Description
This Pasta Bake with Pumpkin Tomato Sauce is a cozy vegetarian dinner made with tender pasta, mushrooms, spinach, creamy pumpkin tomato sauce, Parmesan, and melted fontina. A buttery walnut and fresh sage topping adds irresistible crunch and savory fall flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb. dry pasta, such as mezzi rigatoni, shells, ziti, fusilli, or farfalle
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 oz. cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 to 4 handfuls fresh baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water and seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin purée
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups grated fontina cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 13×9-inch baking dish.
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until about 2 minutes shy of al dente. The pasta should still be firm but tender enough to bite through. Drain and set aside.
- Toast the walnuts and sage. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the walnuts and fresh sage and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly toasted. Season with a pinch of salt, transfer to a bowl, and set aside.
- Cook the vegetables. Return the pan to medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and onion. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, or until softened.
- Build the flavor base. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and turns brick red.
- Add the spinach and seasonings. Gradually add the spinach, stirring until wilted. Stir in the oregano, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg.
- Make the pumpkin tomato sauce. Pour in the vegetable broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the pumpkin purée, Parmesan, and 1/2 cup fontina. Cook, stirring, until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.
- Add the pasta. Stir the drained pasta into the pumpkin tomato sauce until every piece is well coated.
- Assemble. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup fontina evenly over the top, followed by the buttery walnut-sage mixture.
- Bake. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
- Serve. Let the pasta bake rest for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Pie filling contains added sugar and spices and won’t work well in this savory pasta sauce.
- Don’t fully cook the pasta. Cooking it 2 minutes shy of al dente helps prevent soft, mushy pasta after baking.
- Don’t rush the tomato paste. Letting it caramelize for a few minutes creates a richer, deeper tomato flavor.
- Pasta choices: Rigatoni, ziti, shells, fusilli, and farfalle are all great options.
- Control the heat: Reduce or omit the crushed red pepper flakes for a milder family-friendly version.
- Nut substitution: Pecans can replace the walnuts, or you can omit the nuts if needed.
- Storage: Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container and enjoy within 3 to 4 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American / Italian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of recipe
- Calories: 545 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 62 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 21 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg