Trader Joe's Pumpkin-Shaped Pasta Is Inspiring a Whole Host of TikTok Recipes

Trader Joe's understood the assignment with its pumpkin-shaped fall zucchette pasta. In the spirit of the season, TikTokers are using the grocery store's seasonal item to create especially festive meals that look as good as they taste. According to social media, the butternut squash pasta has a slightly nutty flavor that serves as the perfect complement to any fall recipes or Haloween appetizers. "I could not pass up the pumpkin shaped pasta, a must have for fall," user Melanie Desmond wrote, mixing hers with garlic, heavy whipping cream, and Trader Joe's autumnal harvest pasta sauce for added flair.

Other content creators customized their pumpkin pasta with ground beef, vodka sauce, parmesan, and even pumpkin pie spice. "They're perfect for sauce, like they hold sauce perfectly," user nourishedannie noted in her video, combining onions, garlic, pepper, pumpkin spice, coconut milk, and tomato paste. One thing to note before buying — as discussed in other comments sections — is to cook the pasta on the al dente side to prevent the pumpkin shapes from falling apart. This will help the pasta maintain its structure, especially once it's added to your sauce of choice.

For a fully fall-inspired meal, take a page out of content creator Madison Sweitzer's cookbook and opt for a "pumpkin alla vodka," pictured above. Start by adding oil, garlic, shallots, and sage to a pan, then stir in pumpkin puree, parmesan, and tomato paste before thinning with vodka and cream. The cooked pumpkin pasta comes last, but the result is truly mouth-watering. The fall zucchette is a returning fall item, but it's already rivaling the popularity of newer Trader Joe's favorites like the pumpkin ravioli and pumpkin gnocchi. See more of what TikTokers are cooking up below.