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Overhead shot of pumpkin rigatoni with sage breadcrumbs

30 Minute Creamy Pumpkin Cottage Cheese Pasta

This Creamy Pumpkin Cottage Cheese Pasta has the most luxuriously creamy sauce, thanks to pumpkin purée and cottage cheese! The sauce requires zero cooking - you just toss it with the hot pasta, and top the dish with delectable toasted garlic sage breadcrumbs. Another bonus - this pasta has an extra boost of protein thanks to its not-so-secret ingredient - cottage cheese! It's a fall hug in a bowl.

Course Dinner, Main, Main Course, Side
Cuisine American
Keyword cottage cheese, cottage cheese pasta, cottage cheese recipes, fall dinner, fall pasta, fall pasta recipe, fall pasta recipes healthy, garlic breadcrumbs, pasta recipes healthy, pumpkin pasta
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 1
Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

For the toasted garlic sage breadcrumbs

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped, divided
  • 8 leaves fresh sage
  • 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • salt and pepper

For the pasta:

  • 1 pound short-cut pasta (I like to use mezze rigatoni)
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
  • 3/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese (I use 2%)
  • 1/4 cup half & half
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

Instructions

  1. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter. Once melted, add the garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds - 1 minute or until fragrant. Pour half of the garlic butter mixture into a blender. (This is the start of the sauce).

  2. Return the skillet with the garlic butter to the stove over medium heat and add the sage. Sauté for another 30 seconds, until the leaves are fragrant and start to sizzle. Add the breadcrumbs. Toast for 3 minutes or so, stirring frequently, until breadcrumbs are nicely toasted and golden brown. Transfer breadcrumbs to a bowl to cool.

  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta and cook until al dente.

  4. To the blender with the garlic butter, add the pumpkin, cottage cheese, half & half, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Once you're ready to drain the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and pour it into the blender for the final ingredient in the sauce. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste to season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.

  5. Add the drained pasta back into the pot and pour the sauce over top. Stir to combine. Portion into bowls and top with the toasted garlic sage breadcrumbs. Enjoy!