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Epicurious

Pasta with Smoky Pumpkin Cream Sauce

By Anna Stockwell

3.6

(20)

A pot of pasta with smoky pumpkin cream sauce.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Ali Nardi

Spanish smoked paprika lends a warm smoky flavor to this super simple, rich, creamy pasta.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    25 minutes

  • Yield

    4–6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound penne or other pasta
Kosher salt
1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin purée
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley, plus more for serving

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain and transfer to a large bowl, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.

    Step 2

    Meanwhile, cook pumpkin purée, cream, paprika, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in a large skillet or wide heavy pot over medium heat, whisking constantly, until smooth and warmed through, about 3 minutes. Add 3/4 cup pasta cooking liquid and whisk to combine. Add pasta and 1/4 cup parsley and cook, adding more pasta cooking liquid to thin sauce as needed, until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a platter. Top with more parsley and black pepper and serve.

TagsPastaPennePumpkinSquashVegetablePaprikaHerbs & SpicesMainSideDinnerNut FreeVegetarianEasyQuickWeeknight MealsEpicurious

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