Tortellini with roasted pumpkin sauce. So delicious and easy-to-make! The sauce is versatile and can be used with any pasta or mixed with whatever vegetables you have on hand. It’s simple, tasty and perfect for adding to your regular meal rotation!
Check out my other veggie loaded recipes: One-pot pesto gnocchi with asparagus, Ratatouille chicken ragout or Baked eggplant rollatini.
Why you’ll love this pasta recipe
Because you can use your favorite pasta, whether it’s tortellini, ravioli, or gnocchi, and add any toppings you like. What I love most is that it uses fresh veggies, but without a lot of chopping. Since it’s a sheet pan recipe, the vegetables can be cut into large chunks, roasted in the oven, and then blended, making the prep easy and not too time-consuming.
You can use any vegetables you like for the sauce, but don’t forget to check the tips section for some of my suggestions.
Watch the recipe video
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.
Which pumpkin is best for roasted pumpkin sauce?
I recommend using Hokkaido pumpkin because it’s soft and doesn’t need peeling. However, you can also use other options like:
- Kabocha squash
- Butternut squash (make sure to peel it first)
- Acorn squash
- You can also save time by using store-bought pre-chopped pumpkin!
Ingredients
Veggies: I used a mix of pumpkin, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and garlic. You can swap in other pumpkin varieties or add zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, eggplant or grape tomatoes.
- Olive Oil: For roasting the vegetables.
- Seasoning: A blend of salt, black pepper, sweet paprika, and Italian seasoning.
- Tortellini: Choose your favorite filling, or you can use ravioli, penne, or gnocchi instead.
- Parmesan: Adds body, creaminess, and flavor to the sauce.
How to create a smooth sauce
Once the vegetables are roasted until tender, transfer them to a blender and blend with some the reserved cooking water until smooth. Alternatively, you can add the veggies and water to a pan and use an immersion blender for the same effect.
Recipe tips
- For a heartier sauce, try adding cooked bacon or ground meat like beef, pork, or chicken to create a delicious meat sauce.
- Fresh herbs, such as basil, sage or parsley, make a wonderful addition.
- While pasta water is used to blend the roasted veggies, swapping it with chicken or vegetable broth will add more body to the sauce. For an even creamier texture, mix in some heavy cream or half-and-half.
- Be sure to season to taste! Feel free to add all the suggested seasonings (and more) since pumpkin loves seasoning.
- Roast the vegetables until they are soft, this might take a bit longer than the recipe suggests, depending on your oven and the size of the vegetable pieces.
- Cut the veggies into smaller pieces for quicker cooking times.
Storing tips
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where they will keep for about 4 days.
- To freeze the sauce, transfer it (without pasta) to freezer-safe containers and place them in the freezer. It should last for up to 3 months.
- Keeping a big batch on hand is a fantastic way to have easy dinners ready for busy weeknights!
Tortellini with Roasted Pumpkin Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 red onion - chopped
- ½ small pumpkin - deseeded and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 red bell pepper - deseeded and chopped
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp black pepper - more for serving
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp chili flakes - more for serving
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1.1 pounds tortellini - use your favorite filling
- ½ cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C.
- Get your prep done: chop the red onion, deseed and roughly chop the bell pepper. Deseed and chop the pumpkin.
- On a rimmed baking sheet, combine onion, bell pepper, pumpkin, cherry tomatoes, oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning and chili flakes.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until tender.
- When ready, boil the tortellini in salted water for 2-3 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water.
- Transfer the vegetables to a blender, add tomato paste and ½ cup cooking water. Blend until smooth.
- Add the pumpkin sauce to the pot where you boiled the tortellini in, set over medium low. Combine with grated Parmesan. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Add tortellini and stir until combined. Pour in more cooking water if needed. Finish off with black pepper and chili flakes.
Video
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