This Pumpkin Manicotti with Béchamel Sauce is such a delicious and comforting meal for the cooler months of fall.

pumpkin manicotti with bechamel sauce in white casserole dish

I had so much fun creating this recipe back in 2007, and it has been a quiet, fan-favorite ever since. One of my good friends says she makes it every single year around this time. The béchamel cream sauce is incredibly good with this pumpkin manicotti!

Wanting to create a great fall pasta dish, I decided to go with chopped pumpkin added to the filling of this cheese manicotti.  Be sure to buy a pumpkin that is suitable for eating- a sugar pie pumpkin. They’re a smaller variety that is used for making homemade pumpkin pie. You can substitute chopped butternut squash, if you prefer.

roasted pumpkin on baking sheet and bechamel sauce in pan

How to Make Pumpkin Manicotti:

I use fresh pumpkin (sugar pie pumpkin) in my Pumpkin Manicotti. I roast it up with a little bit of olive oil and maple syrup. A creamy, white béchamel sauce is the perfect choice to accompany the flavors of pumpkin and sage in the filling.  

ingredients displayed for making the filling for pumpkin manicotti

Then I mix it with some ‘typical’ manicotti filling ingredients… ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, cream cheese (not so typical), chopped spinach, etc. and add some chopped fresh sage in there too (instead of traditionally used basil).

hand showing stuffing manicotti with pumpkin filling

You’ll start the assembly of the manicotti by making the béchamel sauce and putting a thin layer of it in your baking dish. Here I show you how you can use a small spoon to get the filling into each of the manicotti noodles. I have another method that I sometimes use for filling the noodles that I also use for my Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Manicotti recipe. I scoop the stuffing into quart-sized zip bags, snip the end and squeeze the filling  into the noodles. It works really well, and you don’t have to struggle with the mess of trying to spoon it in.

stuffed pumpkin manicotti in white baking dish waiting for sauce

Snuggle the filled manicotti noodles side by side in the baking dish.

pumpkin manicotti with bechamel sauce ready for oven

The rest of the béchamel sauce is spooned on top.  There should be enough to cover all of the pumpkin manicotti. You’ll add a little chopped fresh sage to finish it off.  It’s then covered and baked for an hour.  

pumpkin manicotti with bechamel sauce in a white casserole dish

When it emerges from the oven, it will be hot and bubbly.

pumpkin manicotti being served out of a white casserole dish

This manicotti turns out to be a really excellent fall dinner. The roasted pumpkin is perfectly textured and wonderful with the melted mozzarella cheese and sage, as well as the creamy, nutmeg-tainted sauce.

serving of two pumpkin manicotti on white plate

If you’re looking for more fall pasta recipes, you might also enjoy my Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Sweet Italian Sausage or these Butternut Squash Stuffed ShellsFall Rotini Pasta Salad and Creamy Butternut Squash Alfredo Pasta are also really great pasta recipes to make during the fall months.

pumpkin manicotti with bechamel sauce in white casserole dish
5 from 2 votes

Pumpkin Manicotti with Bechamel Sauce

This Pumpkin Manicotti is a great fall comfort food dish.  Pumpkin, sage and cheeses are stuffed into manicotti shells and topped with the most delicious creamy white sauce!
Prep: 50 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 14 servings (2 manicotti per serving)
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Ingredients

ROASTED PUMPKIN:

BECHAMEL SAUCE:

FILLING:

NOODLES:

  • Two 8-ounce boxes manicotti noodles, prepared to al dente, and set aside to cool

TOPPING:

  • ½ cup chopped fresh sage

Instructions 

ROAST THE PUMPKIN:

  • Preheat oven to 400℉. In a large bowl, toss the pumpkin (about 4 cups) with the olive oil and maple syrup. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Spread the coated pumpkin cubes onto the tray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes; toss and then roast for 10 more minutes (until slightly tender). Let cool.

PREPARE THE SAUCE:

  • In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg, and set aside until ready to use.

PREPARE THE FILLING:

  • In a large bowl, mix all of the filling ingredients together. Stir in the cooled, roasted pumpkin cubes.

ASSEMBLE THE MANICOTTI:

  • Spray a 13x9-inch pan with nonstick spray. Stuff the noodles with filling using small cocktail fork or spoon (or see *Recipe Notes below).
  • Spoon a layer of sauce on bottom of pan, then lay stuffed manicotti noodles side by side on top of sauce. Cover with remainder of sauce. Sprinkle with fresh sage.
  • Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Notes

  • *Another idea for filling the noodles… put filling ingredients in a couple of quart-sized bags. Snip the corner, rubber band the top of the bag and squeeze into the cooked noodles.
  • *All of the noodles might not fit into a 9x13-inch pan. You may need an additional 8x8-inch pan to make room.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 432kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 78mg, Sodium: 784mg, Potassium: 432mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 3990IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 437mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Pumpkin Manicotti with Bechamel Sauce and Fresh Sage on a white plate

5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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9 Comments

  1. Dustin says:

    5 stars
    Looks really yummy!!I have to do it tonight for my family. Thanks for sharing and love your site

  2. Mary Bianchetti says:

    Can you make this ahead? I have made manicotti ahead with marinara sauce but never with bechamel.
    Can I completely assemble day before? If I out a plastic wrap on top will that prevent bechamel from forming a film?

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I would think it would be okay to make it a day ahead.

  3. Judy says:

    Can this dish be frozen? Before/after baking?

    1. Lori Lange says:

      I haven’t tried this.

  4. Pirate T says:

    The butternut squash substitution worked like a charm, and made enough filling for both a full round of manicotti *AND* a day-later lasagna!

    Both versions were extremely popular at my house, but because I was such a spazz with filling the manicotti, I think I’ll go lasagna in the future. But this is definitely getting added to my “fancy dinner/potluck” rotation. NOM!! Thank you!

  5. Cait B says:

    My boyfriend and I made this tonight – or technically he “made” it as a surprise dinner and I “supervised” – at any rate, this was fantastic. The sauce is great, but I found that I ran low and had to make a separate small pan with red sauce – still fantastic! I think this might be our new go-to for a great fall dish. And thanks for the tip on using icing-style filling bags – it made a tough job so much easier! Can’t wait to make it again and check out your other recipes!

  6. Kathy says:

    This looks wonderful and I’m anxious to try it, but how much is 1 pie pumpkin? Can you give me some idea as to the size of the pumpkin or the quantity of cubes? Thanks.

    1. Lori Lange says:

      Kathy, Pie pumpkins are smallish pumpkins that you’ll find in your market (they’re sometimes labeled as sugar pumpkins). I didn’t weigh weigh or measure it olut or anything, but I would imagine that when I cut it up, I came out with about 4-5 cups of cubed pumpkin. You can wing it on the pumpkin- however much you want in there is perfectly fine.