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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 and fall recipe favorites.
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 pumpkin quinoa chili as well!
Other cozy pasta dishes we love include my favorite No Boil Lasagna, One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese, Italian Sausage Pasta Bake or this Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta is on repeat lately in our house!
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 simple 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 you are ready to eat for the most simple dinner recipe.
- 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, 1/2 – 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 9×9 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 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.
Other Pasta Recipes:
- Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta with Italian Sausage
- Crock Pot Short Rib Ragu
- Spicy Sausage Pasta
- Creamy Pesto + Spinach Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
- Lemon Ricotta One Pot Pasta
- Easy Baked Pasta with Spinach
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Cheesy Pumpkin Ricotta Pasta Bake
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.
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
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp 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 9×9 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
Calories: 447kcal, Carbohydrates: 36g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 83mg, Sodium: 670mg, Potassium: 336mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 8143IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 424mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question?Leave a comment below!
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I think this recipe would benefit from cooking the garlic and shallots down a bit first, as they essentially didn’t cook at all in the oven and we ended up with bites that were quite potent. Also, I personally think it needs less cheese and more broth as it’s a very thick bake and not really very saucy. I will probably give this another shot with these modifications and see if we like it better
This was great exactly as written. Don’t miss the part about “toss” the pasta with the spinach like I did or it won’t wilt properly but that was my own fault and it all worked out fine in the end it was just a little splattery to stir.
I happen to have a ton of cubed, frozen pumpkin that I chopped up a few weeks ago. Can I use this instead of the purée but still mix it into the ricotta mixture, perhaps blanching it in boiling water for a couple minutes before adding it in?
Hi! Is the cubed pumpkin raw or was it cooked?
Last year, we finally tackled a big backyard renovation, ripping out all the plants we’d been wanting to get rid of for years and tossing them into our In their place, I planted a garden I’ve always dreamed of, and this fall it really paid off—except now we have more pumpkins than we know what to do with! I definitely overestimated how many we’d actually eat. That’s why this recipe was such a fun find! It’s such a creative way to work pumpkins into meals, and we absolutely loved it. Thanks for sharing—it’s been a great solution for our pumpkin overload!
So amazing to hear!!
Have you tried with spaghetti squash or a different low carb option? Trying to avoid the carbs (and diabetes…)! Thank you!
Hi! I have not but I imagine if you took spaghetti squash and roasted it and then pulled it, using about a pound, you should be just fine. I think I might try that asap!!!
This was really good! I was afraid it being bland so I sautéed the shallots and garlic, then added the veggie broth to deglaze the pan. Added some granulated garlic and onions for extra flavor. Used provolone cheese instead of mozzarella. I throw bags of fresh spinach in the freezer, so I just smash the bag, and it gives you nice small pieces that you can just sprinkle over the pasta to heat it up and toss in the sauce. Served with a side salad. I think sautéed mushrooms would also go nice with this. I appreciate dishes like this as a vegetarian.