Pumpkin Beef Bolognese

Total Time: 1 hour

4.65 from 17 votes

Pumpkin beef bolognese is the ultimate comfort food! A rich, hearty meat sauce with tender chunks of pumpkin that melt in your mouth. While it may sound like a time-consuming dish, it’s actually incredibly easy to throw together. Serve with parmesan or whipped ricotta for a crowd-pleasing dinner that’s sure to impress!

pumpkin beef bolognese

Why you’ll love this easy bolognese pasta with pumpkin

We start with a flavorful base of finely chopped celery, onion, and garlic, then add pumpkin and fennel for a unique twist. If you’ve never used pumpkin in your sauce before, you’re in for a treat—it adds a mild, slightly sweet flavor that pairs beautifully with both vegetables and meat. The fennel replaces more traditional aromatics, bringing a bright, subtle sophistication to the rich beef.

Once the vegetables are tender, we add the beef and cook until browned. No beef? Feel free to swap it out for ground pork or chicken.

Next, we pour in beef stock to enhance the meat’s flavor and keep it moist as it simmers. Beef stock creates a richer, deeper taste, but you can easily use chicken or vegetable stock for a lighter, milder touch.

pumpkin beef bolognese

Finally, we stir in tomato sauce and let everything simmer to perfection. The last step? Toss in your cooked pasta, top with a dollop of ricotta, and enjoy! If you’ve never added ricotta to your pasta, you’re missing out—it’s a game-changer. Whip some whole milk ricotta with grated Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, and a good pinch of salt and pepper for an instant upgrade that makes any dish richer and creamier!

Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.

Recipe tips

  • This sauce is incredibly delicious—decadent and perfect served over pasta or as part of a larger dish like lasagna. I recommend making a double batch and freezing half for an easy meal later on.
  • For the best results, use a pumpkin or squash with a soft skin, like Hokkaido pumpkin or Red Kuri squash, which blend beautifully into the sauce.
  • If you love to cook with pumpkin, check out these favorites: Chicken chili with pumpkinPumpkin Thai chicken curry or Chicken in butternut squash sauce with mushrooms.

Storage tips

  • Make ahead: You can easily prepare this recipe 1 day in advance. Keep the pasta and sauce separate in the fridge and reserve some cooking water. Then combine, reheat before serving, add a splash of the cooking water, and done!
  • Fridge: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
  • Freezer: Great for meal prepping! Store the sauce in the freezer in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

pumpkin beef bolognese

pumpkin beef bolognese
4.7 from 17 votes

Pumpkin Beef Bolognese

A comforting pumpkin bolognese featuring a hearty meat sauce with tender pumpkin chunks, served over pasta and topped with ricotta. Despite its rich flavors, it's surprisingly easy to make with just one pan, making it the perfect comfort food for any night of the week.

Prep 10 minutes
Cook 50 minutes
Total 1 hour
Servings 4
Calories 833

Ingredients 
 

  • 14 ounces pasta
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 shallots - finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves - minced
  • 1 celery stalk - finely chopped
  • 4 cups diced pumpkin - with skin, seeded (like hokkaido pumpkin/red kuri squash)
  • 1 small or ½ large fennel bulb - trimmed and diced
  • 1.5 pounds ground beef
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried sage
  • 1 tsp dried marjoram
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp chili flakes
  • salt - to taste
  • black pepper - to taste
  • 1 ¾ cups beef broth - or chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 cups puréed tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • fresh thyme - for serving
  • chili flakes - for serving

Whipped ricotta (optional)

  • 5 tbsp ricotta
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp grated parmesan
  • salt - to taste
  • black pepper - to taste

Instructions 

  • Heat oil in a large heavy-based saucepan or Dutch oven. Add onion, garlic and celery, cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
  • Add the pumpkin cubes, cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add fennel, cook for 3 minutes more.
  • Turn the heat up to high, add ground beef and break it up a little with a wooden spoon. Turn the heat back down to medium and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked through.
  • Stir in thyme, sage, marjoram, chili flakes, paprika, salt and pepper. Add beef stock and bay leaf, simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the tomato purée and tomato paste. Cover, simmer for 10 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.
  • In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente according to the package directions.
  • Serve plates of pasta with the sauce and ricotta spooned over top. Add a sprinkle of chili flakes and thyme. Enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 833kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 45gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 121mgSodium: 367mgPotassium: 988mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 401IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was below!


Comments

4 responses to “Pumpkin Beef Bolognese”

  1. Fiona Avatar
    Fiona

    5 stars
    Thanks so much for sharing this recipe it was delicious… I substituted 200ml of stock for red wine and it was very tasty. The ricotta mix was a lovely addition. Will definitely make again.

    1. Thank you Fiona! SO glad you enjoyed!

  2. Shannon Avatar
    Shannon

    How much pumpkin puree could you substitute?

    1. Hi Shannon, you’ll need 3 cups pumpkin purée. Enjoy the recipe!

4.65 from 17 votes (16 ratings without comment)

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