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Pumpkin Pasta Bake Recipe
This cheesy pumpkin pasta bake comes out of the oven bubbly and cheesy and is loaded with comforting fall flavors - hearty pasta, nutritious kale, and gooey cheese are smothered in an easy-to-make and healthy creamy pumpkin sauce and topped off with butter pecans and earthy sage. It's the perfect comfort food to add to your fall dinner rotation. Or make it for a standout Thanksgiving side!
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 490 kcal
Course:
Dinner
Cuisine:
North American
Ingredients
- 12 12 ounces short pasta
- 1 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 10 10 whole fresh sage leaves
- ½ ½ cup pecans coarsely chopped
- 1 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
- 2 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 2 cups chopped kale
- 14 14 ounce canned pumpkin
- 1 1 cup cottage cheese
- 2 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 1 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ ½ teaspoon EACH: black pepper and cayenne
- 8 8 ounces mozzarella grated
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water, drain the pasta, and then return it to the pot.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the recipe. Melt the butter in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the whole sage leaves and cook until they're crispy, about 1 minute. Remove them from the pan and set them aside.
- In the same pan, add the pecans and let them toast until they are fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook till soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and kale and cook until the kale is wilted, about 2 minutes.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix the pumpkin, cottage cheese, sage, black pepper, cayenne, and salt.
- Pour the pumpkin sauce over the cooked pasta, add the kale and half of the mozzarella cheese, and mix well. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved pasta water until it is nice and creamy.
- Transfer the pasta to a 9x11-inch casserole dish and top with the remaining mozzarella, crispy sage leaves, and buttered pecans. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes, or until the pasta is hot and bubbling.
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Serving
1 serving = ⅙ of the recipe
Calories
490kcal
(25%)
Carbohydrates
54g
(18%)
Protein
22g
(44%)
Fat
21g
(32%)
Saturated Fat
8g
(40%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
3g
Monounsaturated Fat
8g
Trans Fat
0.1g
Cholesterol
39mg
(13%)
Sodium
765mg
(32%)
Potassium
483mg
(14%)
Fiber
6g
(24%)
Sugar
6g
(12%)
Vitamin A
12946IU
(259%)
Vitamin C
26mg
(29%)
Calcium
332mg
(33%)
Iron
3mg
(17%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 490
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 serving = ⅙ of the recipe | |
| Calories | 490kcal | 25% |
| Carbohydrates | 54g | 18% |
| Protein | 22g | 44% |
| Fat | 21g | 32% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Trans Fat | 0.1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 39mg | 13% |
| Sodium | 765mg | 32% |
| Potassium | 483mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 6g | 24% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 12946IU | 259% |
| Vitamin C | 26mg | 29% |
| Calcium | 332mg | 33% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.