Description
A rich and comforting Brown Butter Pumpkin Alfredo Pasta recipe featuring a creamy pumpkin sauce infused with browned butter, fresh sage, and warm spices, tossed with al dente rigatoni and topped with crispy bacon and parmesan. Perfect for a cozy autumn meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 lb dried rigatoni (or any short cut pasta of choice)
- Kosher salt, for pasta water
Bacon
- 4–6 strips of bacon, cooked & chopped into pieces
Brown Butter Pumpkin Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped sage leaves
- 1 cup canned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain pasta without rinsing and set aside.
- Brown the butter: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven with a light-colored interior, melt the butter over medium heat. Allow it to bubble and foam, watching carefully. The butter will change color from clear to light golden, then to deep brown with a nutty aroma and brown bits forming at the bottom. This process takes about 5-7 minutes and must be monitored closely to avoid burning.
- Add the flavor agents: Stir in the minced garlic and fresh sage leaves into the browned butter. Cook for 1-2 minutes, scraping any brown bits from the pot with a wooden spoon to release their flavor. Then add the pumpkin purée, nutmeg, cardamom, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly.
- Simmer the sauce: Pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine. Let the sauce simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until it thickens slightly and all the flavors meld together.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add the cooked rigatoni back into the pot with the pumpkin sauce. Stir in the grated parmesan and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Mix well until the sauce coats the pasta evenly. If the sauce feels too thick, add more pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve: Plate the pasta immediately. Top with the chopped crispy bacon and an additional sprinkle of parmesan cheese if desired. Serve hot and enjoy your cozy brown butter pumpkin Alfredo pasta.
Notes
- Use canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling, for the best flavor and texture.
- Do not leave the butter unattended when browning as it can burn quickly.
- Reserve pasta water to help loosen the sauce if needed for perfect consistency.
- Fresh sage adds a lovely herbal note, but you can substitute with dried sage if unavailable (use about 1 teaspoon dried).
- For a vegetarian version, omit bacon and optionally add toasted nuts or crispy fried sage leaves.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Keywords: Brown Butter, Pumpkin Alfredo, Pasta, Autumn Recipe, Comfort Food, Rigatoni, Sage, Bacon
