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Cheesy Pumpkin Pasta Bake

Cheesy pumpkin pasta bake with rigatoni and Italian sausage, finished with a golden mozzarella-parmesan crust. Rigatoni is boiled 2 minutes shy of al dente, then baked until bubbling and browned over a pumpkin cream sauce.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rigatoni or ziti
  • 1 lb rigatoni or ziti
Italian sausage and aromatics
  • 1 lb Italian sausage
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 garlic, minced
Pumpkin sauce
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp cayenne
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste
Cheese topping
  • 2 cup shredded mozzarella
  • 1 cup parmesan, grated
  • 1 fresh sage or basil for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Preheat and par-cook pasta
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Cook the rigatoni or ziti 2 minutes less than al dente, then drain.
Brown sausage and build the base
  1. Brown the Italian sausage in a large oven-safe skillet, then drain off excess fat. Add the diced onion and cook for 4 minutes, stirring as needed for softening.
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant and not browned.
Simmer the pumpkin cream sauce
  1. Stir in pumpkin puree, heavy cream, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, and cayenne. Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce looks cohesive and slightly thickened.
Combine and top
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss the cooked pasta into the skillet until coated with the pumpkin sauce.
  2. Scatter shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan over the top in an even layer. Aim for full coverage so the surface bakes up golden.
Bake and garnish
  1. Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbling and golden on top. Garnish with fresh sage or basil before serving.

Notes

For best texture, bake until the edges bubble consistently and the cheese looks deeply golden, not just melted. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days; reheat in a 350F oven until hot. Freezing is not recommended because the pumpkin cream sauce can separate when thawed. If you want a dairy-light option, swap heavy cream for evaporated milk and use part-skim mozzarella and a reduced amount of parmesan.