3-Ingredient Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

A comforting pasta dish featuring whole wheat pasta tossed in a luxurious sauce made with heavy cream and pumpkin purée, seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper.

4 servings
20 min

Ingredients

  • 1 pound whole wheat short pasta (such as penne, rigatoni, fusilli, or shells)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • cups heavy cream
  • ¾ cup pure pumpkin purée
  • ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • divided
  • plus more

Cooking Instructions

  1. 1.

    Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

    12 min

  2. 2.

    Meanwhile, bring cream to a simmer in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Whisk in pumpkin purée; season with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.

    4 min

  3. 3.

    Add pasta and 1 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid to skillet and cook, tossing to coat, until sauce has reduced, 3-4 minutes. Season with remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Top with freshly ground pepper before serving.

    4 min