Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

So this is one of the FIRST pumpkin dishes that I make every fall season (and it doesn't have a hint of pumpkin spice to it). It's a savory pumpkin pasta dish with a creamy pasta sauce that's just delicious.

Now, I love all things pumpkin spice as much as the next girl, but the special thing about this particular comfort food is that the kids love it because you are serving them a creamy, cheesy pasta dish. Moms love it because you have successfully incorporated a really healthy vegetable into that dish (and if you didn't want to tell them that you did it, well, you really wouldn't have to).

The pumpkin in this dish is not an overwhelming pumpkin flavor at all. It just adds fiber, vitamins A and E, and some antioxidants - which since the beginning of fall is also the beginning of cold and flu season, makes this recipe a go-to mom favorite!

The cheeses and the pumpkin blend together well with the nutmeg, and you can add as much heat as you want with the red pepper! And as an added bonus, you can make the whole dish in about 30 minutes or less. What's not to love about that?

Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

16 oz. rigatoni or penne pasta

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, cubed

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 stick butter

1 cup milk

1 cup pumpkin puree*

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

ground nutmeg to taste

1. Cook pasta to package directions.
2. While pasta is cooking, place cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, butter, and milk in a large saucepan. Cook on low heat until cream cheese is melted, stirring frequently. Add pumpkin* and spices. Cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.
3. Add sauce to pasta and toss lightly. Serve topped with additional nutmeg or Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Note: if you DID take it upon yourself to make your own pumpkin puree, of course this will be frozen and you will need to thaw it before making the recipe.