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Pasta Bake with Pumpkin Tomato Sauce

Cheesy Pasta Bake with Pumpkin Tomato Sauce Bliss

This Cheesy Pasta Bake with Pumpkin Tomato Sauce is a deliciously comforting dish perfect for dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Pasta Bake
  • 1 lb Dry Pasta any tubular shape like mezzi rigatoni or spiral pasta
  • 8 oz Cremini Mushrooms or button mushrooms
  • 1 Yellow Onion or shallots
  • 4 cloves Garlic or 1/4 tsp garlic powder per clove
  • 3-4 handfuls Fresh Baby Spinach or kale or Swiss chard
  • 1/4 cup Tomato Paste or tomato sauce adjusting liquid
  • 3 cups Vegetable Broth or chicken broth
  • 1 can (15 oz) Pumpkin Purée or fresh roasted pumpkin
  • 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes omit if preferred
  • 1 tsp Dried Oregano or Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp Kosher Salt or sea salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper or white pepper
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg or allspice
For the Walnut-Sage Topping
  • 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter or olive oil for dairy-free option
  • 1/2 cup Walnuts or pecans or omit for nut-free
  • 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp Fresh Sage or dried sage
  • 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese or nutritional yeast for vegan option
  • 1.5 cups Grated Fontina Cheese or mozzarella or any melty cheese

Equipment

  • large pot
  • Sauté pan
  • baking dish

Method
 

Step‑by‑Step Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
  2. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and add dry pasta. Cook the pasta until 2 minutes shy of al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  3. In a sauté pan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in walnuts and fresh sage; toast for about 5 minutes until golden. Set aside.
  4. Using the same pan, add olive oil. Once heated, add mushrooms and onion; cook for about 8 minutes until softened.
  5. Stir in tomato paste, minced garlic, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes to caramelize the tomato paste.
  6. Add fresh baby spinach, stirring until wilted. Season with oregano, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
  7. Deglaze with vegetable broth, then add pumpkin purée and half of the Parmesan. Stir until smooth.
  8. Fold the cooked pasta into the sauce until coated.
  9. Transfer pasta mixture to a greased baking dish. Top with remaining Fontina and walnut-sage topping. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
  10. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until golden brown.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 450kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 15gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 700mgPotassium: 800mgFiber: 6gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1200IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 300mgIron: 3mg

Notes

This dish is perfect for cozy evenings, meal prep, or entertaining guests.

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