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Cheesy Pumpkin Pasta Bake

Cheesy pumpkin pasta bake with rigatoni tossed in a creamy pumpkin sauce and finished with a golden bubbling cheese crust. Prep-ahead friendly oven bake with Italian sausage for savory depth.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 820
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rigatoni or ziti
  • 1 lb rigatoni or ziti
Italian sausage
  • 1 lb Italian sausage
Onion
  • 1 onion, diced
Garlic
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
Pumpkin puree
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
Heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
Chicken broth
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
Cayenne
  • 0.25 tsp cayenne
Shredded mozzarella
  • 2 cup shredded mozzarella
Parmesan
  • 1 cup parmesan, grated
Fresh sage or basil garnish
  • 1 fresh sage or basil for garnish
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cook the rigatoni (or ziti) 2 minutes less than al dente so it stays firm after baking.
Brown sausage and build the sauce
  1. Brown the Italian sausage in a large oven-safe skillet and drain the fat. This keeps the sauce from getting greasy.
  2. Add the diced onion to the skillet and cook for 4 minutes. Stir until softened and lightly translucent.
  3. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Keep it moving so it doesn’t brown too much.
  4. Stir in the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, and cayenne. Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce looks smooth and cohesive.
  5. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Toss in the cooked pasta so everything is evenly coated.
Bake and finish
  1. Scatter the shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan over the top. Make sure it covers the surface for an even crust.
  2. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375°F until bubbling and golden on top. Garnish with fresh sage (or basil) right before serving.

Notes

For the thick, spoonable texture, simmer the pumpkin sauce until it looks slightly reduced before tossing with pasta. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days in a covered container; reheat in the oven or microwave until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the cream-based sauce can break after thawing. For a lighter option, swap heavy cream for half-and-half and add 2-3 minutes of extra simmer time to help the sauce thicken.