Pumpkin Rigatoni with Rosemary Walnut Crispies! Silky, creamy, savory pumpkin-sauce-bathed rigatoni sprinkled with rosemary walnut crispies.
Pumpkin Rigatoni with Rosemary Walnut Crispies
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I made this last night for dinner and wow! The rosemary walnut topping is perfect. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Madi
This recipe is sponsored by California Walnuts
Good news! There is a bowl of silky, creamy, savory pumpkin-sauce-bathed rigatoni sprinkled with rosemary walnut crispies that has your name on it for dinner tonight, and for lunch the next day, and for lots of days after that.
This pumpkin pasta is especially here for you if you enjoy:
- Fall flavors
- Warm, toasty things
- Rosemary and garlic and butter
- Foods with contrasting silky / crispy texture
- Pumpkin as a life theme
- Big floppy rigatoni noodles
- Like, things that taste really good?
This month we’re taking the pledge to #ChooseLunch, and is there really a better lunch to look forward to in the fall than creamy pumpkin pasta with rosemary walnut crispies? This is one of those recipes that keeps well for several days, reheats beautifully, fills you up, and tastes so good that you’ll be doing a little happy dance in your head (or, like, not in your head) every time you remember that it’s waiting for you in the fridge.
Breakfast is yummy and dinner is wonderful, but 10/10 chance you’ll have a more productive, happier, feel-good day if you keep yourself well-fed at lunch time. ♡
There are two parts to making this recipe, the most important one being making those little rosemary walnut crispies.
Should you make a double batch of them so you can add them to every salad, roasted vegetable bowl, soup, cheeseboard, snack bag, and stew for the rest of fall and winter? Y to the E to the S. These little guys are universally delicious.
Making The Walnut Crispies:
First, get your walnuts chopped and toasted.
Then toss them with just a little bit of fresh rosemary and brown sugar and black pepper and salt and butter. It’s just an essential walnut spa treatment, really. Try not to eat all of them hot off the pan because WOW.
Fun fact: Walnuts are an incredible source of Omega-3 fatty acids which are important for your body and your brain, and can help fight things like depression and anxiety, and inflammation, and a variety of other things. Food is so amazing.
Making The Pumpkin Pasta:
Okay, cook your pasta.
Make your pumpkin sauce which is so easy and life-changingly good.
Combine.
Pasta goes in the bowl, and a spoonful of rosemary walnut crispies (okay, fine, a few more) (and then just a few more) go on top.
THIS IS LIVING. Honestly. This bowl of pumpkiny, rosemary/garlic goodness is going to get you right in the fall feels.
Check Out Our Video For How To Make Pumpkin Rigatoni:
Pumpkin Rigatoni with Rosemary Walnut Crispies
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Pumpkin Rigatoni with Rosemary Walnut Crispies! Silky, creamy, savory pumpkin-sauce-bathed rigatoni sprinkled with rosemary walnut crispies. The BEST.
Ingredients
Scale
Pumpkin Rigatoni
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1–2 teaspoons kosher salt
- squeeze of lemon
- 1 lb. rigatoni
Rosemary Walnut Crispies
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1–2 tablespoons brown sugar (I like 2)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rosemary Walnut Crispies: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Run the walnuts through a food processor until they have a chopped texture. Arrange chopped walnuts on a small sheet pan and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss with rosemary, butter, sugar, salt, and pepper. Set aside to cool.
- Pasta: Cook according to package directions. Drain.
- Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce: While the pasta cooks, heat the butter in a skillet over low heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant (do not brown the garlic – it tastes bitter). Add the pumpkin and broth; simmer until smooth. Add the cream and salt; simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Add a little squeeze of lemon juice if you’re into that. Add cooked pasta to the sauce.
- Assemble: Serve pasta in shallow bowls with a sprinkle of the walnut crispies on top, and a little sprig of rosemary for a fancy garnish if, you know, you’re fancy.
Notes
Vegan Version: Use olive oil in place of the butter, and full-fat coconut milk in place of the cream. (The vegan version is not quite as rich but it’s really, really good.)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sauté
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pumpkin pasta, pumpkin rigatoni, walnuts recipe, pumpkin recipe, savory pumpkin recipe
Thank you to California Walnuts for sponsoring this recipe!
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This recipe is part of our easy pumpkin recipes page. Check it out!
Filed Under: All Recipes Dinner Fall Lunch Main Dishes Meal Prep Pasta Pumpkin Quick and Easy Recipes Vegetarian
September 30, 2019
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can find you!
I’ve bookmarked this – it looks and sounds amazing! Doesn’t a savoury, crunchy topping just totally lift a bowl of pasta? I’ve got a bloody mary penne recipe (https://www.rachelphipps.com/2019/03/bloody-mary-penne.html) that just would not be the same without the crunchy parsley breadcrumb topping!
This recipe looks like perfection. It’s a chilly spring day here in South Africa, want to make this 🙂
Oh I always wanted to try pasta with pumpkin.. Looks phenomenal I must say.
Fall dinner in a bowl! Yum!!
Definitely!
Can’t wait, this looks delicious! I’ll be making a vegan version with Earth’s Balance vegan butter and cashew cream instead of coconut milk or heavy cream! 🤤🤤
Yum! Hope you enjoy it!
Emma – how did it turn out using cashew cream?
It was amazing! I just blended cashews, and water in the vitamix (with a little salt & nutritional yeast). I save a little pasta water since cashew cream tends to thicken as it heats up. Delish!
I don’t like pumpkin so can I substitute butternut squash instead?
Thank you.
I gotta be honest and say I never a day in my live, now that I’m eating right again and working out thought of putting together such a healthy meal like this. Thank you for the inspiration. 🙂
I can’t wait to make a keto version of this with a brown sugar substitute for the topping on roasted cauliflower!
Hey Lindsay. Really like this recipe. Easy nutritious and a great source of energy. I’m thinking to add Pumpkin rigatoni to my post work out meal 🙂 thank you for sharing, the way you explain preparing these dishes are really fun and interesting. Keep up the good work. All the best wishes for the future, stay blessed.
Blame it on Nana’s pumpkin pie but I really struggle with pumpkin in more savory dishes. Still, this sounds amazing and might just change my mind. Saving for later.
Definitely worth a try! Hope you enjoy it!
Have you tried whole wheat with this? Wondering if it’ll be as good.
We haven’t but I’m sure it would be great!
Just made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS. The toasted walnut combo with the sweet was perfect. Will definitely be making again, and sharing with friends!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi! Have you varied this recipe to make it vegan? Just curious. Thanks, it looks amazing!
Yep! You can find the vegan version in the recipe notes. 🙂
This was amazing, but my sauce came out super thin! Wondering where I went wrong? Maybe I’ll add some flour to the butter next time. Anyway, like I said, still delicious and those crunchies are EVERYTHING!!
Same. Almost like broth, kept simmering and added a tbsp of flour and it never really got to a sticky sauce. Will do 1/2 cup broth next time maybe.
Mine also came out pretty runny like a broth. I would love to know how to improve this sauce.
Sorry to hear it came out runny for you, Alyse. We’d suggest just adding a little bit of flour to the sauce next time to thicken it up.
Going to try this tonight, it’s just started getting cold here in Glasgow so this should warm the family up… think I’ll lower the garlic though!
Omg, it looks amazing!
Mariya | https://www.brunetteondemand.com
So yummy 😍😋
Could you substitute pecans for the walnuts? This sounds very good.
We haven’t tested this out with pecans, but it should be okay.
My husband made this last night and let me say it’s so yummy! I do have a little feedback I’d like to share. He is a recipe follower to a tee, me not so much. He was going step by step and then once he had the crisp topping made and the sauce was thickening that’s when he realized he should’ve cooked the pasta first. He reccomends moving up the step of boiling the pasta to while you’re making the crisp topping so that you dont’ have to wait for that and can gobble it down right away! Minor delay but it was worth the wait! Thanks, POY team!
Thanks for the feedback, Ashley!
Wondering about a walnut substitute, we have a severe tree nut allergy in the house. Can’t wait to make it!
I’d probably swap for some breadcrumbs like these! https://pinchofyum.com/golden-crispies
Yummy 😋 food…
OMG i just made this with sage and WOW! Thanks Lindsay, pure fall decadence.
Yay! Glad you liked it!
I’ve bookmarked this too! What a great idea for a hearty fall meal. Pumpkin pasta is definitely worth a try!
Hope you enjoy it!
This looks muy delicioso. I’m not even a huge fan of pumpkin – but I have a serious and sudden need for this pasta. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Thanks for sharing the information about the pumpkin its very delicious
This is absolutely delicious. Bring on Fall.
This was AMAZING!!!!! So so delicious. Love the sweet and savory combo. What is the best way to store the walnut crispies?
If you have extra walnut crispies, you can store them in a sealed container in your pantry.
The information you’ve shared in this blog is remarkable. Thanks for sharing such quality information.
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I love this recipe Lindsay & pnchofyum!! Thank you so much, It was so good!!!. I enjoy that there is always nutrition facts after the recipe and that it makes my heart sing with every bite. I was so inspired, I had to share what really sparked my interest to find a new recipe