This cottage cheese pumpkin pasta is my kind of cozy fall dinner: rigatoni coated in a silky pumpkin sauce with garlic, sage, and thyme. Blended cottage cheese gives the sauce its creamy texture and a little extra protein, while Parmesan and red pepper flakes finish every bowl with savory flavor.
I use plain canned pumpkin, so there is no squash to peel or roast, and the whole recipe comes together in 35 minutes. This is a savory pumpkin pasta—not pumpkin spice pasta—and the sauce is blended smooth before it meets the rigatoni.
Why I Love This Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Pasta
- Pumpkin Is The Star: A full can of pumpkin gives the sauce its fall flavor and creamy body.
- Creamy Without Heavy Cream: Cottage cheese blends into the pumpkin sauce for a smooth finish.
- No Roasting Required: Canned pumpkin keeps this a simple stovetop dinner.
- Savory Fall Flavor: Garlic, thyme, sage, and Parmesan balance the pumpkin’s mellow sweetness.
Featured Ingredients
- Rigatoni: The ridges and hollow centers hold onto the creamy sauce. Another pasta shape works, too.
- Canned Pumpkin: Use plain pumpkin puree, not sweetened pumpkin pie filling.
- 2% Cottage Cheese: The tested recipe uses 2%. Small-curd cottage cheese tends to have less liquid, but other cottage cheeses also work; adjust the pasta water to suit the sauce.
- Onion And Garlic: Sauteed aromatics add a savory base and are blended into the sauce.
- Dried Thyme And Sage: These herbs make the pumpkin taste like dinner rather than dessert.
- Parmesan And Red Pepper Flakes: Finish the pasta with these toppings and optional extra cottage cheese.
- Reserved Pasta Water: Start with ¼ cup, then add more as needed. Pumpkin thickness varies by brand, and the sauce also thickens as it sits.
How To Get A Silky Pumpkin Sauce
Blending the pumpkin sauce together with the cottage cheese smooths out both the curds and the pieces of onion. The reserved pasta water helps loosen the puree, and its starch helps the sauce cling to the rigatoni. Use a blender rated for warm or hot foods, follow its venting instructions, and never seal hot sauce in a personal smoothie blender.
After blending, gentle heat is your friend. Keep the sauce over low to medium heat rather than at a hard boil. If it looks too thick to coat the pasta easily, add reserved pasta water a little at a time until it is creamy and spoonable.
Tips And Easy Variations
- Reserve Water Before Draining: Save a full cup so you have enough to adjust the sauce.
- Keep It Savory: Pumpkin pie filling and pumpkin pie spice do not belong in this sauce.
- Prefer Some Texture: Skip blending the complete sauce, blend the cottage cheese separately, and stir it in. This version will be thicker and have pieces of onion.
- Finish With Cottage Cheese: A few tablespoons on top are optional and give each serving an extra-creamy finish.
What Makes This Pumpkin Pasta Different
This recipe puts pumpkin and cottage cheese together in a blended, herb-forward sauce for stovetop rigatoni. My butternut squash mac and cheese takes a different approach with roasted squash, a cheese-forward sauce, and a baked breadcrumb topping. If you want a blended cottage cheese sauce without pumpkin, try my cottage cheese Alfredo.
What To Serve With Pumpkin Pasta
I like this as a cozy main with a green salad. For a fall dinner spread, add my autumn couscous salad or garlic Parmesan dinner rolls for scooping up the extra sauce.
Storage And Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours and enjoy within 3–4 days. The pasta will absorb sauce as it sits. Reheat gently with a splash of water, stirring until heated throughout; leftovers should reach 165°F. I prefer this pasta fresh or refrigerated, since freezing can change the texture of the dairy sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is a savory pasta. Plain pumpkin puree has a mellow sweetness, but garlic, thyme, sage, Parmesan, and red pepper flakes keep the sauce firmly in dinner territory. Do not use sweetened pumpkin pie filling.
Yes, blend the cottage cheese for a creamy sauce. The main method blends it together with the pumpkin sauce, smoothing out the onion as well. For a chunkier sauce, blend only the cottage cheese separately and stir it into the pumpkin sauce.
Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. The sauce starts with ¼ cup; if it is still too thick, add more a little at a time until it coats the rigatoni easily. Different canned pumpkins and cottage cheeses can change the thickness.
Yes. Rigatoni holds the sauce well, but another pasta shape also works. Use 8 ounces and cook according to the package directions until al dente.
Blend thoroughly and warm the finished sauce gently over low to medium heat. Avoid a hard boil. When reheating, add a splash of water and stir gently until heated throughout.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni according to the package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then strain the pasta and set aside.
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Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and ⅛ teaspoon of the salt, and sauté for 4–5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, thyme, and sage, and sauté until the garlic is fragrant.
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Add the pumpkin and ¼ cup reserved pasta water to the skillet and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer. Transfer the sauce to a blender rated for hot foods, add the cottage cheese, and blend until smooth. Follow the blender manufacturer’s hot-liquid instructions, vent safely, and work in batches if needed; never blend hot sauce in a sealed personal blender. Return the sauce to the skillet and heat gently over low to medium heat without bringing it to a hard boil.
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Add the remaining ⅞ teaspoon sea salt, ground black pepper, and pasta to the skillet, and stir until the pasta is coated with sauce. If the sauce is too thick, stir in more reserved pasta water a little at a time until it coats the pasta easily.
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Top with the Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and optional cottage cheese. Serve immediately.
- Use plain canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- The 1 teaspoon sea salt is divided: ⅛ teaspoon for the onion and the remaining ⅞ teaspoon for the sauce. Salt used in the pasta-cooking water is separate.
- Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Start the sauce with ¼ cup and add more only as needed; the amount depends on the pumpkin and how thick the sauce becomes.
- Small-curd cottage cheese tends to have less liquid, but other cottage cheeses also work. The tested recipe uses 2% cottage cheese.
- Blend the pumpkin sauce with the cottage cheese for a silky texture. For a thicker sauce with pieces of onion, skip blending the complete sauce; blend the cottage cheese separately and stir it into the pumpkin sauce.
- Top with a few tablespoons of cottage cheese if desired. This garnish is optional.
- Use another pasta shape if you prefer, and follow its package cooking directions.
Calories: 388 kcal, Carbohydrates: 55 g, Protein: 18 g, Fat: 11 g, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 7 g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by: The Wooden Skillet
