Brown Butter Pumpkin Sausage Pasta with Crispy Sage
Brown butter pumpkin sausage pasta coats rigatoni in a savory pumpkin-Parmesan sauce with crisp sage and caramelized sausage.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces rigatoni
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 16 fresh sage leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Boil rigatoni in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain.
- Brown the sausage: Cook sausage in a large skillet for 7 to 9 minutes, breaking it into craggy pieces. Transfer to a plate.
- Brown the butter: Add butter and sage. Cook until sage is crisp and butter smells nutty; remove sage and reserve.
- Make the sauce: Add garlic for 30 seconds, then pumpkin, broth, cream, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Simmer 4 minutes.
- Finish: Stir in Parmesan, pasta, and sausage. Loosen with pasta water, add lemon juice, and top with crispy sage.
Notes
Store leftovers promptly in a covered container. Images are AI-generated illustrations; recipe not kitchen-tested.