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Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta

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This Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta is baked with a quick pumpkin sauce made with bacon, shallots, Pecorino cheese and melted mozzarella cheese.

Baked Pumpkin Pasta

Pumpkin Pasta

Transform a can of pure pumpkin purée into a luscious, creamy pumpkin pasta sauce for a delicious fall comfort dish. This baked pumpkin pasta is cheesy and delicious, my husband loved how it turned out! Another pumpkin pasta dish I love is Pumpkin Mac n Cheese Recipe. See more pumpkin recipes here!

Baked Pumpkin Pasta

I’m really excited to share this pasta dish. I finally found a brand of whole wheat pasta that me and my family actually like. Even my husband couldn’t believe it was whole wheat and thought they had to be lying. The brand is Delallo, and I honestly can’t say enough good things about them.

Variations

  • I wanted to make this quick so I opted for canned pumpkin. But you can make your own homemade pumpkin puree which in my opinion always tastes best!
  • You could also use butternut squash in place of canned pumpkin if you wish.
  • If you’re eating gluten free, swap the whole wheat pasta for gluten-free pasta.

How to Make Pumpkin Pasta Sauce:

Canned pumpkin really has no taste so I added flavor by sauteeing some bacon and shallots. Then, I added a little fresh rosemary and Pecorino Romano to mimick a pumpkin pasta gnocchi dish I love ordering out, then thinned it out with some chicken broth. My husband just happened to walk in the door when it was ready, and I love getting his opinion because he’s brutally honest – and he loved it and even went back for seconds.

Storage

This can be prepared up to a day in advance and stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

Baked Pumpkin Pasta

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Baked Pumpkin Pasta Recipe

5 from 34 votes
8
Cals:307
Protein:16
Carbs:49
Fat:7
This Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta is baked in the oven with a quick pumpkin sauce made with bacon, shallots, Pecorino cheese and a touch of rosemary then topped with mozzarella cheese.
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Baked Pumpkin Pasta
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 generous cup

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Delallo uncooked whole wheat pasta, use gluten-free pasta
  • 2 slices center cut bacon, chopped
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 15 oz homemade pumpkin puree , or canned pumpkin
  • 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1/4 cup shredded Pecorino Romano cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella, I recommend: Polly-O

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×9-inch baking pan with oil spray. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  • Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat add chopped bacon and sauté until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add chopped shallot and cook 1 minute.
    skillet with pancetta and shallots
  • Add pumpkin, chicken broth, rosemary and 3 tbsp Pecorino Romano, stir and add salt and pepper to taste; simmer about 8 – 10 minutes.
    pumpkin sauce
  • Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions for al dente. Drain and add the pasta to the pumpkin sauce and mix well.
  • Transfer to the baking dish and spread evenly. Top with the remaining shredded Pecorino Romano and mozzarella.
    Pumpkin Pasta with cheese
  • Cover and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and the edges are lightly browned.
    Baked Pumpkin Pasta
  • Let it cool 5 minutes, then divide into 4 equal portions.

Last Step:

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Nutrition

Serving: 1 generous cup, Calories: 307 kcal, Carbohydrates: 49 g, Protein: 16 g, Fat: 7 g, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 14 mg, Sodium: 237 mg, Fiber: 8 g, Sugar: 5 g

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155 comments on “Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta”

  1. Absolutely wonderful. Had to sub Parmesan for the Pecorino as that is what I had. I used my puréed winter squash (autumn frost) which I roasted with a touch of sage. It added a touch of sweetness which complimented the dish nicely. Came together nicely. Will definitely make again. Love all your recipes. Yum. Yum.

  2. Avatar photo
    Brigida Sullivan

    Delicious! Some of my family is visiting us in Florida for the Christmas holidays, I made this last night. I made a marinated flank steak and served this as a side with two spears of asparagus. (I wanted to have the plate presentation look good. Needed some green🌴). Everyone raved about the pasta including the kids: 13, 11, and 9. I added more stock, a light sprinkle of nutmeg, sage instead of rosemary and about a cup of fat-free plain Greek yogurt. Used Fiber Gourmet rotini pasta. Can’t wait to make this again.

  3. Avatar photo
    Marian Facciani

    Outstanding recipe. My husband’s Italian family has a pumpkin ravioli recipe that is very similar to this sauce, so I used nutmeg and lemon zest for seasoning rather than rosemary. The smell and taste were fabulous. Next time I will add a little more broth to make it a little thinner sauce. I know my daughters will be over to eat the leftovers.

  4. This was SO GOOD! I omitted the bacon because we are trying to cut back on meat. I also used rice pasta and thyme because I don’t like rosemary. It was delicious even with those slight changes.

  5. This was delicious!!!!! To reheat, I added a tiny splash of skim milk before putting it in the microwave. I used Jovial GF pasta!!

    1. This was such a fantastic suggestion. I added a bit of milk and the leftovers came out great – not dry at all. Thanks!

  6. This recipe was amazing. I made it exactly how it was written, but added extra pasta. Next time I may double the sauce and noodles so it is enough for our family. I guess we eat a lot of pasta because this would not have been enough for all of us for dinner. But that is my only comment – because everyone finished every single last bite. Perfect as a meal or side for Thanksgiving. Thank you!

  7. I have this in the oven right now. My house smells amazing. This almost didn’t even make it into the oven because the pasta/sauce mixture on its own is so good.

  8. A savory meal that is simple, quick and easy to prepare. I substituted vegetable broth for the chicken broth, and a small onion for the shallot. I used bow tie pasta. I served it with salad. The results were a delicious meal for a cool evening. Wondering what else could be used in place of the bacon.

  9. I added chicken sausage, broccoli and thyme when making the sauce, and left out the bacon. Absolutely delicious!! Tastes like fall.  

    1. Anonymous, thanks for the suggestions! I added chicken sausage and broccoli to make it a full meal. Also I added thyme plus I added a bit of cumin.

  10. I’ve made this before and it was delicious but haven’t made it in years. I’m wondering if anyone has ever made this and then frozen it? If so how did it come out and how long did it last in the freezer? I’m expecting baby 3 in October and may want to have some freezer meals ready so my other 2 aren’t just eating junk from carry out 

  11. This recipe turned out great!  Even my husband and son liked it.  I used one of the sugar pie pumpkins I grew this year for the pumpkin purée.  

    I will definitely make this again!!  Thank you Gina!

  12. This is by far one of my favourite dishes ever. I make it with butternut squash and could eat a whole pan in a sitting!

  13. Wow is this good!  I browned a half pound of 99% fat free turkey with Italian seasoning,  garlic powder, onion powder, salt/pepper and red pepper flakes. Makes a meal. My husband loved it too

  14. I seasoned up some 99% fat free ground turkey, browned it and added it to this for a 1 dish dinner, well I made a salad to go with it, put it was really good

  15. Oh Em Gee. I cannot say enough about the deliciousness that is this recipe. The flavors explode in your mouth. I don’t like keeping pasta in the house because then I tend to eat it all of the time but buying a box is worth it for this recipe. Depending on my plan for the week, I sometimes cut the servings in half and just have a piece of simple grilled chicken next to it. And of course I always have side of veggies with this one. This extends the life of the recipe a bit also!

  16. I made this today to eat for lunch all week and it was delicious! I loved the salty tang that the bacon and cheese added. It was very hearty too, for only about 300 calories. Thanks for another winner!

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  18. Making this tonight! Had to double the recipe because my husband loved it so much the last time! It is soo delicious!!

  19. Avatar photo
    caliteachndesign

    This is good! I turned it vegetarian by using smoked paprika, diced reconstituted shiitake mushrooms, and the mushroom water instead of chicken broth. Also added a jalapeño to give it a kick. I might have preferred a bit more water (it was a little dry) and stirring the cheese in instead of leaving it on top, that way it would be cheesy throughout. But it was really good!

  20. i just made this last night with fresh pumpkin, it taste amazing! I did make a few substitutes and added more spicy. I… needed more flavor haha.

  21. Any thoughts on substituting the rosemary with sage? It's the only thing I happen to have on hand today.

    1. I substituted sage for rosemary (because I had fresh sage on hand) and it was SO GOOD. I never tried it with just the rosemary, but I made a note to self that the next time I make this to use sage again!

  22. Made this tonight and it was fantastic! I added spinach, mushrooms, and sage sausage to the dish. Needed to add a little more chicken broth, and would have added more pumpkin if I had another can 🙂 Still delicious, though.

  23. This dish was absolutely delicious and felt totally guilty to eat. It actually kind of tastes like a tomato based lasagna. Making it again tonight!

  24. Made this soon after you posted it and served with pumpkin beer. I don't love whole wheat pasta but this was a fun fall dish.

  25. Hi Gina,

    Love you recipes! I did this one the other night and it tasted wonderful but the sauce came out really thick more pasty than saucy. I am not sure if it was supposed to be that thick or not? Should I try using more chicken broth next time?

    Thanks!

  26. Made this tonight for dinners for the week!! Added turkey to it for protein, but also kept in the bacon! (who takes out bacon!?) My calories were upped to about 500 a serving, but with the turkey that also upped the protein to over 30g, so that's a whole meal! 🙂

  27. Just put this in the oven. Although I could only find organic Harris Teeter whole wheat Penne. Can't wait to try it.

  28. Avatar photo
    Fräulein Butter

    This was my first pumpkin dish ever. I LOVE IT! The texture of the pumpkin puree and the flavor of bacon and shallots. Yummi! Even my hubby gave it a try. He doesn´t like pumpkin, bc it is too sweet, but that recipe was okay for him. I will make that again!Thanks from Berlin/Germany

  29. This is amazing! I made it yesterday. My husband and I didn't even make it to the table to eat lol we stood at the counter and devoured this thank you for this recipe! The only thing I changed was adding chicken instead of bacon and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. It was so yummy

  30. This was amazing. My boyfriend and I both were not sure how we would like the pumpkin in it, but we are headed for vacation and wanted a quick dinner the night before. It tasted delicious!! HIGHLY recommend!

  31. I'm going to try this tonight! After trying three different stores however, I'm convinced pecorino romano cheese does not exist. At least not in central Minnesota. Therefore, I'm substituting regular shredded romano and grated parmesan reggiano.

  32. I liked this but it needed a bit more zip for me…maybe I just like things spicy! I noticed a post adding in some peppers – that might be the ticket. I'll be trying this again.

  33. This was truly delicious…I made it last night and I had to drive over to my parents to bring them some! The Rosemary is outstanding!

  34. Avatar photo
    Kristina Smith

    Yum! Yum! This is so good! I've made this several times and change it a little bit each time. My variation favorite so far is using fresh pumpkin, smoked pancetta, a bit of low-fat cream cheese in place of some of the pecorino and a nice spicy peperoncino cheese I get here in Italy instead of the mozzarella. This is also really good just on the stovetop–so creamy and delicious! My husband loves it too and can't believe that it's slimmed down at all.

  35. This was so delicious! I added a bit more rosemary and a splash of cream to the sauce… my husband and 2 year old gobbled it up!

  36. I do not know what I must have done wrong, as the reviews were very good, but I did not enjoy this at all 🙁 I felt it was very bland unless I found a piece of bacon in my bite.

  37. Avatar photo
    Dominic J Senese

    Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta …!

    I'm really excited to share this pasta dish, because I finally found a brand of whole wheat pasta. Easy to make, very tasty!
    We at www.sonomafarm.com selling Ricotta Cheese Pasta with Kalamata Olives and Blood Orange Olive Oil.

  38. I love everything pumpkin and all pastas. This looks so good. I love your site and check it regularly – so I was pleasantly surprised to see Delallo's pasta, because Delallo's is in my hometown in Pennsylvania! Everything they make is wonderful!

  39. Oh my.. I just have to thank you for giving me inspiration with this recipe!
    After being a pumpkin puree newbie and after a failed experiment with pumpkin oatmeal, I was stuck with over half a can of the puree. Most of the recipes I found were for deserts, until I stumbled upon yours. It seemed so simple, so I did a few tweaks (mainly adapted it as a noodle/spaghetti sauce base where canned tomatoes were replaced with pumpkin puree). It was soooo good and creamy!! Will definitely do something similar in the future!
    So thank you, and I look forward to trying more of your recipes in the future.

  40. Oh my.. I just have to thank you for giving me inspiration with this recipe!
    After being a pumpkin puree newbie and after a failed experiment with pumpkin oatmeal, I was stuck with over half a can of the puree. Most of the recipes I found were for deserts, until I stumbled upon yours. It seemed so simple, so I did a few tweaks (mainly adapted it as a noodle/spaghetti sauce base where canned tomatoes were replaced with pumpkin puree). It was soooo good and creamy!! Will definitely do something similar in the future!
    So thank you, and I look forward to trying more of your recipes in the future.

  41. I made this last night using veggie boullion (in place of chicken stock) and no bacon. It was amazing, and totally hit the spot for mac and cheese. Thanks!

    1. Thank you for this response! I was wondering if it would be lacking without the bacon and chicken stock — can't wait to try this!

  42. Made this last night! Hubby went back for seconds! I wanted to but refrained. It was delicious! Thanks for sharing!

  43. Does anyone know how this would freeze? I would love to make it ahead of time so I could heat it up at work throughout the week!

  44. Avatar photo
    LePetitCanard

    My husband refuses to go meatless (those two slices of bacon don't count)! 🙂 What would be good to add to this? Chicken? Sausage?

  45. Had this tonight and, as everyone has said, it was terrific. Wasn't sure how my husband would like it, but it was a big hit. Thanks for a great new addition to our menu rotation!

  46. Made this recipe last night was quick, easy, and really delicious! Thanks so much for sharing something I would've never thought to put together!

  47. Avatar photo
    Jessica White

    The Chicken Taco Chili is in the crockpot as I type, but this one is up for this weekend. Can't wait to try it!

  48. This was amazing! I have yet to find a recipe of yours that we didn't like! Thank you for sharing all your recipes so I can easily prepare healthy meals for my family! You are my go to site when planning my meals 🙂

  49. I am so excited that other people are beginning to have access to Delallo pastas and stuff. They started as a little italian store in my hometown (Jeannette – near Pittsburgh PA) and they always had the most wonderful stuff. Friends who had moved used to beg for boxes of Delallo sausages and cheeses.

  50. Hi Gina! Which supermarket did you find the pasta (i'm in NY also)? I am so going to make this!!
    TIA

  51. OMG !!!! I seriously could NOT stop picking at this when it came out of the oven and by the time I did stop I had a whole serving! Oh, and I completely forgot the rosemary but I suppose I will just have to make this again! This was GREAT!

  52. I made this last night, followed the recipe to a T (with the exception of adding a little kick with red pepper flakes), and it is incredibly good. I just ate some leftovers for lunch, and it warms up very well!

  53. Yum, this looks legit. Think some low or non fat creme cheese or sour cream would add a nice creamy texture without too many more calories? Maybe a 1/2 cup

  54. What about using diced ham? That's what I have now, I dont have bacon. What do you think the right amount of ham would be and how much would that change the nutritional facts?

  55. I made this last night, it was really good! The recipe didn't mention when to add the rosemary, so I just added it to the sauce while it was simmering.

    It's definitely best right out of the oven, the sauce and cheese dried up a bit the cooler that the dish got. I was practicing my WW routine of putting down my fork and taking a sip of water between bites, so the pasta was room temp by the end. Still delish and filling though!

  56. Avatar photo
    Karleen Torrance

    Delallo's started out as an Italian store in Jennette, PA (where I grew up). The store is still there and I always make a point to go there when I come home. They have a bakery that is great!.. If you ever get to come to the Pittsbugh/Jennette area it's worth a stop.

  57. DeLallo's was founded as a tiny marketplace grocery store about 10 minutes from where I grew up in Western Pa. They were *the* place to go for Italian groceries, and their pasta sauce is still the only one that (to me) can compare to homemade- try their oils as well, so good! Oddly enough, I've never tried their whole wheat pasta because I have always hated other brands. Thanks for the recipe. I just can't stop trying all of them on this website!

    1. Avatar photo
      Skinnytaste Gina

      Thank you, yes I heard that's where they are. Luckily they are selling their products all over now.

  58. you forgot to mention where the rosemary goes. I chopped it and mixed it in with the sauce before combining it with the pasta.

  59. Looks delish… going on next week's menu! Do you think that turkey bacon would work okay? Also: I've had great luck with Trader Joe's whole wheat pasta. It's also 100% whole grain and organic, but without the premium price. And it tastes a lot lighter than most whole wheat pastas I've tried (though I admit that Delallo is new to me.)

  60. This looks so great. I usually like to add some veggies into my pasta dishes… what veggies might go well in this kind of sauce?

  61. YUM! I just went grocery shopping and now I want to run back out to get these ingredients!! Looks delicious!!
    xo,
    lauren at www.lakeshorelady.com

  62. Avatar photo
    Georgia | The Comfort of Cooking

    I love this easy and scrumptious pumpkin pasta, Gina! It looks so easy and so comforting for brisk fall nights.

  63. Yummy! Gina, have you seen the contest on ABC for the Weight Watchers chef? You would win hands down! Your recipes are the best for Weight Watchers!

    1. Yes! Just saw this today and thought it would be perfect for Gina. I hope you can participate. I am sure you would win.

    2. They advertised it on the Chew! You would win! Please enter you are so talented. I love all your recipes

  64. So oddly I happen to have prosciutto in the house instead of bacon – any thoughts on the amount of prosciutto to equal the flavor of 2 slices of bacon?

  65. I was JUST looking for something quick to make for dinner tonight….this fits the bill perfectly!!

    1. I made this with spaghetti squash last night and it was delicious and had a nice texture! I added 2 extra strips of bacon (4 total) since I took out the pasta. I actually had a serving and a half to fill me up but I had also just come from the gym. I may try adding chicken to it next time.

    1. Avatar photo
      Skinnytaste Gina

      Yes, I mentioned that above. I think it would be better personally but I wanted to make a pumpkin recipe.