Pumpkin Ricotta Pasta Bake Recipe
Cozy baked pasta layered with a creamy pumpkin-ricotta sauce, spinach, and melty mozzarella. Comforting fall flavors in every bite.
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Servings:
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 12 oz dried rigatoni or penne
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 0.33 cup finely diced shallot
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 cup pumpkin puree use plain canned pumpkin, not pie filling
- 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 0.75 cup milk or half-and-half for richer sauce
- 0.5 cup vegetable broth pasta cooking water works too
- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1.5 cup shredded mozzarella
- 2 cup baby spinach, loosely packed
- 0.5 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp melted butter for tossing with breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp dried sage or 1 tbsp chopped fresh
- 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
- 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes optional heat
- 1.25 tsp kosher salt plus more for pasta water
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Boil pasta in well-salted water until 1–2 minutes shy of al dente. Reserve some cooking water, then drain.
- Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Soften shallot for 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds. Whisk in pumpkin, milk, and broth until smooth.
- Season with sage, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Simmer gently for 3–5 minutes.
- Take off heat. Fold in ricotta and Parmesan until creamy and well combined.
- Toss drained pasta and spinach with the warm sauce. Splash in a little reserved water if needed to loosen.
- Combine breadcrumbs with melted butter in a bowl until evenly moistened.
- Spread pasta mixture in the baking dish. Top with mozzarella, then sprinkle on the buttery crumbs.
- Bake until bubbling and golden, 18–22 minutes. Rest 5 minutes, then garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
Swap spinach for chopped kale, or add browned Italian sausage for extra protein. Assemble up to a day ahead, cover, and refrigerate; add 5–10 minutes to bake time. Leftovers reheat well with a splash of milk.
This recipe is an original creation inspired by classic Pumpkin Ricotta Pasta Bake Recipe flavors. All ingredient ratios and instructions are independently developed.