A hearty plate of pasta makes for a comforting meal on a chilly fall night. Pasta is a great way to showcase some of fall's best flavors: squash, cauliflower, kale, and much more. From rich sweet potato gnocchi with cream sauce to tagliatelle with a meaty duck ragù, we've rounded up our favorite fall pasta recipes.
Gnocchi take wonderfully to fall flavors. Sweet potatoes are an autumnal staple, so try adding them to a gnocchi dough. A gorgonzola cream sauce adds a funky lightness to balance the dumplings. Our earthy farro gnocchi is paired with a pork ragù sure to warm you up. For a Domican twist, try making gnocchi with plantains and yucca and serving them with a rich short rib ragù.
Brown butter has a deep, nutty flavor that evokes fall without being too heavy. It's an easy way to punch up a simple bowl of fresh pasta with pine nuts. We use a mustard brown butter to sauce our pappardelle with charred cauliflower and fried capers. Brown butter is also at home on spinach spätzli with pangrattato bread crumbs.
Kale is one of our go-to vegetables once the temperature drops. Hearty kale pairs with sweet Italian sausage and penne is a pasta dish balanced with a lemon cream sauce and a touch of chile flake heat. Tender baby kale gets tossed into our pappardelle with butternut squash and walnuts right at the end of cooking so as to just slightly wilt it.
Find all of these dishes and more in our collection of fall pasta recipes.
Veal and Spinach Lasagna
Unlike the heavy red-sauced lasagnas served in America, this Abruzzo-style version relies on an ethereal egg and tomato sauce that puffs when the lasagna is cooked, giving it a soufflé-like appearance.
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
These vibrant, mildly sweet gnocchi were developed by stylist Judy Haubert as a gluten-free option to accompany Portland chef Jenn Louis’ rich Gorgonzola cream sauce. Get the recipe for Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce »
Pasta with Cauliflower in a Spicy Pink Sauce
Earthy sweet cauliflower adds body to this comforting pasta baked in a comforting, spicy tomato-cream sauce. Get the recipe for Pasta with Cauliflower in a Spicy Pink Sauce »
Spinach Spätzli with Brown Butter, Crispy Speck, and Pangrattato
Near Italy’s border with Austria, the food takes on a distinctly Teutonic bent with spätzli, a close Italian cousin of German spätzle. Get the recipe for Spinach Spätzli with Brown Butter, Crispy Speck, and Pangrattato »
Farro Gnocchi with Pork Ragù
In this Umbrian ragù, fennel pollen adds a sweet aroma and a flavor similar to that of the fennel-laced sausages found in Italian butcher shops. Get the recipe for Farro Gnocchi with Pork Ragù »
Plantain Gnocchi with Short Rib Ragù
Ripe plantains and yucca stand in for potatoes in this version of gnocchi from the Dominican Republic, which is served with short rib ragù. A long, slow braise with red wine, cayenne, and paprika results in tender, fall-off-the-bone morsels of meat; bolstered with cream, the rich sauce is then ladled over the slightly sweet, fluffy dumplings. Get the recipe for Plantain Gnocchi with Short Rib Ragù »
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Oregano-Hazelnut Pesto
Basil and oregano add herbal brightness to butternut squash, browned butter, and hazelnuts in a sweet-savory pasta dish. Get the recipe for Butternut Squash Ravioli with Oregano-Hazelnut Pesto »
Pappardelle with Cauliflower and Mustard Brown Butter
Pappardelle with Cauliflower and Mustard Brown Butter
Gnocchi in Sagrantino Cream Sauce (Gnocchi al Sagrantino)
A reduction of sagrantino wine, along with guanciale, flavors the sauce for this creamy gnocchi dish. Get the recipe for Gnocchi in Sagrantino Cream Sauce (Gnocchi al Sagrantino) »
Tagliatelle with Goose Ragu (Tagliatelle al Ragù d'Oca)
This hearty goose ragù from Scacciadiavoli winery is flavored with fresh rosemary, sage, and a touch of dried chile.
Rigatoni with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Spicy Sausage
For a riff on classic pasta alla norma, try adding spicy Italian sausage to pasta laden with eggplant and sweet tomatoes. Get the recipe for Rigatoni with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Spicy Sausage »
Pappardelle with Butternut Squash, Walnuts, and Baby Kale
Toasted walnuts, roasted butternut squash, baby kale, and a rich brown butter sauce combine over broad pappardelle noodles for a dish that perfectly captures fall’s best flavors. Get the recipe for Pappardelle with Butternut Squash, Walnuts, and Baby Kale »
Gemelli with Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower
Cauliflower roasted until sweet with garlic and cumin gets tossed with toothsome gemelli pasta, golden raisins, and slivered almonds for crunch. Get the recipe for Gemelli with Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower »
Kale and Sausage Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce
This is a pasta dish of strong flavors: dark, earthy kale is offset by bright lemon cream and a warm, aromatic heat from crushed red chiles and garlic.
Brown Butter Pasta
The elegance of silky brown butter combines with the natural beauty of fried eggs over a tangled mass of fettuccine.
Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts, Cranberries, and Caramelized Onion
Crisp-tender brussels sprouts and sweet-sour cranberries balance perfectly with a tangy vermouth-based broth in this pasta dish.
Pappardelle with Duck Sugo
Porcini mushrooms, white wine, and fresh herbs flavor this satisfying pasta dish, which was adapted from Lidia Bastianich’s cookbook Lidia’s Italy (Knopf, 2007).
Pear and Cheese Ravioli (Cacio e Pere)
Nothing says love like homemade pasta. Lidia Bastianich’s recipe mixes tender, sweet Bartlett pears with sharp pecorino and creamy mascarpone to make a rich filling for ravioli.
