This easy one-pan Creamy Pumpkin Tortellini is loaded with spicy sausage, sage, and cheesy tortellini in a savory creamy pumpkin sauce. If you’re looking for a low-effort and delicious dinner, this is it! Creamy pumpkin tortellini only takes about 25 minutes to throw together and you’ve got a hearty and delicious weeknight dinner.

Creamy Pumpkin Tortellini is perfect for using up leftover pumpkin puree. This savory pumpkin sauce contains spicy Italian sausage, shallots, garlic, and sage–an incredible flavor combo! This is the perfect one-pan recipe to pull out for company that feels impressive while being really easy! If you love pasta alla vodka, you’re going to love this Creamy Sausage Tortellini.

Creamy Sausage Tortellini

When the holidays roll around, the last thing I want is a really involved dinner. Most people are already working to prepare for the big meal, so weeknight dinners leading up to Thanksgiving or Christmas should be easy! That’s where this Creamy Pumpkin Tortellini comes in.

This is a 20-minute one-pan recipe that’s both cozy and comforting. It’s the perfect dinner for cooler weather and it is SO chock full of fall flavors. If you’ve made anything with pumpkin puree and happen to have some leftover, this is the perfect recipe! I always find that I have about half a can of hanging around and this is an easy way to use it up.

The pumpkin sauce is a cross between pumpkin and a classic tomato alla vodka sauce. The vodka really helps brighten up the flavor of the sauce, but you could skip it all together if needed. I love this Creamy Pumpkin Tortellini for a quick and cozy meal any time of the year!

What is Pasta alla Vodka?

Pasta alla Vodka is a classic Italian-American recipe that you can perfect at home with just a few easy steps! We’re making a fall edition here by adding pumpkin puree, but you should also try my Classic Pasta Alla Vodka recipe!

So what does adding vodka do to the sauce? All the alcohol is cooked off, but the vodka boosts and intensifies the flavors of the tomato paste and pumpkin during cooking. Vodka also emulsifies the molecules of fat and water and tomato to make a perfectly luscious sauce. This creamy pumpkin vodka sauce is vibrant and rich with a kick from the Calabrian chilies.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

Comforting – There’s nothing quite as comforting as a bowl of pasta, but we’ve made it even better! This Creamy Pumpkin Tortellini recipe is so flavorful and rich without being too heavy. It’s the one pan recipe we turn to over and over again for cool nights!

One Pot – The best part of this pasta? It’s made entirely in one pot! I love any dinner that saves me from tons of clean up. You’re going to love how easy this recipe for is.

Customizable – This is a great recipe for using up extra veggies you may have! If you want to adapt this Creamy Pumpkin Tortellini recipe, head to the section below for all my tips and suggestions!

How to Make Creamy Pumpkin Tortellini

This is an easy recipe to throw together any night of the week! I recommend a large nonstick skillet to keep the pasta and sauce from sticking.

Tools Needed

• 12″ Nonstick Skillet with Lid
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board
• Cheese Grater

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Butter. Butter makes everything better!
• Shallot and Garlic. These are the flavor building blocks! You could also swap in finely diced onion for the shallot.
• Sage. Fresh chopped sage gives this Creamy Pumpkin Tortellini all the fall flavor.
• Italian sausage. I usually opt for spicy sausage, but you could also use sweet. You can also omit the sausage altogether to make this pasta vegetarian.
• Tomato Paste. Tomato paste adds tons of concentrated rich tomato flavor.
• Pumpkin puree. Make sure to use plain pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling which has sugar and spices in it.
• Calabrian chilies. I used the little jars of chopped Calabrian chilies from Trader Joe’s. You could also use a bit of crushed red pepper flakes.
• Vodka. Use whatever vodka you normally drink. You can also omit the vodka and swap in white wine or just more broth.
• Broth or water. I always use homemade chicken stock here, but store bought works too.
• Tortellini. The type of tortellini (or ravioli!) is totally up to you! I like the fresh tortellini from the refrigerated section and I used a classic 4-cheese flavor here.
• Heavy cream. Adding heavy cream really makes the sauce super creamy and balances out the flavors. I don’t recommend substituting anything lower fat except maybe mascarpone cheese.
• Parmesan. Freshly grated parmesan makes this tortellini so cheesy and helps thicken the sauce a bit.

The Process

1. Brown the sausage. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a silicone spoon as you go, until it’s browned and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove it from the skillet and transfer it to a bowl. Set aside.
2. Saute the shallots and garlic. Add the butter to the skillet along with the minced shallots, sage, and garlic. Cook until the shallots are soft.
3. Add the pumpkin. Add the tomato paste, Calabrian chile, and pumpkin puree and stir well. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pumpkin puree is a bit darker in color. Add the vodka simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the sausage back to the skillet with the tortellini and stir well. Stir in the broth and make sure the tortellini are mostly covered.
4. Simmer. Cover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another 5 minutes, until the tortellini are soft. Add the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the parmesan and simmer until the sauce is thick. Serve Creamy Pumpkin Tortellini with more parmesan on top.

The Best Types of Tortellini to Use

There are a lot of options when it comes to choosing the right tortellini for Creamy Pumpkin Tortellini! My favorite tortellini (or ravioli!) to use are the fresh ravioli in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Trader Joe’s has an amazing selection of ravioli in their refrigerated section. The flavor you choose is totally up to you! I love a classic spinach-ricotta tortellini for a 4-cheese.

You can also opt for frozen tortellini! There are a lot of great options in the freezer section for tortellini and ravioli and they last quite a while in the freezer. I like to stock up on these freezer options for easy dinners!

There are dried tortellini in the pasta section. Truth be told, these are my least favorite tortellini to use. I find that they aren’t as flavorful and the texture isn’t as great as the fresh tortellini. You can absolutely use them, but would boil them separately in a pot of water and then add them to the creamy pumpkin sauce.

Ways to Customize Creamy Pumpkin Tortellini

This recipe for Creamy Pumpkin Tortellini really is just a base that can be expanded on to accommodate whatever you have on hand! Here are some ways to customize this pasta recipe to your tastes. 

Add some protein. I love the flavor that Italian sausage adds, but you can easily swap in ground beef, turkey, chicken, or even MEATBALLS (I always have a freezer stash!). If you’re vegetarian, try some hearty mushrooms or even chickpeas!

Bulk up the veggies. Do you have some leftover veggies that you need to use? This pasta is the perfect way to use them up! This recipe would be great with the addition of spinach, zucchini, mushrooms, or bell peppers! 

Swap the tortellini. I used a classic 4-cheese tortellini here, but you can use any flavor you like! You could also swap in your favorite ravioli.

Storing Creamy Pumpkin Tortellini

Leftovers of Creamy Pumpkin Tortellini will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container, but keep in mind that as time goes on, the pasta will soak up the sauce and get puffy. It will still be delicious, but you may need to thin it out when re-warming.

Ideally, reheat on the stove over a low heat. Add in cream or broth to thin the sauce out as needed. You could microwave it as well in small increments.

I wouldn’t recommend freezing this one with the tortellini as the texture will change.

More One-Pan Dinner Recipes to Try Now

Creamy Chicken and Dumpling Soup
Thai Basil Chicken Stir Fry
Tomato and Burrata Gnocchi
Sesame-Ginger Meatballs

This post contains affiliate links from which I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate links allow me to keep providing great recipes for free and I never recommend products that I don’t love and personally own.