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Cheesy Roasted Pumpkin & Sage Pasta Bake

Cheesy roasted pumpkin & sage pasta bake with a velvety pumpkin-cream sauce and bubbly melted mozzarella. Rigatoni or penne gets coated in the smooth sauce, then baked until golden and finished with crisp fried sage.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rigatoni or penne pasta
  • 1 lb rigatoni or penne pasta
Roasted pumpkin
  • 2 cup cubed pumpkin, roasted
Olive oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil for frying sage
Garlic
  • 3 garlic, minced
Cream and broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Cheeses
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Sage
  • 8 fresh sage leaves
Seasoning
  • 1 salt and pepper, to taste

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Roast the pumpkin
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the cubed pumpkin with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast on a sheet pan for 20–25 minutes, until tender.
  2. Reduce the oven to 375°F.
Cook pasta
  1. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, then drain.
Make the pumpkin-sage cream sauce
  1. Blend the roasted pumpkin, garlic, heavy cream, broth, and parmesan cheese until smooth.
Fry the sage
  1. Fry the sage leaves in a small pan with a bit of olive oil until crisp, about 1 minute, then set aside.
Bake
  1. Toss the cooked pasta with the pumpkin sauce and transfer to a baking dish.
  2. Top evenly with mozzarella cheese and bake for 15–20 minutes, until bubbly and golden.
  3. Garnish with the crispy fried sage before serving.

Notes

For extra silkiness, blend the hot pumpkin sauce in batches so it turns fully smooth before mixing with pasta. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat in the oven or microwave until hot. Freezing is not recommended due to the cream texture. For a lighter option, use half-and-half in place of heavy cream, keeping the parmesan and mozzarella for the same cheesy finish.