Pumpkin Pasta Sauce with Chicken

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Fall harvest brings you the best flavors in this creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce! This flavorful sauce is a great way to switch up your pasta night!

Pumpkin pasta sauce with Italian chicken lated on pottery plates with fresh sage

Table of Contents

Healthy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

This pumpkin pasta sauce is every bit of a cozy fall meal that you’ve been hoping for! The pumpkin and crushed tomatoes blend nicely with fresh herbs, then topped with heavy cream for the perfect creamy texture!

So, first you have this insanely delicious pasta sauce, then we go ahead and add another layer of flavor- Italian pan seared chicken breasts. Wow! The flavor combo is unmatched.

Pumpkin harvest pasta sauce is made with simple ingredients like chicken, Italian seasoning, pumpkin puree, crushed tomatoes, rosemary, carrots, onion, garlic, heavy cream, and some thick cut noodles.

Ingredients to make Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Chicken:

Butter
Onion
Garlic
Celery
Carrot
Pumpkin puree
Crushed tomatoes
Rosemary
Nutmeg
Red pepper flakes
Salt
Pepper
Chicken breasts
Italian seasoning
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Pasta

Tips from the chef:

Use a good quality pumpkin puree. If you can roast a pumpkin to get some fresh puree, even better!
Use a food processor to finely chop the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. This step saves time, saves my eyes from watering over some seriously juicy onions, and helps maintain the consistency of the sauce.
Pan sear the chicken first. That way, when you remove the chicken breasts, the left over flavors are still in the pan, and ready to welcome the onion, carrot, garlic and celery.
Use fresh herbs. Seriously. They taste so much better, they look pretty in your fridge, and simply put, they are healthy to eat.
Use a blender. If the consistency is not as smooth as you’d like, uses a blender to create a more even texture.
Top with your favorites like parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, and cracked pepper. This just adds the perfect depth of flavor to your finished product!

Creamy pumpkin harvest pasta sauce coats thick cut pasta noodles and is topped with freshly cracked pepper.

How to make this easy pumpkin pasta sauce:

First, heat a medium sized pot over medium heat. Add butter to the pan and let it melt.
Season the chicken with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder on both sides. Add to the hot pan and cook on each side until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the pan, and place to the side.
Add an onion, garlic, celery and a carrot to the food processor and chop until it is very fine. Add this to the buttered pot. Stir and let it saute for 2 minutes.
Add the fresh and chopped rosemary and sage. Give the pot a good stir. Add in the pumpkin puree, crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and red pepper flakes. Stir and let it come to a simmer.
Add the heavy cream and let it cook for a few more minutes to allow the flavors to marry.
If you want a more smooth consistency, take half of the sauce and put it in a blender for a few seconds. Return to the pot and stir.
Cook up your favorite pasta according to package instructions, and serve up with a heaping ladle of pumpkin pasta sauce.

Pumpkin pasta sauce ontop of thick cut noodles and Italian chicken breasts is topped with freshly cracked pepper and fresh herbbs like rosemary and sage.

What kind of pumpkin puree to use?

My favorite way to make things is from scratch. I love the process of roasting a pumpkin and making a puree out of it. If this is not an option, a can of pumpkin puree will do the trick.

What goes with pumpkin pasta sauce?

Flavors that pair well with pumpkin include parmesan, sage, rosemary, nutmeg, and the list goes on and on. In this recipe, I carefully selected fresh sage, rosemary, a pinch of nutmeg, and red pepper flakes to help combine the flavors of pumpkin and crushed tomatoes.

More Pasta Ideas

Pumpkin pasta sauce is topped with parmesan cheese and picked up with a fork to show texture.

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