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Brown Butter Sage and Sausage Pumpkin Pasta

A comforting autumn pasta dish featuring savory Italian sausage, a luscious creamy pumpkin sauce, and fresh sage leaves crisped to perfection in nutty brown butter.

Prep 10 min Cook 25 min Total 35 min Level Easy

Serves 4

Ingredients

Pasta and Sausage

12 oz Rigatoni or penne pasta — Or any short tubular pasta
1 lb Italian sausage — Mild or spicy, casings removed

Brown Butter & Sage

4 tbsp Unsalted butter — Cut into pieces
20 leaves Fresh sage leaves — Stems removed

Pumpkin Sauce

3 cloves Garlic — Minced
1 cup Pumpkin puree — 100% pure pumpkin, not pie filling
0.5 cups Heavy cream — Room temperature
0.5 cups Chicken broth — Low sodium
0.5 cups Parmesan cheese — Freshly grated, plus more for garnish
0.125 tsp Ground nutmeg — A pinch
0.25 tsp Red pepper flakes (optional) — Adjust to taste
1 tsp Kosher salt — To taste
0.5 tsp Black pepper — Freshly cracked

Instructions

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
~12 min
Don't forget to save the pasta water! Its starch helps the creamy sauce cling to the noodles.
While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Let it bubble and cook until it begins to smell nutty and brown specks form at the bottom. Immediately add the sage leaves and let them crisp up for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
~4 min
Watch the butter closely as it can go from perfectly browned to burnt very quickly.
Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the crispy sage leaves and set them aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
~1 min
In the same skillet with the brown butter, add the Italian sausage. Cook over medium-high heat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until completely browned and cooked through.
~7 min
Leave the browned bits in the pan; they add tremendous flavor.
Reduce heat to medium. Add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes to the sausage, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
~1 min
Stir in the pumpkin puree, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Let it simmer until slightly thickened.
~5 min
If the sauce looks too thick, splash in some of the reserved pasta water.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Add the cooked, drained pasta to the sauce, tossing vigorously to coat.
~3 min
Serve the pasta in warm bowls, garnished with the reserved crispy sage leaves and extra grated Parmesan cheese.
~2 min
Crumble a few of the sage leaves directly over the pasta for flavor in every bite.

Nutrition

780

Calories

Protein (g)

Carbs (g)

Fat (g)

Sat. Fat (g)

Fiber (g)

Sugar (g)

980

Sodium (mg)

115

Cholesterol (mg)

Equipment

Large pot
Large deep skillet
Wooden spoon
Slotted spoon
Tongs

Tips & Storage

Make sure you buy 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is pre-sweetened and spiced.
If you want to lighten the recipe up slightly, you can swap the heavy cream for half-and-half, but the sauce will be slightly less rich.
Spicy Italian sausage pairs wonderfully with the sweet notes of the pumpkin, but sweet/mild sausage works perfectly if you prefer no heat.
Storage: Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of chicken broth or water to loosen the cream sauce.