When I don’t want to put a ton of effort into making dinner, I often turn to simple pasta dishes. Pasta with pesto or alfredo sauces are great candidates for this. I tend to have the ingredients for these sauces on hand, and I can easily throw them together without having to bother with measurements. Plus, both sauces are comforting and delicious. It’s a dream situation, really. And occasionally I’ll experiment with different flavor combinations. I love a good lemon alfredo sauce, for example. But lately I’ve been craving fall flavors, so I decided to play around with a pumpkin alfredo sauce.
Unsurprisingly, this was a great idea. The color is rich and inviting, and the flavor is that of a standard alfredo but with a subtle pumpkin taste. It’s not too overwhelming, which is important with a cream sauce. And the texture is just fantastic. The pumpkin really helps thicken and bind the other ingredients, resulting in a thick, almost velvety sauce.
If (like me) you bought a bit too much pumpkin purée this year, this is the perfect way to use it up!
Quick and Easy Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 cup Heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups Freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup Pumpkin purée
- 1/2 tsp Freshly grated black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add in the heavy cream and stir to combine.
- Add the parmesan cheese, pumpkin purée, salt and pepper to the cream and butter. Stir to combine once more, and then add a bit more salt and pepper if you feel that it needs it!
- When everything is combined and the sauce it hot, it's ready to be eaten. Add it to the pasta of your choosing!
Like I said, this sauce is super quick and easy. It can be added to the pasta of your choosing, or even a pasta alternative like spaghetti squash or noodles! You can even experiment by using it as a sauce for meat or veggies. The world is your oyster!
As always, if you end up making this, let me know in the comments or on Instagram! I always love hearing from you and seeing your beautiful creations.
Want more?
If you’re looking for more pasta recipes, check out my weeknight balsamic and goat cheese pasta. Or if you’re up for the challenge of making pasta from scratch, this chai spiced butternut squash and goat cheese ravioli is to die for.
