 1274mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 34g
Calculated nutrition values are not always accurate, but can provide a general idea for planning purposes. Please do not rely on this information as it may not be complete. Recipes that include unusual ingredients, especially scrap ingredients, will have the least accurate information with this calculator.
