Pasta with Pumpkin Sage Brown Butter Sauce
This easy pasta recipe is the perfect Fall dinner! It has complex flavors that are beautifully balanced, making it a sophisticated dinner that takes only 20 minutes to prepare! This is sure to be one of your new favorite pasta dishes! Don't skimp on the Parmigiano-Reggiano here, the salty bite really complements the rich sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Pasta, fresh or dry (see cook's note)
- 2 cups Lacinato Kale, stems removed
- 8 tbsp (1 stick) Butter
- 1/3 cup Shallots, minced
- 12 Sage Leaves, chopped
- pinch Red Pepper Flakes
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper, freshly ground
- 2/3 cup Pumpkin Purée
- 1/3 cup Parmigianno- Reggiano, grated (plus more for serving)
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of water over high heat. Once boiling, cook pasta according to package instructions (timing will vary depending on whether pasta is fresh or dry)
- While the pasta cooks, tear kale leaves into small pieces and massage by the handful, squeezing to soften leaves and release moisture. Place in a large shallow bowl and set aside.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add shallot, sage, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper (to taste). Continue cooking until butter begins to bubble and brown. Once browning, remove from heat and add pumpkin purée and a tablespoon or two of pasta water; whisk until smooth.
- Drain pasta well and pour into bowl with kale. Add sauce, scraping the sides of the saucepan with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle with 1/3 cup cheese and mix well to ensure noodles are fully coated with sauce and cheese and kale is evenly dispersed. Divide among 4 shallow bowls and sprinkle each with Parmigiano-Reggiano, if desired.
Cook's Notes
For the pasta, a short noodle of any shape works beautifully in this pasta dish. My favorites are Casarecce and Gemelli.
