Pumpkin alla Vodka Sauce

December 30, 2022

Take the traditional penne alla vodka and bring autumn into it! A fall favorite, this creamy pumpkin vodka sauce is the perfect way to add a little flavor to your dinner tonight. With the sweet taste of pumpkin and topped with crispy sage leaves, this sauce will have you hooked on all things autumn.

I’ve seen recipes for pumpkin alfredo, pumpkin chipotle sauce, pumpkin brown butter, and the list goes on. When fall hits once again, I’ll take another shot at more pumpkin recipes! As for this recipe, I loved how my first test run came out so delicious. It was creamy and luxurious. The sweetness of the pumpkin was beautifully complimented by the tomato paste I added to give it a nutty hint, along with some nutmeg. The pancetta was added for a salt factor, but it can easily not be used in this recipe for a vegetarian sauce. I added some pasta water since the sauce was very thick at first; it definitely helped thin it out a bit. It’s a step not to be skipped!

How to make Pumpkin Alla Vodka

This recipe was a success during its first test run. You can make this vegetarian, even vegan if there’s a vegan heavy cream that exists! It’s easy to make too. I served this sauce with ravioli, just because! (Full ingredient amounts and complete instructions are available in the recipe card down below).

Fresh Pumpkin or Pumpkin Puree: If you can find a fresh pumpkin, only get a 1 lb pumpkin. I used puree since there weren’t any fresh small pumpkins readily available for me. It works just as well. If you can find fresh, I’ll leave instructions below on how to make the sauce with it.
Pancetta: Pancetta offers great flavors to the sauce. If you have prosciutto, it will work just as well!
Butter & Fresh Sage Leaves: This is for the crispy sage leaves for garnish. You can leave this off, but I don’t recommend skipping out on this.
Vodka: You don’t need expensive vodka. A cheap bottle will do—but not too cheap! Fun fact: The vodka cuts through to help balance out the sweetness of the tomatoes in a traditional vodka sauce—the same is true with pumpkin.
Heavy Cream: Used to make it creamy, just like the traditional alla vodka sauce.
Tomato Paste: I like using tomato paste in pasta sauces because it helps build a rich tomato flavor and gives an umami touch.
Shallots, Garlic, Fresh Parsley: Flavor! What’s a pasta sauce without garlic anyway?
Ground Nutmeg: For a hint of warmth. It’s a delicious warm spice that you only need a tiny bit of. It’s powerful.
Parmesan Cheese: It brings a bit of nuttiness to it to tone down some of the sweetness in the pumpkin.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: I used this to saute the pancetta—the pancetta, when cooking, usually lets out its fat, but the olive oil helps it not get stuck to the pan. Plus, olive oil is just a great saute oil.
Pasta: Rigatoni or Penne works best, just like in the traditional vodka sauce dishes at your local pizzerias. I used ravioli because why not—you can also use linguine, fettuccine, or even bucatini!

Boil pasta according to package directions for al dente. Reserve about 3/4 to 1 cup of water. In a small pan, melt the butter and crisp the sage leaves. Remove from the pan onto a plate lined with a paper towel, roughly chop, and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until browned. Add in the shallots and garlic, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn. Pour in the vodka and tomato paste. Allow it to reduce a bit and let the paste brown slightly, then add the pumpkin puree and heavy cream. Stir in the parsley, nutmeg, and parmesan cheese. Turn the heat to medium-low, and pour in the pasta water 1/4 cup at a time until it’s the consistency you want—thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, but smooth enough to stir. Toss in the pasta and serve with crispy chopped sage leaves.

Tips & FAQs

Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. This cannot be frozen.
- Reheat: Put in a microwave-safe plate and heat in the microwave for a few minutes, or heat a saucepan over medium-low. Stir it occasionally so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. If it starts to thicken, add a bit of water to smooth it out.
Variations:
- If you don’t care for alcohol, or don’t want it anywhere near you, then you can use veggie or chicken broth. It won’t technically be vodka sauce at that point, but do whatever works for you!
- Chop a chipotle in adobo sauce for a bit of spice and smoke. Or, add some crushed red pepper flakes for just spice.
- Make it Vegan: Instead of heavy cream and parmesan, use canned coconut milk to achieve rich creaminess. Coconut milk is very mild in flavor, so you don’t have to worry about tasting any actual coconut in the sauce. Use olive oil instead of butter for the sage leaves, or use plant-based butter.
- If you find fresh pumpkins: Get a pumpkin that’s about 1 pound. Preheat your oven to 400F. Microwave the pumpkin for a minute to soften it so it’ll cut easier, then roughly chop it. Roast the pumpkin for 20-30 minutes until soft and tender; easy to cut through. Transfer to a blender and puree it.
- Serve with a caesar salad or roasted broccoli.

Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.

Servings 6

Author Dani Bayer

Prep time

5 Min

Cook time

20 Min

Total time

25 Min

Pumpkin Alla Vodka Sauce

Ingredients

15 oz can pumpkin puree, or 1 lb fresh pumpkin (instructions in note)
1 tbsp butter
10-12 fresh sage leaves
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4-5 oz pancetta, diced, or prosciutto, chopped
1/2 shallot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup vodka
2 tbsp tomato paste
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb rigatoni or penne

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente. Reserve 3/4 to 1 cup of pasta water. Set aside.
In a small saute pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Crisp the sage leaves for about 1 minute. Remove the leaves from the pan to a plate lined with paper towels to catch the extra butter. Chop the sage leaves once cooled.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the pancetta & shallots until the pancetta is browned and the shallots are translucent, stirring occasionally, for about 3-4 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic.
Pour in the vodka and tomato paste. Stir to smooth out the tomato paste. Cook for 3 minutes until the tomato paste is slightly darker in color and the vodka is reduced.
Add in the pumpkin puree and heavy cream. Stir until smooth and well combined. Stir in the parsley, parmesan cheese, and nutmeg. Turn the heat down to medium-low, and pour in 1/4 cup of the pasta water at a time until it’s the consistency you want—thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, but smooth enough to stir. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
Toss in the pasta. Serve with chopped sage leaves on top and extra parmesan cheese.

Notes

Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. This cannot be frozen.

Reheat: Put in a microwave-safe plate and heat in the microwave for a few minutes, or heat a saucepan over medium-low. Stir it occasionally so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. If it starts to thicken, add a bit of water to smooth it out.

Variations:

If you don’t care for alcohol, or don’t want it anywhere near you, then you can use veggie or chicken broth. It won’t technically be vodka sauce at that point, but do whatever works for you!
Chop a chipotle in adobo sauce for a bit of spice and smoke. Or, add some crushed red pepper flakes for just spice.
Make it Vegan: Instead of heavy cream and parmesan, use canned coconut milk to achieve rich creaminess. Coconut milk is very mild in flavor, so you don’t have to worry about tasting any actual coconut in the sauce. Use olive oil instead of butter for the sage leaves, or use plant-based butter.
If you find fresh pumpkins: Get a pumpkin that’s about 1 pound. Preheat your oven to 400F. Microwave the pumpkin for a minute to soften it so it’ll cut easier, then roughly chop it. Roast the pumpkin for 20-30 minutes until soft and tender; easy to cut through. Transfer to a blender and puree it.
Serve with a caesar salad or roasted broccoli.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

623.37

Fat (grams)

25.98

Sat. Fat (grams)

12.18

Carbs (grams)

64.78

Fiber (grams)

4.63

Net carbs

60.15

Sugar (grams)

5.43

Protein (grams)

15.6

Sodium (milligrams)

246.57

Cholesterol (grams)

56.37

The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used. Salt and pepper for tasting are not included. Nutrition information will change if used.