Description
Cheesy Pumpkin Pasta Bake combines tender pasta, mushrooms, spinach, creamy pumpkin tomato sauce, melted fontina, Parmesan, and a buttery walnut-sage topping. This cozy vegetarian casserole serves six and makes a satisfying fall dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound dry tubular pasta, such as mezzi rigatoni, shells, ziti, fusilli, or farfalle
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 to 4 handfuls fresh baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups grated fontina cheese, divided
- Nonstick cooking spray or butter for greasing the baking dish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it for about 2 minutes less than the package directions for al dente. Drain well and set aside without rinsing.
- Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the walnuts and sage, then cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until toasted and fragrant.
- Season the walnut-sage mixture with a small pinch of salt, transfer it to a bowl, and set it aside.
- Return the pan to medium heat. Add the olive oil, mushrooms, and onion. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and most of the mushroom moisture has evaporated.
- Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens to a brick-red color.
- Add the spinach gradually, stirring until it wilts. Stir in the oregano, kosher salt, black pepper, and nutmeg.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in the pumpkin purée, Parmesan, and 1/2 cup of the fontina. Continue stirring until the cheese melts and the sauce becomes smooth.
- Add the drained pasta and stir until every piece is evenly coated with sauce.
- Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup fontina over the top, followed by the walnut-sage mixture.
- Cover the baking dish loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and golden in spots.
- Let the pasta bake rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Use pure pumpkin purée, not sweetened pumpkin pie filling.
- Choose ridged or hollow pasta shapes so the creamy sauce clings well.
- Cook the pasta 2 minutes short of al dente because it will continue cooking in the oven.
- Freshly grated fontina and Parmesan melt more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese.
- Gruyère, provolone, low-moisture mozzarella, or young Gouda can replace the fontina.
- For a ricotta variation, add small dollops of whole-milk ricotta before sprinkling on the final layer of fontina.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Add a tablespoon of vegetable broth or water before reheating to keep the pasta moist.
- Freeze baked portions for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Nutrition values are estimated per serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of casserole
- Calories: 620
- Sugar: 9
- Sodium: 830
- Fat: 27
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Unsaturated Fat: 16
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 71
- Fiber: 7
- Protein: 24
- Cholesterol: 40