Today is the most fall day of all fall days. The fall colors are at their peak here in Nashville, the air smells like wet leaves, it’s a little overcast and spooky looking, and it’s HALLOWEEN! So of course I had to go all in and make this Chipotle Pumpkin Pasta. This pasta is a little smoky, a little spicy, a little creamy, and lots of delicious. This easy tomato-free pasta sauce is a great way to shake up your pasta routine!
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Make it a Meal
This recipe makes four small-ish servings, so I’d probably serve this with a big green side salad to make it a meal. If you need a little meat to make your meal feel complete, I think some browned Italian sausage or chorizo would be awesome in this pasta. You can brown the sausage in the skillet with the onion and garlic, then continue with the recipe as usual.
Pasta Optional
As I was making this sauce, I noted how good it was on its own and how I’d totally be open to eating it as a soup instead of a sauce on pasta. So yeah, you can totally skip the pasta if you want! (This would probably make about 2 servings of soup.)
You don’t have to wait until fall to make this super delish pasta dish! Stock up on canned pumpkin just after the season when prices are low, and make this Chipotle Pumpkin Pasta year-round.
Chipotle Pumpkin Pasta
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.16)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1/2 tsp chipotle powder ($0.05)
- 1 15oz. can pumpkin purée ($1.00)
- 1.5 cups chicken broth* ($0.20)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- freshly cracked pepper ($0.03)
- 8 oz. pasta ($0.75)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream ($0.21)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.44)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté both in a skillet with the olive oil over medium heat, until the onion is soft and transparent (about 3-5 minutes).
- Add the chipotle powder to the onion and sauté for about one minute more. Finally, add the pumpkin purée, chicken broth, salt, and pepper to the skillet and stir until the ingredients are combined and smooth.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and allow the sauce to simmer for 15 minutes. During that time, cook the pasta according to the package directions, then drain in a colander.
- Once the sauce has simmered for 15 minutes, turn the heat down to low and stir in the heavy cream. Add the cooked and drained pasta to the skillet, stir to combine with the sauce, and let it heat in the sauce over low for 2-3 minutes.
- Finally, stir in the grated Parmesan, top with a little cracked pepper, and serve.
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Love savory pumpkin recipes? You should also try our Spicy Coconut and Pumpkin Soup, Curried Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup, or Easy Pumpkin Soup.
How to Make Chipotle Pumpkin Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Dice on yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Sauté both in a skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil, over medium heat, until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add 1/2 tsp chipotle powder and sauté for just a minute more…
Add one 15oz. can of pumpkin purée (NOT pumpkin pie filling, which is sweetened and spiced).
Add 1.5 cups chicken broth, 1/2 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper. Stir until everything is combined and the sauce is smooth. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the sauce simmer for 15 minutes. While the sauce is simmering, cook 1/2 lb. pasta according to the package directions, then drain it in a colander.
Once the sauce has simmered down, turn the heat down to low, add 1/4 cup heavy cream, and stir to combine.
Add the cooked and drained pasta back to the sauce and stir to combine. Let the pasta heat in the sauce for 2-3 minutes.
Add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan…
Stir the Parmesan into the Chipotle Pumpkin Pasta, top with a little more cracked pepper, and serve!
Sooo good! I made a few changes, used chipotle in adobo sauce (one whole diced chili and a teaspoon of the oil from the can), and added some paprika and chili powder. I cooked the sauce for about 10 mins more than the recipe since my onions were still crunchy.
Such a good pasta!! Even my hubby who is not the biggest fan of pumpkin, loved it!
This was delicious! I used chipotle crema instead of powder, 1 tablespoon per serving.
Absolutely delicious. My daughter wants a pumpkin sauce (preferably with chipotle)served as a sauce option on the pasta bar at her wedding this fall. I tried out this recipe as an experiment – we both loved it and I won’t to need to look any further! It’ll be a lovely addition to the reception dinner and I’ll definitely make this again and again.
I used BTB’s Smoked Chipotle broth, a little less pumpkin, and added chopped walnuts to the onion mix. Family loved it.
I loved this recipe! I added hot sausage and spinach. Do you think this would be good with chipotle peppers in adobo in place of the chipotle powder? I have some leftover from another recipe. Thanks!
Yes, probably! I would mince them and make sure to get some of the sauce from the can in there. :)
This is a family favorite for sure! I use one pound mild ground Italian sausage. Seriously, we love it!
This has been a go-to recipe for my family for years now. I sub ancho chili powder for the chipotle since our kiddo doesn’t like spicy food yet. Sometimes I switch it up by adding ground Italian sausage or greens but it’s also perfect as is.
So good!! This pasta is probably my #1 go-to any day.
This was great, it’s a very easy simple base sauce recipe. I added a lil extra Chipotle pepper and some Gardein Meatballs. I can see how adding some veggies would work super well.
I used tofutti sour cream and better than bullion vegetable base to make it vegan. I also added a bag of frozen broccoli for the last 5 minutes of simmer time as well as some garlic powder and smoked paprika. It turned out great!
Tasty and very easy to make. I didn’t have heavy cream so I used half a block of light cream cheese that I had left over from a different recipe and it worked well! Also added some pre-cooked chicken for extra protein.
Yum yum yum! I used canned chipotles, it was spicy! And Italian sausage. 1/2 and 1/2 instead of cream… and about 1/2 bag of spinach in there. Super good!
This is great! And so easy. Usually a pumpkin recipe means dessert, but this is a creative way to try out savory pumpkin. I used a larger rigatoni noodle and added some Italian sausage and it was amazing.
I used more cream to make the sauce a little less thick, and of course used a huge onion + many many many more cloves of garlic (honestly… probably like 8.) I decided the sauce didn’t feel seasoned enough (for the best with a recipe so we can adjust!) so I added paprika, more chili powder, some rosemary, and of course more salt + pepper. Served with super juicy grilled chicken breast on top (using the same seasonings with an emphasis on the rosemary)
I added vegan sausage and spinach. The vegan sausage was the make-or-break moment and it definitely made this dish. Whether you are vegan or not I highly recommend throwing either vegan sausage or regular sausage in there because without it it just felt like it was missing something. I gave this recipe 4 stars because I think the pumpkin sauce could have used a little bit more flavor, I think next time I make this I would add more chipotle powder and possible a little cayenne or red pepper because we do like it spicy in our house. Overall I enjoyed the recipe.
Holy crap, this is one of the best recipes I’ve made from this site. I added 1.5 links of hot sausage that I had left over (squeezed out of the tube) and used red lentil rotini. The pasta to sauce ratio was perfect.
Loved this as made. But if I wanted to make it vegan, what should I use instead of cream? (Obviously I would use vegetable broth instead of chicken.) Would coconut milk disturb the flavors?
Hi Amy! We haven’t tried it that way specifically but I think you would be just fine. Previous commenters have noted, “This was soo good! I made it vegan with coconut milk, veggie broth and nutritional yeast. Great idea, I definitely needed some kitchen inspiration!”
nut milk or diluted nut butter, or even just finely chopped or food-processed nuts.,,, cashews, pine nuts or macadamia come to mind…
also, there are a few brands of vegan cream. but I have a feeling this recipe is delicious without even using a sub
This is such an easy and versatile recipe! I’m usually someone who follows a recipe the first time, but here are the modifications I made when omitting the pasta: 1lb hot Italian ground sausage, double the chipotle powder (we like spicy stuff), and a frozen package of spinach stirred in before serving. Delicious, like a spicy pumpkin chili. Served with your garlic bread. Thanks, and without you I might have been too intimated to ever learn how to cook!
Great swaps Abby! Thanks for sharing!
Made this for dinner last night and just enjoyed some leftovers for lunch! This recipe is so delicious and simple. I added Italian sausage, used 1.5 chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce instead of the chipotle powder and used whole grain penne. It’s fabulous. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing Trina!
Easy recipe. Lick the bowl good. I used one heaping teaspoon of diced chipotle from a jar as I didn’t have powder. I’ll make this again and again!
Thank you Amber!
Yum! Made this tonight with a few modifications: subbed 1/4 cup 2% milk, used the just the powdered Parmesan from a jar, threw in a couple handfuls of spinach at the end to sneak in extra veggies, and mixed in 2 spicy Italian turkey sausage links! Turned out great and can’t wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow
Happy to hear it Jes!
This pasta is SO GOOD! I was a little skeptical with this one but I’m so glad I made it. It’s definitely going into my “Make Again” list!
Hooray!
This was soo good! I made it vegan with coconut milk, veggie broth and nutritional yeast. Great idea, I definitely needed some kitchen inspiration!
Oh perfect! Thanks Betsy!
You’re very talented and always with many new ideas, we in Tuscany use cooked pumpkin with garlic and rosemary, fresh cheese, parmesan pepper and rigatino (seasoned and smoked bacon) this to have a more decisive and less sweet taste. Brava Brava Brava
Oh that sounds delightful!
This pasta “smolders” with dark but understated chipotle spice flavour. Make sure you pick a bulkier pasta as I used thin egg noodles and this made it feel like it was mostly sauce instead of a marriage of noodle and sauce (though adding more pasta, if I had prepared it, would also have likely solved the problem). Also bought “cheap” no-salt chicken broth on sale when I should have paid a little extra to get deluxe broth with more flavour. Still, really impressive and novel flavour experience that will definitely be a fall/winter comfort food for me this year on drizmal, cold afternoons and evenings!
Wow! This blew my socks off when I had that first bite.
This was really good!
I accidentally put in too much pepper, so I added brown sugar to neutralize the pepper and that worked really well!
This was so good! I’ve made it as-is, with ground beef, and with chorizo. This is pretty amazing with chorizo. And it’s impossible to mess up!
Made this with double the pasta and found it was a perfect amount of sauce to cling to the pasta but not be too saucy. Served with peas and cottage cheese, or avocado with the leftovers!
How long would this keep in the fridge? Considering making it for my meal prep.
This one would probably hold up four days or so.
Just made this, it’s fantastic! I added sausage at the onions step, used ancho chili powder and cayenne instead of Chipotle powder. It was really good and creamy but next time I would add more spices and salt; also going to experiment with spinach in it next time!
I made this and Beth’s Warm Brussel Sprouts Salad with Pear and Cranberries this weekend. The salad is AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! This was very good. I bought the Chipotle Powder just for this recipe, and I loved it…the smoky heat is wonderful. I can’t wait to try it in Beth’s basic chili recipe. These recipes totally rocked the Autumn flavors!
Followed the recipe using vegetable broth and more salt and it turned out fantastic. Incredibly filling also. I will definitely make it again.
This was so good! About halfway through making it I realized it’s basically the same recipe as the butternut squash soup I make, just using canned squash instead of roasting it myself. I’ll have to remember that the next time I want soup but I’m feeling too lazy to start from scratch. :)
I’m really excited to make this! What would be a good additional vegetable to add to this? I’d like to add in something green (kale? broccoli? spinach?)
I vote for spinach!
I made this for dinner last night, and it was a winner! This felt like fancy restaurant fare, with the thick and creamy sauce, slightly sweet with with a hint of smokiness. I added some sliced roasted garlic smoked sausage, which added to the flavor nicely. I was pleasantly surprised when all three of my kids were clean platers – no dinner arguing here! Also served with homemade breadsticks. A winner all around! Thanks for another great recipe!!
Yum! Made this recipe vegan with the following swaps:
-veg broth instead of chicken
-coconut milk instead of cream
-nutritional yeast instead of parmesan
Also, instead of chipotle powder used one canned chipote in adobo (diced) plus 1 tsp. of the adobo sauce. Spicy but not overpowering, in my opinion. I used an immersion blender to make the sauce smooth.
Went ahead and used a full 12 oz. box of pasta and still had plenty of sauce!
Great comfort food, boyfriend devoured it :)
As someone who’s on a diet and who furthermore doesn’t care much for pumpkins, I thought this would be a great (read: mildly unpleasant) way to reintroduce pasta back into my stomach without having to contend with the usual pasta problems like quadrupled serving sizes and self-loathing. Aw, crap.
Could I use a minced chipotle chili in adobo sauce to sub for the chipotle chili powder? I have the former in my freezer.
Yes, absolutely. :)
Delicious recipe! Added Italian sausage and got rave reviews! Thanks Beth!
Just made this, definitely new favorite of your recipes! So delicious (and easy!) Thanks for helping to get this broke graduate student through it, I rely on your blog for sure :)
Looks so delicious (and really excited about the coconut milk sub above, too!). Also, totally didn’t realize you were in Nashville – that’s so exciting!
I made this last night! I had opened a can of pumpkin puree a few days ago and was wondering what to make with the rest when this popped up in my feed. I veganized it for my partner, using vegetable Better than Bouillon, and coconut milk instead of heavy cream. I would have used cashew parmesan, but I didn’t have any left.
It was delicious! It’s going into the “to make again” file. Thanks!
This recipe was delicious! just the right amount of pumpkin and chipotle. I ended up doubling the recipe to make a few lunches throughout the week and added some farmers sausage for extra protein.
Thanks for yet another amazing recipe!
Is chipotle powder the same as chili chipotle powder? And if not, where do you find it?
And could I sub regular chili powder?
I’ve mixed chili powder,paprika and sriracha before to sub for chipotle powder and it came out great on the dish I was cooking. I might do that here too!
Your ‘chili chipotle powder’ is probably quite similar. Using chipotle powder would give the mixture a smoky, spicy, taste which would go along with the pumpkin really well. You could use another chile powder but it wouldn’t give it a smoky taste. A chipotle is a smoked jalepeno. Smoked paprika would give it a smoky flavor but it wouldn’t be spicy.
I ended up finding chipotle powder but still found the dish very flavorless. I added half again what it called for and then about 1/2 t of chili powder and that was much better. It still found it underwhelming overall and probably wouldn’t ever make it again.
Seasoning is such an individual matter. You just have to experiment and adjust seasoning until it tastes good to YOU. Remember pasta absorbs flavor like crazy so if you make the dish ahead of time and eat it later, it may taste bland. I’m single so I prefer to make the pasta and whatever sauce I am using separately and then combine however much I want for a meal. Tastes much more flavorful and I often don’t need to use as much sauce at a time. Pasta lasts about a week in the refrigerator just add a little oil after you drain it. Most sauces also hold in the refrigerator. Often I freeze individual portions of pasta and sauces and that works pretty well too.
You might have needed an extra pinch or two of salt, as well. Salt can really help pronounce flavors and helps your tongue distinguish different layers of flavor. So a lot of times when something tastes bland it actually just needs a touch more salt rather than more spices. In this recipe the chicken broth provides most of the salt, but if your chicken broth was lower in salt, it may have needed more salt at the end.
This looks delicious! Would you use any additional liquid if having as a soup instead of a sauce?
Maybe only a half cup or so, it just depends on how thick you like your soup. :) You can make it as directed, and just stir in more as needed at the end.
Under the photo of the pumpkin puree you wrote “sweated and spiced”, guessing you meant sweetened?
LOL! Thank you, yes.