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This rich and creamy Pumpkin Ricotta Pasta Bake is a cozy baked dish with pumpkin, ricotta, spinach and rounded out with a touch of oregano. Takes minutes to prep and can easily be prepped ahead of time. Great comfort food for a warm, fall family dinner.
This recipe was originally published September 2018 and updated August 2021.
Cozy baked pasta is a family favorite. This simple pumpkin pasta recipe was inspired by this Easy Baked Pasta recipe and my love for all things pumpkin.
Most of the pumpkin we enjoy tends to be on the sweet side but I love pumpkin in savory dishes, especially this pasta bake and in chili as well!
Why you will love this pumpkin pasta:
- It is so simple to prepare. Cook your pasta, stir all the sauce ingredients together and then combine it all. Bake and enjoy. Nothing extreme needed to enjoy this flavorful fall pumpkin pasta dish.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day. The flavors are even better on day two. If you have leftovers, you will be so happy!
- It is great for meal prepping. You can prep this entire pumpkin ricotta pasta dish up to about a day in advance. Then you can pop it in the oven about 30 minutes before dinner.
- Cozy and comforting--the perfect fall food! I crave dishes like this when the weather cools off. Cheesy, pumpkin and pasta goodness will hit the spot and even warm the soul!
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- pasta: I used rotini. You could use shells or penne for sure. Any short pasta is ideal. Whole grain or gluten free will work as well.
- ricotta cheese: I am a big fan of the real deal--whole milk ricotta. For the best flavor it is definitely what I recommend. But you can use a lower fat version if desired.
- mozzarella: I typically use shredded mozzarella for this pumpkin ricotta pasta, but sometimes I also use fresh mozzarella slices on top. You can never beat fresh!
- pumpkin: Canned pumpkin is super simple and well priced during fall.
- egg: I go back and forth on whether the egg is truly needed, but I love adding egg to any baked pasta or lasagna so it's just something I always do! If you have an egg allergy and cannot use egg, you will still be fine if you omit it.
- shallot: Chop it very thin, almost minced. If you don't have a shallot, a thinly sliced onion will work well. You can sauté the shallot in olive oil before adding into the pasta bake if preferred.
- spinach: I opt for fresh, baby spinach. You can use frozen, but make sure to thaw it and wring out any excess water.
- milk or cream: whole milk is my preference if using milk. Heavy cream will make this extra rich and creamy which is 100% my preference!
- broth: This will thin the sauce out to desired consistency as the pumpkin and ricotta are very thick. Adjust to your desired thickness of sauce. Chicken broth or vegetable broth both are great.
- garlic: freshly minced is always best, but if you don't have any, ½ - 1 teaspoon of garlic powder can be substituted.
- oregano: I love the use of oregano versus sage which would be more likely paired with pumpkin. To change it up you could always add a bit of each.
- crushed red pepper
- nutmeg: Just a pinch is all you need, but don't skip it!
How to make this pumpkin ricotta baked pasta:
Cook your pasta according to package instructions.
While the pasta cooks beat the egg in a large bowl. Add in the pumpkin, ricotta, cream, broth, one cup of mozzarella and parmesan. Stir well until smooth and creamy.
This mixture will be thick, but you don't want it to be too thick as it will dry out. Add more cream or broth to keep it from being overly thick and pasty.
Once the pasta is cooked and tossed with the spinach, add it to the mixing bowl with the pumpkin ricotta mixture. Toss well to combine.
Transfer the pasta to a greased casserole dish or 9x9 inch baking pan or small casserole dish. Bake for about 15 minutes until the mixture begins to gently bubble. Add the remaining mozzarella on top. Bake for another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Cool slightly before serving. Garnish with freshly chopped basil or parsley if desired.
Recipe Notes and Tips:
- You can prepare this entire dish a day in advanced and bake just prior to serving. The flavors will be even stronger from sitting for 24 hours. I recommend tossing the pasta once before placing in the oven.
- For extra browned cheese on top, broil the last few minutes. Shift the oven to broil in high for several minutes to melt the cheese and add a level of crispiness to it.
- Feel free to add some Italian sausage or another meat into the pasta as well. We love adding it, but only do from time to time because this pumpkin ricotta pasta bake is already really hearty.
Try these other pasta recipes:
- Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Italian Sausage
- Creamy Pesto + Spinach Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
- Avocado Pesto Pasta
- Lemon Ricotta One Pot Pasta
- Easy Baked Pasta with Spinach
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Cheesy Pumpkin Ricotta Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 8 oz. rigatoni or short pasta
- 2 c fresh baby spinach
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 c pumpkin purée
- 1 c ricotta cheese
- 1 ½ c shredded mozzarella
- ½ c parmesan cheese
- ½ c heavy cream half and half or milk will work
- ⅓ c vegetable broth
- 1 shallot, diced very small
- 2 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- Pinch of nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Cook pasta according to box directions.
- While pasta is cooking, add ricotta, egg, 1 cup of the mozzarella, parmesan, broth, cream and pumpkin to a medium bowl and stir until smooth and creamy. If it is thicker than desired, you can thin it out slightly with more cream or broth.
- Add in shallot, garlic and spices and stir to combine.
- When pasta is cooked, drain and then toss with the spinach to wilt.
- Add pasta to the pumpkin ricotta mixture and stir well to coat all of the rotini. Pour into a small to medium greased casserole dish or a 9x9 greased pan and bake for about 15 minutes or until slight bubbling.
- Sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella and bake another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Cool for several minutes before serving. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 5 days.
Notes
- You can prepare this entire dish a day in advanced and bake just prior to serving. The flavors will be even stronger from sitting for 24 hours. I recommend tossing the pasta once before placing in the oven.
- For extra browned cheese on top, broil the last few minutes. Shift the oven to broil in high for several minutes to melt the cheese and add a level of crispiness to it.
- Feel free to add some Italian sausage or another meat into the pasta as well. We love adding it, but only do from time to time because this pumpkin ricotta pasta bake is already really hearty.
Nutrition
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Ashley says
Can you substitute with frozen spinach instead of fresh and cottage cheese instead of ricotta
Lorie says
Hi Ashley! Frozen spinach should work--really squeeze the water out. Cottage cheese will work, but it will be noticeable so that is up to you!
Joan says
sounds delicious ,being that i am cooking for 2 can the leftovers be frozen
Lorie says
Hi! Yes you can freeze it. When thawing/reheating, the pasta itself can lose a little bit of its consistency but overall I think it’s ok!
Liz says
I just thought, what is you add browned hot Italian sausage in for fun??
Lorie says
I think that would be amazing! I was planning on trying it with browned ground turkey soon as well!
Laura says
Would ground chicken work? And what would you need to do with the chicken, other than browning it... Any spices or onion or sage maybe? I am a newbie, can you tell? Wait, don't answer that. Ha!
Lorie says
Hi there!! Ground chicken or even sliced chicken sausages—yum!! If just season it with a touch of salt, pepper and garlic to your liking before adding. A bit of sage would be great for sure!! Enjoy!! And if you are already trying to add and enhance recipes, you can’t be a newbie!!!
Joanne says
Loved this recipe ...I did not cook the shallots or garlic before adding to cheese mixture .... the shallots taste raw after cooking the casserole .. any suggestions? Thanks
Lorie says
Maybe slice them extra thin for next time. You could sauté them before if you prefer. I cut mine super thin and small. Not quite minced though. Was planning to add step by step photos for this recipe so now I definitely will!
Claire says
Sounded good, but turned out very bland.
Lorie says
Sorry to hear that! Maybe a bit more seasoning or garlic would improve the flavor for you? Thanks for the feedback!
Emily Kyle says
This was sooooo good! The flavor combination of the pumpkin and the ricotta was everything, definitely going to be added to the regular rotation!
Lorie says
Thanks Emily! My dad, who was verrry skeptic loved it so bonus!
Liz Shaw says
You had me at ricotta. I love the salty forwardness of the cheese balanced with the mild sweetness of pumpkin. I admit, I'm a sage-a-holic and I would probably top the whole thing with some fresh sage leaves. This recipe screams fall.
Lorie says
OOOH great idea on the sage!
Meme says
The best part about this was I honestly had to do little work and it tasted amazing! Such a great fall dinner!
Lorie says
Oh honey, you know if there is effort required then I am not putting it on the blog right??? 😉
Tawnie Kroll says
This recipe was everything I wanted it to be & more - thank you!
Lorie says
That means so much Tawnie!!!
Lindsey says
Pumpkin and ricotta are two of my favorite things! So good!
Lorie says
Yep, so naturally they belong together right??