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.
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
Pasta with Cauliflower in a Spicy Pink Sauce
Spinach Spätzli with Brown Butter, Crispy Speck, and Pangrattato
Plantain Gnocchi with Short Rib Ragù
Butternut Squash Ravioli with Oregano-Hazelnut Pesto
Pappardelle with Cauliflower and Mustard Brown Butter
Gnocchi in Sagrantino Cream Sauce (Gnocchi al Sagrantino)
Tagliatelle with Goose Ragu (Tagliatelle al Ragù d’Oca)
Rigatoni with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Spicy Sausage
Pappardelle with Butternut Squash, Walnuts, and Baby Kale
Gemelli with Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower
Kale and Sausage Penne with Lemon Cream Sauce
Fettuccine with Brussels Sprouts, Cranberries, and Caramelized Onion
Pear and Cheese Ravioli (Cacio e Pere)