Pumpkin Sage Alfredo Pappardelle with Brown Butter
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Updated Aug 01, 2025, Published Oct 14, 2014
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This Pumpkin Sage Alfredo Pappardelle with Brown Butter is special-event worthy. Here are some scenarios when it’s perfect:
1. You’re feeling sort of under the weather but chicken soup sounds boring.
2. You got a parking ticket but forgot about it but the DMV just sent you a very kind (not really) reminder in the mail.
3. You want a hug but your boyfriend is at work and asking for a hug from a stranger is weird and your dog is being oddly unaffectionate today.
4. YOU’RE HANGRY!
I made this bowl of pasta, and ate this bowl of pasta because of every reason listed above. It’s this season in pasta form. It’s a little decadent and rich but oddly not overwhelmingly so.
And the best part about it, it’s fast! Quick, easy and super, super fast.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Sage Alfredo Pappardelle with Brown Butter
How To Make Pumpkin Sage Alfredo Pappardelle with Brown Butter
The brown butter is the base of the sauce. You cook the butter until it turns brown, not burned like I usually do for baked goods, but brown. Everything is added in layers, creating a nutty, pumpkin-y, cheesy sauce that’s laced with just a hint of nutmeg and sage.
The pappardelle (or any other pasta you like) is tossed in the sauce and then! That’s it. The one thing you must keep an eye out for below is reserving some pasta water. It thins out the sauce nicely. It’s a must!
Pumpkin Sage Alfredo Pappardelle with Brown Butter
Equipment
- 1 small skillet
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pappardelle pasta, or other pasta of your choice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, cooked to brown
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
- 3 sprigs of sage. plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook the pappardelle per the package’s instructions (mine recommended about 7 minutes). Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water and set it aside (we’re going to use it later in the sauce). Drain the pasta and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook the butter, stirring constantly, until it begins to foam and brown speckles appear. Keep stirring until the foam subsides and the color turns medium brown. Add the shallots and garlic clove and turn down the heat to medium-low. Cook until the shallots have softened, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the pumpkin, sprigs of sage, heavy cream, parmesan and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Season with the pinch of nutmeg, a few turns of cracked black pepper and salt to taste (I needed about 1/2 teaspoon salt). Give it a good stir and taste; adjust any seasoning you like. I ended up adding an additional pinch of nutmeg and some more pepper. Do this too, if you like. Keep the sauce warm over low heat.
- To fry up the sage for garnish, add a teaspoon or two of olive oil to a skillet. When the oil is hot, add the sage leaves and cook until fried, about a minute. Drain on paper towels.
- Remove the sage leaves from the sauce and discard. To large bowl, add the pasta. Pour in a bit of the sauce and stir until covered. Divide the pasta amongst bowls or plates. Top each mound of pasta with more sauce, because the sauce is good! Garnish with more Parmesan cheese and the fried sage leaves.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yum! I love the combo of pumpkin and sage during the fall. Looks amazing!
I’m pretty sure I don’t need any sort of ‘special’ occasion to stuff this perfect pasta into my face! Love the parm shavings and sage!
Made it last night and it was delicious! My eight year old (who won’t eat veggies) had two helpings and took leftovers for lunch! Thank you! xo
This is so simple and beautiful, captures the season perfectly. Bravo!
Ultimate comfort food! The photo of the pappardelle is a great shot 🙂
That looks and sounds absolutely divine!
I’d like to live in that photo of the dried pasta 🙂 Or a bowl of this rich and cheesy pumpkin sauce. Everything about this is wonderful!
This looks like fall. Delicious.
dayummmmm!!! insert heart eye emojis
Quick question: Do you leave in the sage that is stirred into the sauce? Or do you fish it out before serving, like bay leaves? If left in, did you chiffonade/chop it before adding?
I left it in whole, almost like bay leaves. I didn’t end up fishing it out, I just sort of avoided it. But I’ll include to fish it out because I think that makes the most sense!