Pumpkin Fettuccine Alfredo
Incredibly creamy pumpkin sauce made with goat cheese tossed with fettuccine, rosemary, parmesan and spices.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 9, 2024
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Occasionally, I live in a Disney fantasyland where candlesticks come to life and orchestrate the cleaning of my kitchen and Prince Charming actually texts me back.
In reality, dishes are piling up in the sink and my phone is all too quiet. On the bright side, even though this pumpkin didn’t magically transform into a carriage, it did turn into the tastiest alfredo of my life. Alfredo sounds like he could be a charming character, doesn’t he?
Technically, this is an abstract alfredo since it’s not loaded with butter and Parmesan like traditional alfredo sauce. Instead, it’s made creamy with pumpkin purée and seasoned with rosemary, red pepper and tangy goat cheese. It’s precisely what I’ve been craving in this chilly weather, especially after what’s-his-name didn’t holler back. Alfredo it is.
Last weekend, a guy teased me for using canned pumpkin purée instead of homemade in my pumpkin bread, so I went to the trouble of making my own for this recipe. Was it worth it? I’m not entirely convinced it was. The homemade purée not only took so long that I ran out of daylight to take photos of the finished pasta (grumble), but also has a higher moisture content than the organic canned stuff. Therefore, I’m not sure I would trust it for baking.
In terms of flavor, pumpkin purée really doesn’t have much of it—whether canned or homemade, it’s not that great until you spice it up and add a dash of salt. Conclusion? Make your own if you’re so inclined but feel free to crank open a can instead. I won’t judge.
Pumpkin Fettuccine Alfredo
Fettuccine tossed with a creamy and comforting, alfredo-like pumpkin sauce, rosemary, Parmesan and spices. You can make your own pumpkin purée (see notes for instructions) or, for a quick meal, use canned pumpkin purée. It’s great both ways! Recipe serves two generously or three to four with sides.
Ingredients
- ½ pound (8 ounces) whole wheat* fettuccine or linguine
- 1 generous tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon flour of choice (whole wheat, all purpose, or gluten-free all-purpose blend will work)
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary, plus more for sprinkling on top (a 3-inch sprig of rosemary should do it)
- 2 cups low-fat milk
- 3 to 4 ounces goat cheese, cut into big chunks
- 1 cup pumpkin puree**
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Shaved Parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente (consult directions on package). Drain and set aside.
- Heat a 10 to 12-inch saucepan over medium heat and add butter. Once sizzling, whisk in flour and stir to create a roux, until bubbly and golden, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add in milk, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Stir constantly and increase the heat a little bit, if necessary, until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add in goat cheese, pumpkin, cinnamon, salt and pepper, whisking until smooth and thickened into a sauce. Season generously with additional salt (don’t be shy) and pepper to taste. Add cooked pasta to pan and toss to combine. Remove from heat and serve immediately; top each serving with a sprinkle of finely chopped rosemary (necessary), red pepper flakes (optional, if you like spice like me) and Parmesan shavings.
- Leftovers will keep well for up to 4 days. Gently reheat leftovers with a splash of milk.
Notes
Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is.
*Whole wheat note: Whole wheat noodles work particularly well here because they retain more of a bite and lend texture to a dish that might otherwise end up mushy. I used Mara’s Pasta fettuccine, which I like, but any brand will do.
If you don’t like goat cheese: Let me first say that I don’t understand you even though I used to be one of you… but I still love you. Try substituting mascarpone cheese or cream cheese or any melty cheese (fontina would be good) for the goat cheese.
**To make your own pumpkin puree: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut off the top-most part of the pumpkin where it meets the stem. Slice the pumpkin into two, from the top through the bottom. Use a large metal spoon to scoop out the seeds, reserving them for roasted pumpkin seeds if you’d like. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Brush the flesh of the pumpkin halves with a light coating of olive oil and place facedown on the baking sheet. Roast until the skin is easily pierced with a fork, about 45 to 55 minutes. Turn the halves over and let them rest until cool enough to handle. Use a large spoon to scoop the flesh into a food processor or high-powered blender (I found that I could just pull the skin off). Blend well. Measure out one cup for this recipe. Once the rest has cooled down, store it in the fridge, covered, for a few days or in an air-tight bag in the freezer for up to a few months.
Make it gluten free: Substitute a sturdy gluten-free noodle, such as a corn and quinoa blend. Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I made this last week. I used vegan cream cheese (homemade based on ginger lemon girl blog recipe) for the goat cheese, nutritional yeast (for the parmesan), and a super small sprinkling of daiya vegan cheese I had in the freezer. It was one of the best vegan meals I’ve had. The rosemary added so much (and reminded me of sausage–which I used to like in fettucine alfredo), so glad I didn’t skip it (since you said it was “necessary” to sprinkle on top). Awesome recipe.
Could I substitute Almond Milk for the 2 cups of Low-Fat Milk? And would I use 2 cups of Almond Milk? I am so excited to make this recipe tonight! Perfect for Fall! Thanks for sharing!
Hey Claire, I haven’t tried using almond milk instead of low-fat milk, but I think it would work just fine as a 1:1 substitution. Please let me know if you try it!
Hi Kate,
I used the almond milk as a 1:1 substitution and I think the sauce was a bit watery/liquidy. But, I think it may have been because I didn’t do the roux right. I will have to try it again with the almond milk and make sure I get the roux right and then let you know:) For some reason, I have always had trouble knowing when the roux is ready. Thanks for all your awesome recipes!
Thanks for reporting back, Claire! I’m not a roux expert myself. I think that almond milk has fewer calories/fat than regular reduced fat milk, so maybe that’s why it was watery? Maybe scale back on the amount of almond milk next time? Sorry, I’m just guessing out loud here!
My husband and I love this recipe so much – I probably make it about three times a month! So easy, healthy, and delicious. :o)
I’m so glad you both love the recipe, Mary! I have been meaning to try substituting sweet potato or butternut puree for the pumpkin… I bet it would be great either way!
Hi Kate! I just wanted to tell you that I made this recipe last night and it was really, really something special. My (understanding but occasionally frustrated) husband initially balked at the idea of a pumpkin sauce, but when I reminded him that he’s perfectly fine with pumpkin ravioli he was a little more ready to give it a try… turned out he loved it as much as I did. This will be a staple in our kitchen going forward. It’s nice to have a lavishly creamy pasta dish in our repertoire that doesn’t make us want to go into a coma afterward!
We made a couple of tiny substitutions – lactose-free milk and macaroni instead of the fettuccine, and it worked perfectly (and looked quite similar to mac and cheese.) I think next time I’ll try it with thyme in place of the cinnamon!
I also recommend a can of Farmers Market brand organic pumpkin for the pumpkin itself – it was my first time using this brand and it had absolutely none of the undesirable raw metallic taste that certain other popular pumpkin companies have. After a lackluster pumpkin pie years ago, I have no desire whatsoever to puree my own pumpkin ever again! Too much work, very little payoff.
Kat, thank you! I’m delighted to hear that you both enjoyed the pumpkin pasta so much. Now I want to try it with macaroni… you may have inspired a spin-off recipe. :) Thank you for commenting! I’ll keep an eye out for Farmers Market brand pumpkin, too.
Just made this for lunch. It was absolutely delicious!!! I did modify it some. Didn’t have enough goat cheese, so I used parmesan and loaded it up with a bit of broccoli and peas (just my preference for alfredo). Tasted absolutely out of this world. I love incorporating pumpkin into recipes. Great way to sneak veggies into people’s stomachs. :)
Thanks, Melody! Broccoli and peas sound like a great way to lighten up the pasta. Delicious.
This was sooo delicious!! Really good as cold leftovers the next day too!
This was AMAZING. Kate, you never let me down. I had to make a gluten-free version for my friend with Celiac, so I simply added cornstarch to the milk mixture while it was cooking to help thicken (instead of flour), and of course used gluten-free noodles. Had to use dried rosemary in a pinch, because I didn’t have any fresh rosemary on hand.
The sauce was spectacular. Creamy, pumpkin-y, delicious, and the goat cheese was the perfect addition. Seriously, if you haven’t already, drop everything and make this recipe.
Thank you, Mia! I’m so glad you could make this recipe gluten free to share with your friend. Glad you enjoyed it!
We just tried this recipe last week, and it was fantastic! We made some peas as a side dish, and it seemed to compliment the pasta very well. I ended up mixing the peas in at some point. Either way, great recipe!
I made this tonight. I must confess I’m one of those non-goat cheese lovers. I threw in a TB of a creamy garlic cheese dip I had on hand! I think it still ranks as low-fat. Loved this and could not get enough! Thank you!
Sounds like a great substitution! Thanks, Leslie!
Hi Kate! I’m relatively new to the cooking world and am planning to make this for friends tomorrow night. Does it matter what type of flour I use? Thanks for all the wonderful recipes (the eggplant spaghetti with miso and brown butter sauce was life-changing)!
Hey Jennie! So glad you enjoyed the eggplant spaghetti. Any flour with gluten should work as a thickener here, so all purpose or whole wheat would work. Let me know if you need other suggestions! Hope it turns out great.
I made this last night and it was a hit with the entire family!! Awesome recipe!
Yay, thanks Erica!
This was really delicious! I made it almost exactly as written, only I added a little (1/4 cup) parmesan right at the end and also sprinkled it on top. Served it with a simple salad. My husband loved it! It’s a keeper recipe.
Thanks, Julie! Your version sounds great!
Hi, I don’t have pumpkin with me at the moment but do you think the sauce would work with sweet potato too?
I’m sorry for the slow reply. Yes, I think so!
That’s fine, I made it with sweet potato puree last week (just popped 2 in the microwave for 8min) and it turned out amazing. I also swapped the goats cheese for cream cheese as it was what I had on hand. Everyone agreed that the sauce was to die for :) Thanks!
Good idea! I’m glad your pasta turned out well!
I just made this amazing Alfredo thanks to you! It’s so good and packed with so much vitamin A! Speaking of do you know the full nutrition information for this recipe?
Thank you so so so much for such a tasty recipe. I made it with cream cheese because I’m a chicken about eating goat cheese :) maybe I’ll woman up and try it with this recipe sometime!
Thank you, Christi! I’m sorry, I don’t have nutrition facts for the recipes yet, but I’m working on a solution.
In the spirit of all things pumpkin, DH and I made this for dinner tonight. We used cream cheese instead of goat, asiago cheese instead of parmesan and left over canned pumpkin. Turned out great and DH said he would eat it again (that’s his seal of approval). Next time I think I will cook a full pound of pasta though, as we have quite a bit of the sauce left. Thanks for another great, easy recipe Kate!
Thanks, Sarah! I’m glad you both enjoyed it! I like my pastas extra saucy, so that might explain it. :)
I made this on Friday…the leftovers are even better! Super flavorful, comforting, and easy. I went heavy-handed on the herbs & spices and I’m glad I did. Thanks for another winner!!
That is a win! Thank you, Laurel for sharing. If you wouldn’t mind leaving a star review, I would really appreciate it!
I also used to hate goat cheese and now don’t understand people who don’t like it, including my past self! I can’t wait to make this!!
Let me know what you think, Kate!
Made this on a whim today because I had pumpkin and cream cheese I needed to use up before leaving town and it was absolutely delicious! I added a bit of extra garlic and doubled the red pepper, and it turned out fantastic! This will now be my go to recipe!
I’m glad you made it :) Thanks for sharing, Sonia!
Super yummy and so so easy! I made my own puree in my Thermomix while doing the rest and it was done and on the table in about 30 minutes. Even my super picky 4 year old ate it all and loved it! Thanks for a another great vego recipe!!
Thanks for sharing, Briony!
So good but I found it really sweet.. anyone have any recommendations for balancing it out?
I’m sorry you didn’t love it, Rylie! I’m wondering if your pumpkin was a little sweet. You could add a little more salt.
This was the absolute perfect fall dinner! I’m not a rosemary fan, so I swapped it for sage and added a pinch of nutmeg. Incredible. I love how creamy and rich it tastes without being loaded with butter and cream. 10/10 will make again
Wonderful, Robin! Thanks for your review.
I was wondering what you would recommend as far as replacing the milk with a non-dairy milk
I just made this today and substituted almond milk! it was quite thin at first, so I added a cornstarch slurry (dilute a tsp or so of cornstarch with some liquid from the pan, whisk, then stir back into the pot and heat until thickened). Once I added the pumpkin and goat cheese it came to a really nice consistency. Absolutely delicious!
Sorry, I haven’t tried it!
Hi Kate! I made this last night and it was delicious. Love that combo of pumpkin and goat cheese. Thanks for another successful recipe :)
You’re welcome, Joy!
Just made this. It was good, but there was too much sauce to pasta ratio. You could definitely use at least another 4 oz of dry pasta, maybe more. Also, need to salt liberally at the end, as mentioned.
Hey Kate, I was wondering if it is ok to store the sauce in the fridge and only combine one portion of pasta with a certain amount of sauce every time I boil some? Does the sauce thicken too much if left in the fridge and should it only be used right after being taken from the stove?
Hi Maart! I just added some details on how to best reheat the recipe (just add a splash of milk to loosen up the sauce). It’ll keep for up to 4 days. Hope that answers your questions!
Can’t wait to try this! Does this sauce freeze well?
Hey Kelly! I haven’t tried freezing this sauce. I’m a little hesitant to suggest it, since it contains a good amount of milk (sometimes dairy doesn’t defrost well). If you do try it, please report back!
Great, thank you for the feedback! I love your website and consult it regularly. Great work.
We bought a massive pumpkin at the farmers market, just before the lockdown happened – I’m now looking at different ways of using up pumpkin :-)
This was awesome – I was really worried because the milk sauce wasn’t thickening at all, but that changed as soon as I added the roasted pumpkin in.
I changed up, due to lack of goat’s cheese – added ricotta instead, and, as it’s my only chance for veg for the day (working from home, but crazy busy), I added some broccoli and zucchini in with the pasta.
Amazing flavour, and definitely adding to the “to make again” list. Thank you!
Hello! What stores do you find MaraPasta in?
Thank you!
Hi Kaysi! Any brand would do if you can’t find it.
I’ve been following you for years and somehow only came across this recipe yesterday – what a winner! I happened to have most ingredients on hand – only sub was almond milk vs cow’s. It was easy to throw together and felt fancy. I was worried it’d be too sweet, but the red pepper flakes brought it together for me. I’ve stockpiled pumpkin puree for the season so I will be making this again!
I’m delighted you have been following along for sometime and found this one! I appreciate your review, Cathy.
Wow this was so good! Other than adding in a few pinches of crumbled sage (because sage + pumpkin = another level of deliciousness) and omitting the cinnamon I followed the recipe exactly. Had some home grown pumpkin puree in the freezer and I was glad to use it in a main dish this time.
Thank you for sharing, Caryn! I appreciate your review.
I’m roasting my Bay Baby pumpkins as I write this! So excited to try this recipe—and roast seeds as well. You’re my “go-to,” Kate. Hope all is well with baby❤️.
Thank you, Trish! I hope you love it.
This was very good. I used pumpkin puree that I have left from the large pumpkin that I did not carve and roasted after Halloween. I followed the recipe as is and used 3 ounces of goat cheese. The flavor is very good but when I make this again, I will either use a bit more pasta or cut down on the amount of milk a bit. I like a little less sauce on my pasta. My only negative was that perhaps this was a tad too creamy. My other thought was to maybe cook the pasta just a bit less than al dente and let it finish in the sauce for a few minutes so that it releases a bit of starch which in turn might thicken up the sauce. There was really nothing wrong with this and, as I said, it was very flavorful. I also think that this would lend itself to adding sauteed veggies – mushrooms, peppers, etc. I will definitely make this again.
Thank you for sharing, Ken! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I appreciate you sharing your feedback on the creamy outcome.
I have probably made this recipe 30 times this past year. When I checked out the cans of pumpkin at the grocery store around Thanksgiving, all the cashiers were very surprised when I said it was for pasta. I am one of those weird people who do not like goat cheese, so I use fontina and it has always been great.
That’s great! I’m glad you enjoy this pasta so much, Jillian.
Loved this recipe! Very easy and super tasty :) I added a bit of
fresh arugula for extra colour. It also packed well for lunches. Btw, I’m with you on the goat’s cheese. Yum!
We make this almost every week. I fell in love with this recipe. It’s so good. I love regular alfredo sauce but it can really wreak havoc on the digestive system.
The pumpkin alfredo is better tasting to me and gentle on the stomach. Obsessed this. I use cream cheese because I’m one of those peeps who doesn’t do goat chz. This recipe is my top five favorites of all time. And I’m a recipe a-holic lol
Love all you do Kate!
I love to hear that, Christi!
I made this today for my family and it was incredible! I am a very inexperienced cook, but I still found the instructions easy to follow and understand. The sauce is delicious, and I love the combination of pumpkin, goat cheese, and rosemary. Even my dad liked it, and he doesn’t like pumpkin.
Made this recipe with twice the rosemary and half and half instead of milk. Added more salt and It was delicious! I’ll be adding this one to our rotation.