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Pumpkin Sage Meatballs

Pumpkin sage meatballs in a silky pumpkin cream sauce—browned meatballs simmered until cooked through, then finished with crispy sage and parmesan. Great for an Italian-American weeknight dinner served over pasta or polenta.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 680
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For meatballs
  • 1.5 lb ground pork or beef
  • 0.33 cup pumpkin puree
  • 0.33 cup breadcrumbs
  • 0.25 cup parmesan
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage, minced
  • 3 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp pepper
For pumpkin cream sauce
  • 1 cup pumpkin
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 garlic
  • 0.5 cup parmesan
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp fresh sage
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make and shape the meatballs
  1. In a large bowl, mix the ground pork or beef, pumpkin puree, breadcrumbs, parmesan, egg, minced fresh sage, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until just combined (stop as soon as no dry bits remain).
  2. Roll the mixture into 1.5-inch meatballs and set them aside while you heat the pan.
Brown meatballs
  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then brown the meatballs in batches until golden on the outside. Remove the meatballs to a plate.
Simmer the pumpkin cream sauce
  1. In the same skillet, sauté garlic over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds with no browning (visual cue: pale and aromatic).
  2. Stir in pumpkin, heavy cream, parmesan, and nutmeg, then bring to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Finish cooking the meatballs
  1. Return the browned meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 15 minutes, turning once, until cooked through and the sauce clings to the meatballs (visual cue: meatballs spring back).
  2. Finish by topping with crispy fried sage and extra parmesan, then serve over pasta or polenta.

Notes

Pro tip: avoid overmixing the meatball mixture so they stay tender after simmering. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of cream or water. Freezing is yes—freeze cooked meatballs in sauce up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (sauce will be slightly thinner).