This Creamy Pumpkin Baked Pasta is the ultimate autumn comfort food dish! Tender rigatoni pasta is coated in a dreamy pumpkin béchamel sauce then sprinkled with Parmesan and baked until golden, bubbly perfection. Nothing better!

scooping out a spoonful of Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta with a wooden spoon

Table of Contents

The Story Behind the Recipe

We recently spent an afternoon at the pumpkin patch with our toddler daughter. Fun! But exhausting!

Naturally, it felt important to follow it up with a rib-sticking, warming, comforting dinner. And what better way to celebrate an afternoon with pumpkins than by eating more pumpkin?!

a baking dish with Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta

Why You’ll Love Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta

  • It’s comfort food, fall-ified. Basically, double the dose of cozy!
  • It’s kind of like pumpkin mac and cheese but without the cheese. I love pumpkin in this dish. It’s incredibly macaroni-and-cheese-esque, but the sauce itself doesn’t have any cheese. It’s all creamy pumpkin goodness, tossed with these amazing huge rigatoni that trap extra bonus sauce inside each and every tube.
  • It’ll convince you that savory pumpkin dishes ARE the bomb. On the fence about the whole idea of savory pumpkin dishes? This might be your gateway drug. I’m just sayin’.
ingredients for Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta

Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta Recipe Ingredients

  • Pasta – 8 ounces of rigatoni pasta. You can also use penne or ziti, but there’s just something about those big rigatoni tubes that is perfect!
  • Olive oil
  • Onion
  • Flour – All-purpose flour which helps to create a thick, rich béchamel.
  • Salt & pepper
  • Milk – I like whole milk for a rich béchamel, but you can use 2% or even a plant-based milk alternative (just make sure it’s unflavored and unsweetened!)
  • Pumpkin puree – Feel free to use canned puree or make your own pumpkin puree.
  • Bay leaf – For a nice bit of savory flavor.
  • Nutmeg – A bit of freshly ground nutmeg complements the pumpkin and adds to the autumn vibes.
  • Parmesan cheese – Just a bit of shredded Parmesan to melt over the top.
Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta on a white plate

How to Make Pumpkin Baked Pasta

  1. First, cook the pasta. Drain and set aside.
  2. Next, make the béchamel. Saute the onion in olive oil and then add the flour, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook the flour for a bit, then stir in the milk and pumpkin and top with the bay leaf.
  3. Whisk the mixture for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens nicely.
  4. Stir in the nutmeg and taste the sauce, adding more salt and pepper if you like.
  5. Stir in the cooked pasta and pour it all into a baking dish. I like to use a small 5″x8″ dish, but 8″x8″ will work fine too.
  6. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top then bake until the cheese is melted and the pasta is golden and bubbly.
adding the flour for béchamel for Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta
adding seasonings to the béchamel for Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta
a spoon lifts out some sauce for creamy baked pumpkin pasta
stirring pasta to the sauce for Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta
Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta baked in a casserole dish
baking dish with Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta

Tip for Success

  • Don’t overcook the pasta. You want it cooked JUST to al dente, then by the time it’s done baking in that gorgeous pumpkin béchamel, it will be perfect.
scooping out a serving of Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta with a wooden spoon

I hope this Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta becomes a fall and winter staple for you and your family! We love this as an alternative to baked mac and cheese at Thanksgiving, but it’s a popular side (or even a main!) for weeknight dinner too.

scooping out a spoonful of Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pasta with a wooden spoon
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Creamy Pumpkin Baked Rigatoni

Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Author: Kare
Yield: 6
Rigatoni and creamy pumpkin bechamel sauce team up to create this simple, scrumptious macaroni-and-cheese-esque baked pasta dish.
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Ingredients

  • 8 ounces rigatoni pasta
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
  • 1 cup finely diced onion (about 1/2 large)
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Boil the pasta until just al dente, according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking, and return to the pan you boiled it in. Set aside.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to turn transparent, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the flour, salt, and pepper. Stir constantly over medium heat for about three minutes.
  • Stir in the milk and pumpkin. Add the bay leaf.
  • Keeping on medium heat, whisk constantly for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
  • Add the nutmeg and taste. Add additional nutmeg and more salt and pepper if desired.
  • Remove sauce from heat. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
  • Pour the sauce over the cooked rigatoni and gently toss until all pasta is coated.
  • Pour coated pasta into a 5-inch x 8-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan, and then drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes until it’s bubbly throughout and golden brown on the top.
  • Serve.

Notes

Meat option:

Top with cooked, crumbled bacon when serving for the carnivores. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 331kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 17mg, Sodium: 335mg, Potassium: 377mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 6570IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 200mg, Iron: 1mg

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