Baked Pumpkin Pasta

5 from 3 votes

This dump & bake pasta uses pumpkin puree to make a rich & creamy sauce! Add in sauteed kale and pan-fried sausage to make a complete meal.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 439kcal

Preheat the oven to 375F. In a kettle or saucepot, bring the vegetable broth or water to a boil.
Meanwhile, to an 8x8-inch baking dish (make sure it can handle boiling water!), add the pasta, pumpkin puree, tomato paste, diced shallot, minced garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Stir in the boiling water/broth until well combined.
Cover tightly with foil, an upside down sheet pan, or a heat safe lid. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes.
While the pasta bakes, remove the stems from the kale and slice the leaves thinly. Thinly slice the sausage.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle with oil. Once hot, add the shredded kale, sliced sausage, and a pinch or two of salt. Sauté until the sausage is golden and the kale is wilted, about 6-8 minutes.
After 20 minutes, remove the pasta from the oven. Remove the foil and stir the pasta. If the pasta isn't fully cooked, cover it again and bake an additional 5 minutes, repeating as needed.
Stir in ¼ cup half and half, ½ cup of shaved Parmesan, and the sautéed kale and sausage. Add the remaining ¼ cup half and half for a thinner sauce, if desired.
Sprinkle the top of the pumpkin pasta with the remaining ½ cup of cheese. Return to the oven to bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Pasta shape: Any medium pasta shape works here, such as penne, fusilli, or elbow.
Sausage: I use spicy Impossible sausage, but any variety works here. This recipe would also go well with a batch of my Italian-seasoned tofu crumbles. These take about 20 minutes to cook and the kale can be added to the pan at the end of cooking time.
Parmesan: Most Parmesan cheese isn't vegetarian, so if this matters to you check the label for rennet from vegetarian sources. Otherwise, vegan Parmesan works well, as does shredded Asiago. Pre-shaved Parmesan may be sold at your grocery store or a block of Parmesan can be shaved using a box grater. Shredded Parmesan also works, if that's what is available.
If you don't boil the water before adding it to the pasta, the dish will just take longer to bake. Add 10-15 minutes to the initial timer so that the covered pasta bakes for 30+ minutes.
Nutritional calculations are an estimate and will vary based on brands used.