This Healthy & Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce is the perfect fall meal that is easy to prepare and it’s high in protein and fiber! The sauce is made creamy with cottage cheese and seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper.
Why You’ll Love Healthy & Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
Instead of always using tomato sauce for pasta, you need to try this Healthy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce. It’s perfect for fall, packed with nutrients, and tastes amazing! Cottage cheese and parmesan cheese make the sauce creamy, while cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper add fall flavors.
This meal provides 39 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber per serving to keep you full and satisfied! Plus, it’s packed with lots of micronutrients, including potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamins A and C.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin puree: use 100% pure pumpkin. Pumpkin is full of nutrients, including vitamin A, potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. Not just for baking, it makes a tasty pasta sauce for fall.
- Cottage cheese: adds creaminess and protein to the sauce.
- Parmesan cheese: adds flavor along with protein, calcium, and potassium.
- Olive oil: provides healthy fats.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, & cayenne pepper: fall flavors plus a little kick from the cayenne pepper make it a tasty pumpkin pasta sauce,
- Ground Beef: the main protein source for this meal. I like using 96%/4% for leaner ground beef. Any meat can be used or go plant-based with tofu.
- Onion, garlic, & sage: the flavors for the ground beef. Sage is a great herb to use for its flavor and its full of antioxidants.
- Pasta: use any pasta you like. Regular pasta contains 7 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber.
How to Make Healthy & Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
Pasta: Prepare pasta following package instructions. When ready to drain, reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
Beef: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and sage. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add ground beef and salt and pepper to taste. Crumble ground beef and cook until browned.
Pumpkin Sauce: In a large blender or food processor, add pumpkin, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and ½ cup reserved pasta water. Blend until smooth.
Combine: Add drained pasta to skillet with beef. Add pumpkin sauce and mix. If needed, heat skillet on low to medium heat to warm up. Serve with parmesan cheese on top, if desired.
Tips
- Use any meat you prefer or make it plant-based with tofu.
- Use your favorite pasta. This sauce will taste good with it all!
Try These Meal Prep Recipes Next
- Maple Chicken and Butternut Squash Sheet Pan
- High Protein Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
- Easy Cottage Cheese Tomato Sauce Pasta Meal Prep
- Pumpkin Protein Baked Oatmeal
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Healthy & Creamy Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- 1 food processor or large blender
Ingredients
- 8 oz cellentani pasta or any pasta noodle
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 5 sage leaves finely chopped
- 1 lb ground beef 96/4
- salt and pepper to taste
Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
- 15 oz pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup pasta water
Instructions
- Pasta: Prepare pasta following package instructions. When ready to drain, reserve ½ cup of pasta water.
- Beef: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and sage. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add ground beef and salt and pepper to taste. Crumble ground beef and cook until browned.
- Pumpkin Sauce:In a large blender or food processor, add pumpkin, cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and ½ cup reserved pasta water. Blend until smooth.
- Combine: Add drained pasta to skillet with beef. Add pumpkin sauce and mix. If needed, heat skillet on low to medium heat to warm up. Serve with parmesan cheese on top, if desired.
Notes
- The pasta sauce nutrition facts on its own per serving: 132 calories, 8 g protein, 11 g carbs, 2.5 g fiber, 6.5 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat.
- Use any meat you prefer or make it plant-based with tofu.
- Use your favorite pasta. This sauce will taste good with it all!
