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['Close-up of a delicious pasta bake topped with melted cheese and pumpkin tomato sauce.', 'Side view of a hearty pasta bake, showcasing the creamy pumpkin sauce and garnished with herbs.', 'A vibrant dish of pasta bake with a rich pumpkin and tomato sauce, freshly baked and golden on top.', 'Juicy pasta bake featuring a blend of tubular pasta and pumpkin sauce, served in a baking dish.']

Pasta Bake with Pumpkin Tomato Sauce

A hearty and flavorful baked pasta dish featuring pumpkin, tomato, and a medley of herbs and cheeses, perfect for cozy dinners.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 650 kcal

Ingredients
  

Dry Pasta

  • 1 lb dry pasta of choice such as mezzi rigatoni, shells, ziti, fusilli, or farfalle

Butter

  • 2 Tbsp butter

Walnuts

  • 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Fresh Sage

  • 2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh sage leaves

Olive Oil

  • 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Mushrooms

  • 8 oz cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced

Onion

  • 1 yellow yellow onion, finely chopped

Tomato Paste

  • 1/4 cup tomato paste

Garlic Cloves

  • 4 cloves minced garlic

Red Pepper Flakes

  • 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Spinach

  • 3 to 4 handfuls fresh baby spinach

Oregano

  • 1 tsp dried oregano

Salt

  • 1 tsp kosher salt

Black Pepper

  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Nutmeg

  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Vegetable Broth

  • 3 cups vegetable broth

Pumpkin Purée

  • 1 15-oz can pumpkin purée

Parmesan Cheese

  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Fontina Cheese

  • 1 1/2 cups grated fontina cheese, divided

Instructions
 

  • Cook pasta until 2 minutes shy of al dente, then drain and set aside.
  • Toast walnuts and sage in butter, then transfer to a bowl.
  • Sauté mushrooms and onion in olive oil until soft, then add tomato paste, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook until caramelized.
  • Stir in spinach, oregano, salt, pepper, and nutmeg; add broth, pumpkin, Parmesan, and half the fontina; combine with pasta.
  • Transfer to a baking dish, top with remaining fontina and walnut-sage mixture, then bake at 375ºF for 25-30 minutes until golden.

Notes

For extra flavor, toast the walnuts longer or add a splash of white wine to the sauce.
Keyword baked, pasta, Pumpkin