Instant Pot Pumpkin Pasta Recipe

This fresh and filling creamy Instant Pot Pumpkin Pasta is full of the warming flavors of Autumn. It's like eating a creamy fettuccine alfredo but with pumpkin puree. Using specialty bronze cut pasta like pappardelle adds extra texture and makes it an elegant main dish for winter holidays and family dinner gatherings.

The rich pumpkin sauce is made with pumpkin puree, cream cheese, and heavy cream. It's seasoned with nutmeg, sage, and a dash of pumpkin spice to bring out all that we love about pumpkin flavor. For the best flavor, cook a whole pumpkin in your pressure cooker or air fryer, then turn it into a creamy homemade puree instead of using canned.

• Pasta: pappardelle pasta works great with thick and creamy sauces, plus it looks extra fancy when serving. Bronze cut pasta, like these at Target, have a texture that helps sauce stick. Pennoni and paccheri are great choices too. If you can't find these cuts, your favorite shape is fine!
• Pumpkin puree: the key ingredient! Homemade is my favorite but canned pumpkin tastes delicious also. Substitute with butternut squash puree.
• Heavy cream: use evaporated milk or dairy milk as a substitute. Doing so will lesson the richness of the sauce by a small amount.
• Cream cheese: mascarpone is a great substitute, although it's a tiny bit sweeter than cream cheese.
• Pecans: the crunchiness of the nuts is fantastic with each creamy bite! Walnuts, hazelnuts, or cashews are delicious here too.
• Fresh herbs: garnish the pasta with fresh sage, basil, chives, or parsley.
• Spices: nutmeg and sage compliment and bring out the flavors of pumpkin. You can experiment with the spices in this recipe by adding a pinch of cinnamon or allspice.
• Freshly ground black pepper: ground peppercorns add a kick here, so I suggest sticking to grinding your own, but regular black pepper will be fine if not.
• Butter: to slightly lessen the fat content, use extra virgin olive oil (remember that cream cheese has a high fat content too).

I suggest garnishing the finished pasta dish with a handful of fresh herbs and pecans (or other nut) and a dash of pumpkin spice seasoning to really escalate the flavor and texture.

Instructions

Step 1: Set the Instant Pot to saute on high (or normal) for 4 minutes. Melt the butter and add the garlic and red onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until the time is up.

Step 2: Add 4 cups of water to the pot and deglaze thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Then add the pappardelle, submerging in the water as much as possible. Add nutmeg, sage, salt, pepper, heavy cream, and pumpkin puree in this order. Do not stir. Close the lid, seal and set to pressure cook on high for 3 minutes.

Step 3: Complete a controlled quick release (see above) when finished. Remove the lid and stir thoroughly, but gently.

Step 4: Add the softened cream cheese.

Mix with a wooden spoon until melted thoroughly into the pasta and a smooth sauce has been made.

Step 5: Serve garnished with pecans and fresh herbs and sprinkled with a dash of pumpkin spice seasoning.

Enjoy!

How To Serve

This pumpkin pasta makes a full course vegetarian dinner on it's own on a lovely crisp Fall evening. Serve with toasted garlic bread or Italian bread or a fresh garden salad.It also can be served as a side dish on Thanksgiving or Christmas.

How To Store

Store your pumpkin pasta in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through. This recipe is not freezer-friendly, as the sauce will lose it's smooth texture.