Pumpkin Vodka Pasta w/ Brown Butter Sage Breadcrumbs

Pumpkin Vodka Pasta with Brown Butter Sage Breadcrumbs

Pasta shells coated in a luscious pumpkin vodka sauce with BROWN BUTTER SAGE BREADCRUMBS?! Y’all - this might be the best fall recipe I’ve created to date. The pumpkin adds such a nice cozy creaminess that tastes like a warm hug but those breadcrumbs…. Toasted in brown butter and sage, it just gives this dish an insane amount of flavor that will have you going back for seconds and thirds. 

I know how many of y’all loved my Pumpkin Sage Stuffed Shells a few years back, but I wanted to make something less labor intensive, and more weeknight friendly. And since my vodka sauce is a crowd favorite, enter: this pumpkin vodka pasta with the same brown butter sage breadcrumbs you all loved from the shells but a million times easier and faster! You guys are truly going to love this one!

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

For the Pumpkin Vodka Pasta:

• 2 tbsps olive oil

• 8oz medium shells

• 2 shallots, minced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 tbsps salted butter

• 2 tbsps tomato paste

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• ¼ cup vodka

• 1 cup heavy cream

• ½ tsp dried sage or poultry seasoning

• ½ tsp dried thyme

• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

• Salt to taste

For the Brown Butter Sage Breadcrumbs:

• 2 bunches of sage, chopped

• ¼ cup salted butter

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Directions:

For the Pumpkin Vodka Pasta with Brown Butter Sage Breadcrumbs:

• Fill a large pot up with water and place over high heat. Season with a heavy pinch of salt and bring to a boil.

• In the meantime, heat a large skillet on medium heat and add in the olive oil.

• Add the shallots and a pinch of salt and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant.

• Add in the butter and once melted, add in tomato paste and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until caramelized and deepened in color. Add in the pumpkin and cook for 2 minutes more.

• Meanwhile, add your pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.

• Pour the vodka into the pumpkin and tomato paste, stirring to scrape up any  browned bits stuck to the pan. Cook until all the alcohol has burned off and there’s no more liquid in the pan.

• Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream until smooth. Add in the dried sage and thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper.

• Once the pasta is almost cooked, scoop out 1 - 2 cups of pasta water and reserve. Drain the pasta and add to the vodka sauce.

• Toss the pasta in the sauce, adding a bit of pasta water at a time until smooth. Add the parmesan cheese and a bit more pasta water and toss until silky. You may not use all the pasta water, you want just enough to get a silky sauce. Shut off the heat and keep warm while you make the breadcrumbs.

• Add the butter to a skillet and cook on medium heat until foamy. Stir frequently and continue cooking until the color reaches a golden brown. Once browned, add in the chopped sage and breadcrumbs, and mix until each breadcrumb is coated in the browned butter. Cook 1-2 minutes more until toasted, then shut off the heat.

• Just before serving, add a splash more pasta water to the pasta and toss until you have a glossy sauce. 

• Serve immediately topped with the parmesan and breadcrumbs and enjoy!