The Perfect Fun and Easy Halloween Pasta Recipe

Makes: 4 Servings
Per ServIng: 24g Protein | 305 Cal

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Halloween can be one of the most fun nights of the fall, but it can also be a little hectic and chaotic. Maybe you’re wrangling kids into costumes, maybe you’re walking them around the neighborhood, maybe you’re jumping up to answer the door every few minutes to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters, it’s not exactly conducive to an involved, time-consuming meal. Enter my pumpkin pasta with chicken sausage, dates, and sage. Savory, creamy, and just a little bit sweet, this quick dish is made with a low-carb base and plenty of protein for a healthy, balanced meal that only feels indulgent.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Halloween Pasta Recipe

• Super cozy, but high in protein: This is a healthy meal disguised as comfort food. The chicken sausage and cottage cheese make it high in protein, but the cozy, creamy sauce makes it perfect for a cool fall night.

• A creamy sauce with no cream in sight: The blended pumpkin and cottage cheese sauce is super creamy and smooth, while still being super healthy.

• The perfect balance of sweet and savory: Sweetness from the dates and pumpkin are balanced well by the shallot, garlic, chicken sausage, and cheese for a result that feels totally fall.

• Great for low-carb eaters: Whether you’re looking for specific low-carb options or you’re just interested in opting for a meal that’s a little bit lighter, this dish utilizes hearts of palm noodles to bring down the carb count. (Though you could, of course, use regular pasta, protein pasta, or anything else you love if you’d prefer.)

Ingredients

• ½ tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil

• 1 shallot, finely chopped

• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

• 2 packets Palmini hearts of palm noodles, drained

• 1 ½ cups pumpkin purée

• 1 cup cottage cheese

• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

• 3 dates, finely chopped

• 3 chicken sausages, sliced into coins or diced

• A few fresh sage leaves, chopped

• Salt and black pepper, to taste

• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Instructions

1. Sauté the aromatics: Heat your oil of choice in a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the shallot and garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until fragrant, soft, and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Make sure the garlic doesn’t burn!

2. Add the hearts of palm noodles: Double check that the hearts of palm noodles are completely drained, then add them to the skillet. Toss with tongs to combine with the aromatics and let them heat through. If you're using another kind of pasta, fill a large pot with cold water, bring it to a boil, add salt, then cook the pasta according to package instructions. You can save a little pasta water to use to finish the sauce if you'd like. Give things an extra spooky twist by using black bean pasta (really feeling the Halloween spirit? Go for a squid ink pasta or, if cooking for kids or picky eaters, use a little food coloring to dye your pasta).

3. Blend the sauce: Add the pumpkin purée, cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth and super creamy.

4. Add the sauce: Transfer the sauce to the skillet with the noodles and aromatics. Toss to coat everything evenly in creamy sauce.

5. Finish the dish: Add the dates, chicken sausage, and sage. Let the pasta cook for about 3-4 more minutes until everything is warmed through and the flavors have had a little bit of time to meld.

6. Garnish and serve: Remove the finished pasta from the heat, top with shredded Parmesan cheese and maybe a little bit of minced Italian parsley. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info (Per Serving - Makes 4 Servings)

• Calories: 305

• Protein: 24g

• Carbs: 35g

• Fat: 8g

Swaps & Substitutions

• Swap your pasta: Instead of hearts of palm noodles, try making this dish with chickpea noodles, high-protein pasta, zoodles, or whatever kind of noodles you like best.

• Make it dairy-free: Leave out the cottage cheese and instead use a dairy-free cottage cheese alternative or blend silken tofu to stand in for the dairy cottage cheese.

• Add extra veggies: This dish would be great with the addition of roasted squash, orange bell peppers, mushrooms, black olives (or green or Kalamata olives), a handful of kale or spinach, and more. Sauté them with the aromatics—if olives, just add at the end—and then keep going with the recipe.

• Amp up the protein: If the called for chicken sausage isn’t enough, add extra, or also add in some grilled or roasted chicken, white beans, or whatever else you’d like.

• Try a different cheese: If you don’t want to use Parmesan, I’d recommend Pecorino Romano, but you could use a different type of cheese if you'd prefer.

FAQs

• Can I make this Halloween pasta recipe in advance?

  You sure can! Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge and add a little bit of water or chicken stock before you reheat it to thin the sauce a bit. It should stay good for up to 3 days.

• What kind of chicken sausage should I use for this pasta dish?

  Opt for something fall-flavored like apple, sage, or roasted garlic chicken sausage. They’ll go well with the pumpkin and the other flavors in this dish.

• Can I freeze this pasta?

  You can if you’d like. Freeze portions of pasta in airtight containers or freezer-safe bags for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then gently reheat on the stove. Don’t forget to add a splash of water or chicken stock when heating!

• What’s the best way to make this pasta a bit spicier?

  If you like pastas on the spicier side, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a little Calabrian chili oil. There’s no need to do this though! It’s great without too!

This pumpkin pasta would be a fun Halloween dinner, but it'd also be the perfect meal for any cozy fall night. It’s proof that eating healthy, seasonal meals doesn’t have to be boring. Comforting, protein-packed, and made in 10-15 minutes, it’ll be a huge hit at your next Halloween party—or all season long.

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Pumpkin Pasta with Chicken Sausage

Yield: 4

Author: Ashley aka The Protein Snack Queen

Looking for a Halloween pasta recipe that doesn’t require making mozzarella eyeballs or making your spaghetti look like guts? This one is simple, delicious, and super balanced. You have to try it!

Ingredients

• ½ tablespoon olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 2 packets Palmini hearts of palm noodles, drained
• 1 ½ cups pumpkin purée
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 dates, finely chopped
• 3 chicken sausages, sliced into coins or diced
• A few fresh sage leaves, chopped
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Instructions

1. Sauté the aromatics: Heat your oil of choice in a large skillet over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the shallot and garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until fragrant, soft, and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Make sure the garlic doesn’t burn!
2. Add the hearts of palm noodles: Double check that the hearts of palm noodles are completely drained, then add them to the skillet. Toss with tongs to combine with the aromatics and let them heat through. If you're using another kind of pasta, fill a large pot with cold water, bring it to a boil, add salt, then cook the pasta according to package instructions. You can save a little pasta water to use to finish the sauce if you'd like. Give things an extra spooky twist by using black bean pasta (really feeling the Halloween spirit? Go for a squid ink pasta or, if cooking for kids or picky eaters, use a little food coloring to dye your pasta).
3. Blend the sauce: Add the pumpkin purée, cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to a blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth and super creamy.
4. Add the sauce: Transfer the sauce to the skillet with the noodles and aromatics. Toss to coat everything evenly in creamy sauce.
5. Finish the dish: Add the dates, chicken sausage, and sage. Let the pasta cook for about 3-4 more minutes until everything is warmed through and the flavors have had a little bit of time to meld.
6. Garnish and serve: Remove the finished pasta from the heat, top with shredded Parmesan cheese and maybe a little bit of minced Italian parsley. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

305

Fat

8 g

Carbs

35 g

Protein

24 g