Leftover Halloween pumpkin? Use up the whole pumpkin – guts, seeds and flesh – in this super easy creamy roasted pumpkin pasta sauce recipe with crispy fried sage and roasted chilli pumpkin seeds. Leftovers reheat really well too!
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- Roasted Pumpkin Pasta Sauce – trust me, it’s fabulous!
- Ingredients you’ll need for pumpkin pasta sauce
- Instructions
- What is dischi volanti pasta?
- Roasted pumpkin seeds – why you need these delicious little morsels in your life!
- Fried sage – the garnish you didn’t know you were missing
- What else can I make with roasted pumpkin?
- Halloween pumpkin waste – the shocking UK statistics
- Tips for salvaging your leftover Halloween pumpkin
- Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Pasta Sauce with Fried Sage & Roasted Chilli Pumpkin Seeds
- Pin this creamy pumpkin pasta recipe for later!
- Other pumpkin recipes you might like
Roasted Pumpkin Pasta Sauce – trust me, it’s fabulous!
This roasted pumpkin pasta recipe uses the whole pumpkin, flesh, guts, and seeds, and it’s super easy to make, too. Even my kids like it! Roasted pumpkin has a delicious, sweet caramel flavour, and it cooks beautifully, pureeing really well into a creamy pasta sauce.
For this sauce, I roast the pumpkin before simmering it, along with the roasted guts, in chicken stock before adding grated Parmesan cheese and a little creme fraiche or double cream. I serve it topped with fried sage and roasted chilli pumpkin seeds.
Ingredients you’ll need for pumpkin pasta sauce
- one whole 900-gram pumpkin – flesh, guts and seeds (or a 700-gram wedge of pumpkin with the seeds/guts still attached)
- 1 tbsp olive oil plus extra to fry the sage
- 1/2 tsp hot chilli powder
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 large garlic clove (or more, if desired)
- 300 ml hot chicken stock
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 2 tbsp creme fraiche (or double cream)
- 50 grams grated Parmesan cheese (or vegetarian equivalent)
- fresh sage leaves
- 320 grams of dried pasta (I’ve used dischi volanti)
↓ Jump to the full, printable recipe. ↓
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C/ 350 F. Remove the guts and seeds from the pumpkin flesh, reserving both for later. Cut the pumpkin flesh into 2-3 inch thick slices.
- Arrange the pumpkin slices on a baking tray and roast in the centre of the oven for 35 minutes. Add the guts and the washed and dried pumpkin seeds, which have been mixed with the olive oil and chilli powder. Roast for a further 10-15 minutes until the seeds are toasted. Allow to cool completely.
- Heat the butter in a small saucepan and saute the garlic until fragrant, about one minute. Add the cooled pumpkin flesh, pumpkin guts and chicken stock. Simmer for 10 minutes with the lid off.
- Puree with a hand blender, add the Parmesan cheese and stir through until the cheese has melted.
- Add the creme fraiche and season well to taste.
- Stir through cooked pasta and serve with fried sage (see full printable recipe below) and the chilli pumpkin seeds.
What is dischi volanti pasta?
Dischi volanti is an Italian pasta particularly suited to thick, chunky sauces. The words ‘dischi volanti’ literally translate to ‘flying discs’ because of the pasta’s characteristic flying saucer shape.
It is thought that Pastificio Fabbri created the pasta shape after the alleged sighting of a UFO in Florence, Italy, in October 1954.
Roasted pumpkin seeds – why you need these delicious little morsels in your life!
It is ridiculously easy to roast your own pumpkin seeds. Seriously.
Don’t be tempted to open these flat, white seeds trying to find a green pumpkin seed inside, though; those fat green seeds you see in the shops are from a different kind of pumpkin bred specifically to make plump green pumpkin seeds.
Wash your white-hulled carving pumpkin seeds, removing all the stringy bits. Pat dry, mix them with a little oil, and season to taste. Try roasting them with just a bit of salt or chilli powder, or even Roast for 10-15 minutes until golden, and cool before eating. They’ll crisp up into the most delicious snack, and you’ll wonder why you’ve thrown out these seeds for so long!
Alternatively, you could try the boil and roast method, which results in a crispier snack.
Pumpkin seeds are a good source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. They’re too nutritious to throw away!
Fried sage – the garnish you didn’t know you were missing
I’m not going to lie; dried sage is one of my least favourite herbs. There’s something about it; I’m not alone in this sentiment. Elizabeth David, author of Summer Cooking (1955), wrote: “It deadens the food with its musty, dried blood scent.” I am afraid I am inclined to agree.
On the other hand, fresh sage is one of my favourite traditional British herbs. I love it when a handful arrives in my organic veg box.
Besides using fresh sage in stuffings (I’ve got a gorgeous apple and leek stuffing recipe to share with you soon!) or in my pan-seared pork medallions recipe, I like to fry the delicate, furry leaves in a little sunflower oil for a few seconds and leave them to drain on a piece of paper towel. After they’ve cooled, these fragile little leaves can be crumbled over a pumpkin pasta dish or even a hearty bowl of roasted pumpkin soup with white truffle oil.
What else can I make with roasted pumpkin?
- Self-saucing pumpkin spice sticky toffee pudding
- My grandmother’s pumpkin loaf recipe
- Roast pumpkin hummus
- Mini pumpkin spice muffins with a maple syrup drizzle
- Chorizo, pumpkin & spinach giant couscous salad
- Roasted pumpkin soup with fried sage and white truffle oil
Halloween pumpkin waste – the shocking UK statistics
Did you know that over 8 million pumpkins are binned in the UK every Halloween? That’s equivalent to 18,000 tonnes of perfectly edible food, which could be made into 360 million portions of delicious pumpkin pie or numerous other recipes!
There’s a common misconception that carving pumpkins is inedible. While they’re not as flavoursome as other pumpkins and squash, they are very much edible and can be used in many ways after they’ve been carved.
Remember to save the seeds and guts when carving your Jack-o-Lantern. The seeds are delicious when roasted with whatever seasonings you like (I’m a chilli fan!), while the guts can be used in stocks, soups, stews, or even pumpkin mulled wine!
Tips for salvaging your leftover Halloween pumpkin
- Don’t use a candle inside your Jack o’Lantern, as it will taint the flavour of the flesh. Instead, use a battery-operated tealight.
- Cook your pumpkin as soon as possible after carving it, ideally within a day or two.
- If you’re in a hurry, pop the pumpkin guts and seeds into the fridge to sort them out later. They’ll keep a day or so.
Do you have any tips or recipes to add to this post? Let me know in the comments below! Happy Halloween!
Recipe Difficulty Levels
Easy
Requires basic cooking skills and ingredients you most likely already have in your kitchen.
Moderate
Requires more experience, preparation and/or cooking time. You may have to source special ingredients.
Challenging
Recipes requiring more advanced skills and experience and maybe some special equipment.
Creamy Roasted Pumpkin Pasta Sauce with Fried Sage & Roasted Chilli Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients
to roast the pumpkin and the seeds
- 700 grams pumpkin whole – guts and all!
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
for the pumpkin pasta sauce
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 large garlic clove
- 300 ml chicken stock
- 2 tbsp crème fraiche or double cream
- 50 grams Parmesan cheese grated
- 320 grams dischi volanti pasta
for the fried sage
- 1 handful fresh sage
- 60 ml olive oil
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C/ 350 F.
- Scoop out the pumpkin flesh and seeds, reserving them for later.
- Slice 700 grams pumpkin flesh into slices approximately 2 inches thick. Arrange on a baking tray and bake in the centre of the oven for 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, wash and dry the pumpkin seeds throughly and toss in 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp chilli powder.
- Fry 1 handful fresh sage leaves by heating 60 ml olive oil over a medium-high flame. Drop the leaves in 6-8 at a time, and fry for few seconds so that they retain their vibrant green colour. Remove the leaves from the hot oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a piece of kitchen paper or clean towel.
- Chop the remaining pumpkin guts into pieces, if needed, and add to the baking tray along with the chilli pumpkin seeds.
- Roast for a further 10-15 minutes, until the pumpkin is softened and the seeds are golden. Allow to cool completely.
- Heat 1 tbsp butter in a large saucepan, and saute 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped, for a minute.
- Add the cooled, roasted pumpkin flesh (without the skin), the pumpkin guts and 300 ml chicken stock.
- Simmer over a medium flame for 10 minutes, leaving the lid off.
- Meanwhile, cook 320 grams dischi volanti pasta according to the packet instructions and drain.
- Puree the pumpkin sauce until smooth and add 50 grams Parmesan cheese and 2 tbsp crème fraiche.
- Season well to taste and stir through the hot, cooked pasta.
- Serve with the fried sage, chilli pumpkin seeds and extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Pin this creamy pumpkin pasta recipe for later!
Peanut Butter Cheesecake
I love pumpkins, I try this dish at my home, which i loved it
I love your food recipe I hope you will continue to give your recipe in the same way in future also
Waoh…..What a delicious dish!!!!!Thanks for this healthy dish.I tried this and came out really very tasty.My family loved this.
This looks and sounds delicious. We’ve not got a pumpkin this year so I’ll try it next year
I never know what to do with pumpkins when we carve them. This sounds like a great recipe
I always tend to use any leftover pumpkin to make soup, but I’ll have to give this pasta recipe a try this year x
I feel guilty we didn’t do something amazing with the insides of our pumpkin, so am bookmarking this for next year! It looks so tasty!
Omg you had me at pumpkin! I bet the consistency was heavenly – and with pasta – it’s a total win!!
I have to say, first I was super shocked to hear the statistics of yummy pumpkin being wasted! However, I bet if they tried your recipe for pasta that would be cut in numbers. Truly a fabulous recipe that we will make again and again!
I’m loving the pumpkin seeds! They look so good! And who doesn’t love a good pasta dish, perfect flavors for fall!!
I love using pumpkin in pasta. It’s just so creamy.
I just read those shocking statistics about pumpkin waste in the UK. Such a pity and such a good idea to suggest ways to use the pumpkins. Love the addition of fried sage and chili pumpkin seeds to this pasta dish!
It is incredible, isn’t it! I made another batch of those pumpkin seeds last night (they’re just too delicious!), after roasting our jack-o-lantern and popping the puree in the freezer for later. I’ve got other recipe ideas I want to share too! 🙂
This sounds so yummy, I love using up pumpkin bits. We hardly ever throw it out. I’ll definitely have to add this recipe to my list.
Butternut squash would also go nicely.
I seriously need to try this recipe, love everything about it❤️
I made this tonight and hubby said it was like restaurant food which is praise indeed from the world’s keenest carnivore:-) Thanks for a great recipe!
Wow that figure of how many pumpkins are binned each year is very scary. it is a shame that more people don’t use them in cooking afterwards as this sounds really tasty x
What a delicious way to use up pumpkin! Such an autumnal dish that I definitely need to try!
I admit, I am one of those people who throws my pumpkin out, but it sounds like I’ve been making a mistake. This sounds and looks SO delicious, perfect way to step out of our usual boring pasta meals. Definitely adding this to my meal list for the week!
This sounds like such a great idea for something to do with all that pumpkin leftovers from Halloween and it sounds like it would taste absolutely delicious as well. I would love to try some for myself.
Ooh I love the look of this pasta. Pumpkin is such an underused ingredient in the UK.