PUMPKIN & BROWN BUTTER PASTA WITH CRISPY SAGE & TOASTED WALNUTS
Silky pumpkin sauce tossed with pasta, brown butter, crispy sage, and toasted walnuts — a weeknight dinner that tastes like October decided to stay for supper.About ten years ago, Costco was selling a fresh ravioli with a sauce suggestion printed right on the package: brown butter and sage. I made it once and immediately started telling everyone about it. My mom especially — she loved it. For a while it was the answer to every dinner that needed to feel like something without requiring much. And then, as these things go, it disappeared from the shelves. Gone. My mom still brings it up occasionally, in that particular tone reserved for things the world discontinued without asking permission.
I've never found those exact raviolis again. And I'm definitely not quite ready to make my own pasta from scratch — though one of these days I will, mostly for the bragging rights and but a small part because apparently that's something you should do in order to connect with your deep Italian roots. Until then, this is my answer: the same brown butter, the same crispy sage, but pumpkin standing in as the sauce itself. Silky, slightly sweet, clinging to every ridge of the pasta in a way that makes the whole thing feel intentional.
Nobody expects pumpkin to be dinner in October. That's exactly why it works. On the table in thirty minutes, and it tastes like the season decided to stay for supper.
Ingredients
- For the pasta:
- 12 oz pasta (rigatoni, pappardelle, or penne)
- Salt, for the pasta water
- For the pumpkin sauce:
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned — 100% pumpkin, not pie filling)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, reserved
- 1/4 cup parmesan, finely grated, plus more for serving
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of cayenne
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For the crispy sage and walnuts:
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 12–15 fresh sage leaves
- 1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- Flaky sea salt
Method
- 1 Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water before draining.
- 2 While the pasta cooks, make the crispy sage and walnuts: In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter. When it foams, add the sage leaves in a single layer. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the leaves are crisp and the butter is golden and nutty. Remove the sage with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the walnuts to the same butter and toast for 1–2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Reserve the brown butter from the pan.
- 3 In a large skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- 4 Add the pumpkin puree, nutmeg, cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine and cook for 2–3 minutes.
- 5 Add the reserved pasta water a splash at a time, stirring until the sauce is smooth, glossy, and coats the back of a spoon.
- 6 Add the drained pasta and toss well to coat. Add the parmesan and toss again. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- 7 Serve immediately, topped with the crispy sage leaves, toasted walnuts, a drizzle of the reserved brown butter, and extra parmesan.
Britt's note
Fresh pumpkin puree from a roasted sugar pumpkin gives a more complex flavor than canned, but good-quality canned pumpkin works beautifully and saves significant time.
The pasta water is not optional — it's what makes the sauce silky and helps it cling to the pasta. Don't skip reserving it.
A note for busy parents or anyone needing to meal prep in advance for a busy week ahead. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2 days — reheat gently on the stove top with a splash of water or stock to keep the sauce’s texture and consistency in tact.
Cook what's in season.
Nourish what you have.
Feed yourself the way you'd feed someone you love.
A deep breath in a beautiful life.
Talk soon.
— Britt
Roasting the squash first changes everything. The sugars concentrate, the edges caramelize, and what could be a flat puree becomes something deeply savory and complex. This soup takes about an hour, most of which is hands-off oven time. Make it Sunday. Eat it all week. It's better by day two anyway.