Pumpkin is obviously the most quintessential fall flavor. And its a flavor that people love. Starbucks has capitalized on this by starting to sell their famous Pumpkin Spice Latte's starting in August, which isn't even close to being fall, at least in New Jersey, where the weather at the end of August is usually still in the 80s (at least!). Now that it's October it finally feels like fall. And I've started making pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING. Ive done pumpkin whoopie pies, monkey bread, cinnamon rolls...and I keep trying to add pumpkin to more recipes. The first recipe I'm posted from my pumpkin recipe making extravaganza is this Creamy Pumpkin Pasta.
Most people think of sweet baked goods when they think of pumpkin flavored foods. Hence why I've already made a bunch of pumpkin desserts this season already. But pumpkin can be put in sweet or savory foods and be delicious either way!
This pasta recipe is definitely a more savory use of pumpkin. But it still ends up being a little bit sweet and very creamy. The spinach in it makes it healthy as far as I'm concerned, as I'm always trying to sneak in healthy ingredients into recipes. But the spinach also gives the recipe an extra flavor and texture that makes it even more delicious.
This Creamy Pumpkin Pasta recipe has only a few ingredients, and you can make this recipe easily in less than a half hour. I used shredded rotisserie chicken to save even more time, as I always have some of this on hand. If you want this dish to be vegetarian you can just leave out the rotisserie chicken.
It's really the perfect weeknight meal for when you are busy. And in my house I am always looking to save time on making dinner!
Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 8 oz cavatappi
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tsp rubbed sage
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 oz baby spinach
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Set aside.
- In a large skillet melt the butter. Add in the minced garlic and sage and cook until golden and fragrant, about a minute.
- Whisk in the pumpkin and heavy cream and cook until heated through. Add in the baby spinach and cook until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Add the shredded chicken to the skillet until heated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce. Top with Parmesan and serve immediately.
