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Pumpkin Sage Meatballs

Pumpkin sage meatballs in an Italian-American pumpkin cream sauce—tender, browned meatballs simmered until cooked through. Finished with crispy fried sage and parmesan for a cozy, silky finish 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: 820
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 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp pepper
For pumpkin cream sauce
  • 1 cup pumpkin
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 clove 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. Combine ground pork or beef, pumpkin puree, breadcrumbs, parmesan, egg, minced fresh sage, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until just combined; avoid overmixing for tender meatballs.
  2. Roll the mixture into 1.5-inch balls and set aside while you brown them.
Brown and simmer
  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then brown meatballs in batches and remove to a plate.
  2. Reduce heat to medium, then sauté garlic until fragrant.
  3. Add pumpkin, heavy cream, parmesan, and nutmeg; bring to a gentle simmer.
  4. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
  5. Return meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 15 minutes until cooked through, turning once for even coating.
Finish and serve
  1. Fry or crisp fresh sage in a small amount of hot oil until dark green and crackling, then sprinkle over the meatballs.
  2. Top with additional parmesan and serve hot over pasta or polenta.

Notes

For the juiciest texture, mix only until the ingredients are combined; overmixing can make meatballs tough. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave. Freezing is yes—freeze cooked meatballs and sauce up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Dietary swap: use low-fat cream or half-and-half for a lighter sauce, noting it will be slightly less rich.