This sauce came to be when I opened up my refrigerator and saw a jar of leftover pumpkin purée next to leftover diced tomatoes. They reminded me of a pasta sauce I bought at Trader Joe’s last year, called Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce.
“Autumnal Harvest Pasta Sauce” might be a more accurate title for this recipe, since it’s not overtly pumpkin-flavored. It’s a mouthful, though!
This sauce tastes like fall, with a hint of spice. The bell pepper’s flavor really shines through, so if you want a more pumpkin-y sauce, omit the pepper. Maybe add some extra cinnamon, too, since “pumpkin spice” flavor is more about the spice than the pumpkin. While pumpkin doesn’t offer a lot in the flavor department, it does make this blended sauce nice and creamy, without any cream.
This sauce is comforting like mac and cheese, but full of vegetables. It’s the perfect way to warm up on a chilly fall evening. I hope you love it like I do! If you’re craving more savory pumpkin recipes, try my pumpkin fettuccine Alfredo and roasted pumpkin soup, or view all of my pumpkin recipes here.
Creamy Pumpkin Marinara
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
This pumpkin marinara recipe tastes like fall. It’s comforting like mac and cheese, but lighter and full of vegetables! Just add pasta. Recipe yields about 4 cups sauce (enough to generously coat 12 ounces/4 modest servings of pasta).
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried tarragon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 can (15 ounces) diced or crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin purée
- 1 to 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 to 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Finely grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (both optional)
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once it’s shimmering, add the onion, bell pepper and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions and pepper are very tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, oregano, tarragon, and cinnamon. While stirring, cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute, while stirring. Add the pumpkin purée and stir to combine. Continue simmering for 5 minutes, then remove it from the heat.
- Carefully transfer the mixture to your blender. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 teaspoon vinegar. Blend until very smooth and creamy.
- Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and additional salt (I usually add another ¼ teaspoon salt). For a more luxurious sauce, add another tablespoon of butter, or for more tangy complexity, add another teaspoon of vinegar. Blend to combine.
- Stir into warm pasta. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan and chopped parsley on top.
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the butter or blend in olive oil instead. Use vegan Parmesan or omit it.
Make it gluten free: This sauce is gluten free. Just serve it over gluten-free pasta.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Debra
The Love and I already decided this is dinner next leg day (only time I eat pasta…it’s my favorite food :D) cmon Friday. This looks AMAZING! Cant. Wait.
Kate
Enjoy it! And let me know what you think after you give it a taste :)
Courtney
Hey Kate, what about freezing this yummy sauce?
Kate
I think this would freeze well!
Robert Keim
Try this on spaghetti squash and add white beans!
Kate
Sounds wonderful! Thanks, Robert!
Cassie Autumn Tran
This looks stunning! I absolutely love the vibrant color of the pumpkin sauce. Would this recipe work with any type of pasta noodle?
Kate
I prefer the shorter noodle varieties for this recipe, but feel free to choose your favorite noodle! Enjoy, Cassie!
FoodPlottoPlate
As a pumpkin addict I need to try this recipe. I have made lots of soups and pumpkin salads ultimately, but pumpkin marinara sounds good too :)
Aimee
yum! what a delicious use for leftover pumpkin puree!
Rahul Upadhyay
Really Nice.
Thanks for Sharing.
Barbara
Hi, I have been substituting butternut squash for a lot of pumpkin recipes. Do you think it would be good here? Thanks for all your recipes.
sillygirl
Google what is really in canned pumpkin and you will see it is squash.
Kate
I bet it would! Please let me know if you give it a try.
Shay Cochrane
This was SUPER yummy! It started out a bit thick for me so I ended up adding at least a half cup of vegetable stock while cooking and then another 1/2 cup of cream once in the blender. Thank you for another delicious recipe!!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great, Shay! Thanks for sharing and for your review. The cream would take this recipe to a rich level. Enjoy!
P.Aguilera
Mine came out too thick too, and I also added stock. I believe in my case it was because the diced tomatoes I used were in more of a puree than juice, so the mixture on the whole had less water. Otherwise, delicious and unusual use for pumpkin. I followed someone’s tip on topping with arugula and really thought the pepperiness complimented the marinara.
★★★★
Kim
I’m so glad that I saw this! We’ve absolutely fallen in love with the pumpkin chipotle sauce from Aldi this fall, and were not looking forward to when they’d stop carrying it. Now I can make something similar!
Kate
I haven’t tried that, but I am glad this has helped fill the gap! Thanks for sharing, Kim!
Mark
I made this tonight and was a little worried about all of the flavors blending together, but no worries. This was fantastic!! I literally have never made anything bad following your recipes. When my family asks “What is for dinner” I just have to tell them the recipe is from Cookie and Kate don’t worry, and they dont’t
Kate
Mark, that is so awesome. Thank you!!!
Kayla Marie
This recipe was AMAZING! I just made it tonight and I’m sitting here eating it as I type. I added arugula on top and I didn’t have tarragon, so I subbed basil and some fennel. Thank you so much Kate! As always, your recipes warm my heart and please my stomach ❤️
Kate
I love it! Basil sounds wonderful. Thank you, Kayla! If you would like to leave a star review since you liked it so much, that would be awesome.
Veronica Hudson
I love pasta and this looks a little spicy. It’s my favorite combination. I love it. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★
Zuhal
Over here in Germany, we don’t have canned pumpkin purée. Would you recommend roasting some pumpkin in the oven instead?
Kate
Hi Zuhal, yes, I think that would work. You could just blend the roasted pumpkin in the blender with the rest. Here’s a recipe that shows how I’ve roasted pumpkin for that purpose.
Nicole
I’m so excited to make this tonight! I have a can of tomato sauce – do you think that would work instead of the diced or crushed tomatoes or would it be too watery?
Thanks!
Kate
I think that would work just fine, but I haven’t tried to be totally sure!
Lindsey
We made this last night and really liked it! It actually made a ton of sauce compared to the pasta, so we ended up saving a good amount of it in the fridge. Delicious fall recipe – and the parsley was a nice touch. To be fair, we did use 2 Tbsp butter instead of just 1 :)
★★★★★
Kate
It is great to have leftovers to start the week! Thanks for sharing, Lindsey. Enjoy the rest of the sauce through the week!
Lynda
I actually packed 2 hot lunches for the week. My men loved it!
Kate
Yay! Thats great!
Joanka
It is so tasty. I took the liberty of adding half a stick of celery, chopped, to make it even more rich. I actually licked the blender, as I could not let even a tiny bit of this to go to waste ;)
★★★★★
Kate
Great!! Thanks, Joanka for your comment and review. I appreciate it!
Kristina
This was absolutely delicious – my husband, kids, and I all loved it! It really did feel like a comforting mac and cheese, but I felt great about giving everyone second helpings! It was perfect with a little Parmesan and freshly ground pepper on top. One note – while it was still tasty the next day, it was MUCH better when freshly made.
Thank you for the recipe, and for all your recipes! I bought your cookbook and it has been a huge help as we’ve made the transition to a vegetarian diet. Your food has also amazed friends and family who are hardcore meat eaters!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Winning over the entire family is huge! Thank you for buying the cookbook. :) If you would want to leave an Amazon review, I would greatly appreciate it!
Lynda
Tried it because of leftover pumpkin puree. I never mentioned the ingredients in the recipe to the “men in my life”. They loved it! It’s creamy and thick but more importantly, it’s flavorful and looks amazing. I will be making it again, for sure.
★★★★
Kate
Win! Thanks, Lynda for sharing and for your review. I truly appreciate it.
Erinn
Hi Kate,
Planning on trying this tomorrow, but do you think this would work if I threw in some other veggies as well? Thinking mushrooms, peas, maybe some zucchini- I know the color wouldn’t be as pure but we’re veggie-holics over here ;)
Kate
Hi Erinn, I like the way you think! You might enjoy it more if you make the sauce as-is, and top the pasta with those cooked veggies.
Erinn
Did just that and it worked great! Plus there’s enough for leftovers. Thanks for the recipe!
Carter
Can you make this recipe vegan?
Kate
Yes, see my recipe note! :)
Nella
We love squash and get bored of the usual soups.
This is such a comforting yet healthy dish.
We all loved it!
★★★★★
Kate
That is great to hear, Neila! Thanks so much for your star review. Happy to provide a new squash recipe for you and that it was a hit.
Tricia Lamantia
I don’t know what I was expecting this to taste like, but I was blown away! I googled subs for tarragon, and went with marjoram. I LOVED it!! Lots of sauce leftover so I tossed some in the freezer to have on hand. I really liked that I could make the sauce in the time it took to boil water and cook the pasta. I sauteed some asparagus and had a complete meal come together quickly that was way more tasty and gourmet than a jarred sauce. THANKS!
★★★★★
Kate
Great, Tricia! Thank you for your star review. Enjoy your leftovers. Let me know how it freezes for you!
Emily
This came out great is so simple to make! I added the extra butter and balsamic vinegar and it was perfect – made it twice in the same week.
Kate
That is a win! Thank you, Emily for sharing.
Sarah
This sauce is amazing! Such subtle flavors, nothing overpowers and you can taste a hint of each ingredient to make an perfect combination. Each time I look at it/eat it, I think there is cream in it – it looks like a vodka sauce. But then I remind myself how very healthy it is and have a little extra!!
Thanks Cookie & Kate for another fantastic recipe!!
★★★★★
Kate
Isn’t is great when it tastes so creamy but you know it is healthy without the cream! Happy you enjoyed it. Thanks for the review, Sarah!
Stephie
This is SO YUMMY. It’s creamy, hearty, looks amazing, and smells amazing, oh, and it tastes AMAZING. Very quick and easy to put together. I made with lentil pasta, but didn’t eat it with lentil pasta since it fell apart. I improvised with pearled couscous, haha. I’m happy to save this in my recipe box! Thank you, Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
Glad you liked it Stephie! It is simple, but oh so good. Thanks so much for you review!
Carol
OMG, this sauce was absolutely amazing. It tastes so rich and creamy, you’d never guess how healthy it is. Complex flavors. Great way to get my son to eat veggies!
★★★★★
Kate
Yay! I do love when a recipe doesn’t taste healthy, but actually is :) You don’t feel like you are missing anything. Thank you, Carol for your review. I appreciate it!
Amber H
Not sure how I missed this post, but I will be making this soon! It looks delicious.Thanks Kate :)
Kate
Let me know what you think once you try it, Amber!
Sarah Carroll
I really enjoyed this sauce and will make it again for sure. I substituted marjoram for the tarragon (didn’t have tarragon and not a huge fan anyway). I thought the sauce was good, but just a little bland for my taste, despite the pronounced red pepper flavour. The butter and balsamic vinegar did seem to help make the flavor a little more lively, but I still felt it was missing something. I added about 1/4 tsp nutmeg and found that it really gave it a nice kick, taking it from good to really good. The cheese helped, too (cheese helps everything). My sauce was extremely thick, which I didn’t mind at all. However, during one of my several leftover meals made out of this sauce I decided to add a little half and half to thin it out. In my opinion, that brought the sauce from really good to great (albeit less healthy). It wasn’t too rich–I just used a little and I skipped the cheese on that bowl. Great, versatile recipe. Never would have thought of this. Thanks!
★★★★
Kate
I am happy you were able to adapt this recipe to fit your taste. Thank you, Sarah!
Jaleh
Made this for dinner tonight, and it was so delish! I kept everything as is (2 tablespoons butter) and a generous heap of parmesan and fresh parsley on top. Went splendidly with a bottle of syrah. I have a feeling leftovers tomorrow will be even better!
Kate
Sounds like a wonderful pairing! Thank you, Jaleh for sharing.
Sarah
This was so delicious! It can totally satisfy a mac n cheese craving, its that creamy. I had no idea how tarragon and cinnamon would work together but it was lovely. I have tons of pumpkins so I cubed and roasted then blended it along with everything else. So yummy, everyone loved it! Thanks.
Kate
I am happy it worked to satisfy your craving, Sarah! I appreciate your comment. If you would want to leave a star review since you liked it so much, that would be great!
Laura Denman
I bypass most pumpkin recipes because I’m not a big fan but this sounds like one of a rare handful that I’ll love!
Kate
I am happy you liked it, Laura!
Rhonda
Delicious and easy to make. I served with steamed broccoli. Saved the remaining sauce to add to fresh pasta for another meal – maybe try freezing. Next time, will add more vinegar and increase the amount of herbs and cinnamon. Wondering how roasted peppers from a jar would work? I could have all ingredients on hand in the pantry for a snow day :-).
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Rhonda for your star review! I am happy you liked it. You can try it with roasted peppers from a jar. I haven’t tried it with that. Let me know what you think! It may not taste as fresh and will have a slightly different flavor since the peppers are roasted.
Joanna
I made this for the first time this evening and it turned out really well. I made it exactly as written to start but added a little more salt and some creme fraiche (I had some on hand that I needed to use). I also added a little bit more cinnamon due to personal preference. Good recipe, texture is smooth, and the pumpkin flavor isn’t over powering. This will definitely become a fall/winter staple in our house!
★★★★
Kate
That’s great, Joanna! I am happy this is now a staple. Thanks so much for the review.
Ilana
Any recommendations to substitute the Tomatoes?
Thank you!!
Kate
Maybe roasted red peppers, or additional pumpkin?
Stephanie
I made this last night and it was quick, easy, and delicious! My children (7 & 10) loved it and they can be a tough crowd to please :-)
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy to hear that, Stephanie! Thanks for your review.
Brittany
Could I make this with homemade pumpkin puree? I have a leftover pie pumpkin that I don’t quite know what to do with since I’m not in the mood for pie.
Kate
Yes, absolutely! I think that would be perfect.
Heling Higgins
Thanks for sharing this recipe, made it tonight and loved it!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! Thanks for the review.
Zodi
I didn’t like this. It didn’t taste creamy or pumpkin-y. It just tasted like tinned tomatoes.
★
Kate
I’m sorry you felt that way, Zodi! I’m not sure how to tell you to adjust. This recipe just may not be for you.
CookingNovice
Can this be frozen? Looks delicious!
Kate
I don’t freeze all my recipes, but you can search other comments to see if other readers have tried! Thanks so much.
Claire
Made this for dinner tonight and it is by far my FAVORITE savory pumpkin recipe! Absolutely delicious, and so easy to make! Served it with a side of sauteed kale for a delightful fall dinner!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Love to hear that, Claire. Thanks so much fo sharing.
Nelly
Hi Kate, thanks for the recipe, I’m planning to try it for lunch tomorrow. Do you think it’s a good idea to use fresh tomatoes here or is it better to just not use them at all? I have plenty of pumpkin puree, but no canned tomatoes at hand.
Kate
I would use canned, but you could try fresh. If you do, let me know what you think!
Erin
LOVED this! I didn’t have tarragon so I used thyme & oregano. I also added extra cinnamon, a touch of nutmeg & garlic salt. Making this all fall and winter!
Also I only puréed 3/4 of the sauce- leaving it a little chunky.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Erin!
Jen
Made this last night and it was SO good! I did add the extra pepper and parm like you suggested and even the picky 18 year old liked it. Thank you!
Jade
This is absolutely delicious! My doctor put me on an elimination diet (essentially vegan gluten free and no refined sugar). Your blog has been so helpful! So many delicious recipes that still work for me!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad my recipes have been helpful in your transition! Good luck. Love hearing what works well!
susanne
a wonderful receipe, the pumpkin enhances the flavour of the tomato and makes it a kind of sweeter version of it. the whole family loved it. this recipe makes it easily in the favourites ‘folder’.
★★★★★
Kate
Favorites folder, love that! Thanks for sharing, Susanne.
Andrea Martin
It would be helpful to include the pasta as part of the ingredient list, for grocery list purposes! :) Can’t wait to make it!!
Kate
Let me know what you think, Andrea!
Maureen
Looks awesome! I’m sure it’s filling on its own, but do you have suggestions for a vegetarian protein source that would work well added to this (and to other sweet squash dishes in general)?
Kate
You could possibly add chickpeas. That might be nice!
Natalie
Very yummy! I had a bunch leftover and used it to make eggs in purgatory the next morning — it was delicious!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Natalie!
Giselle
I’m so glad you have a “fall recipes” section because all I want to do is eat fall food right now. :) I love eating with the seasons.
Danielle
Absolutely delicious and hearty – perfect for a fall evening. I made it with chickpea pasta and it was perfect. Topped with some spinach for extra veggies/color, and a sprinkle of goat cheese. I think this pasta is a perfect match for goat cheese with the decadent creaminess!
★★★★★
Kate
Yes, this is perfect for a fall evening! I appreciate your review.
Gayle
I really like the Trader Joe’s sauce and was hoping for a healthier homemade version. I paired it with your recipe for spaghetti squash and it was amazing! Now I’m sure even better with a homemade sauce. Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Gayle!
Jodi Weiss
Another winner! This was easy to make and even easier to eat. I put it over roasted veggies and butternut squash ravioli. It is delicious.
★★★★★
Erin Williams
This sauce is delicious!For a vegan adaptation I chose to use tahini instead of butter. I’m looking forward to trying your pumpkin soup recipe and I think this sauce would make a delicious soup, as well, if thinned with some vegetable broth. Thanks so much for all of your amazing recipes!
Margaret
This is delicious Kate! I love all your recipes but it’s fun to experiment with something seasonal:) you are very gifted! I never have to worry that it won’t taste delicious and be nutrient rich for my body!
★★★★★
Nicole
This may be a silly question, so I apologize in advance, but does the color of the bell pepper affect the taste and/or color of the sauce? I have an orange-y/yellow one already, but wasn’t sure if it would make a discernible difference!
Kate
That should work just fine!
Jeanne
Wow, this is so delicious on a crisp autumn day. Served it with gluten free rotini with roasted broccoli, cauliflower, and garlic. This one’s going in heavy rotation!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great, Jeanne!
anna varshavsky
Love love the recipes. But would LOVE to see more gluten free options. Bean pasta tends to be heavy, so made this with rice noodles which was amazing. Added a little coconut aminos for a sweet/Asian nod.
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Anna! Most of my recipes have a great gf alternative and I mention it in the notes below the recipe. :)
Margaret
Really yummy! I only change is I might only add like half a teaspoon of balsamic or even omit it entirely. It kind of covered up the pumpkin flavor, but it was still great, just less pumpkiny. I tried with arugula as well, per a previous comment, and it was great mixed in. I topped with Parmesan and pecorino mixed together and parsley. Overall a fun and super filling fall meal!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for trying it, Margaret!
Annie
I definitely ruined this recipe by accidentally adding white pepper instead of black pepper. >.< But I could still tell that if I hadn't made that goof it would have been delicious. Can't wait to try it the correct way!!!
★★★★★
Kate
Oh no! Let me know what you think of it next time, Annie.
Hannah
I’ve made this twice as it is INCREDIBLE! My new favorite pasta sauce. I definitely recommend the 2tbsp butter (I use vegan) and the 2tsp balsamic vinegar, it’s so flavorful that way! It’s really great with or without cinnamon.
Thank you so much for sharing!! It’s a new staple for me!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing your variation, Hannah.
Maya Fitzstephens
I was really excited for something pumpkin-y and less marinara like but adding equal parts of canned tomato and pumpkin puree really made for a basic, boring taste. I was sad but would make it again, holding some of the tomatos.
★★★★
Meredith
Hi! I live in Germany where it isn’t so easy to find pumpkin purée. Think this recipe would still work if I replaced the purée with some roasted butternut squash or Hokkaido pumpkin? I hope so- it looks so so so good!