You know how after it’s been hot for so long, you crave fall and all the things that come with it? That’s how we’ve been feeling. It’s not just the days where it’s over 100 all day and even after the sun has set. No, we want everything to do with fall. We want football and cooler weather, sweaters and some of our favorite comfort foods. Unfortunately, there’s only one thing on that list we can make happen on our own. So, we whipped up a batch of this pumpkin pasta, and turned the AC down as far as it would.
Pumpkin Pasta
1 12-16 oz box of pasta (recommended: rotini, cavatappi)
1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 package steamable frozen butternut squash
1 package steamable frozen sweet potatoes
1 cup shredded carrots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Optional but recommended:
pinch parsley
pinch smoked paprika
teaspoon Better Than Bouillon roasted garlic base
parmesan cheese
pinch crushed red pepper
Tools:
can opener
stock pot
colander
large saucepan with lid
serving spoon
measuring cups and spoons
Before we begin: be sure you have plain pumpkin puree and not a can of pumpkin pie filling! This terrible tragedy has happened to us before. Some companies label the two items entirely too similarly, and sleepy cooks (or cooks relying on little helpers' newly acquired reading skills) may fall victim to the same oops. So, double-check your labels before you whip out the can opener.
Fill your stock pot with water and set it on a burner to come up to a boil. Salt the water if you prefer to do so.
Pour your olive oil into the saucepan and toss in your minced garlic, ground ginger and pepper. If you plan to use the roasted garlic base, smoked paprika and dried parsley, add them too. While they aren't strictly necessary, they do a lot of work to complement and balance what can be a very rich recipe. Slap the lid on the pan and let the spices and oil simmer for a minute or two on low heat.
Shredded carrots are almost always washed, ready-to-eat produce, but if yours are the exception to the rule, please take a minute to wash them while your spices sizzle.
Start your butternut squash in the microwave. The squash can take as little as four minutes or as long as seven, so be sure to follow the directions on the package.
Once your spices are fragrant and the garlic has browned a little, add the carrots and cover again. The carrots don't need a whole lot of time to cook, and we don't want to cook them to death, so it's best to move on quickly here.
Take your can opener and crack open the can of what you are now double-sure is pumpkin puree and not pie filling. Add the pumpkin puree to the saucepan. We're well aware the pumpkin doesn't always like to exit the can. If there are some stubborn spots, measure your half cup of chicken broth into the can and swish it around a little to dislodge as much of the pumpkin as possible, then pour the chicken broth into the pan.
Stir everything until the pumpkin thins out some, then add the quarter cup of heavy cream and mix it in until you no longer have white streaks. You can use half & half or milk instead, but we feel the heavy cream makes a superior sauce.
By now your pot of water should be boiling. Add your pasta and give a quick stir to separate. Now you'll just need to check back in on it occasionally while it cooks. We like to shave a minute or two off the time the directions on the box suggest - we hate mushy pasta - and we also like to use a veggie pasta when we can. Sneaking in that extra little bit of vegetables counts!
Turn your attention back to the microwave and remove your squash. Replace it with the sweet potatoes and start them cooking. Cut a corner off the bag of squash and drain out the excess water before adding the squash to the pumpkin sauce mixture and stirring it in.
Cover the sauce again and let it simmer for about five minutes.
When the sweet potatoes are done cooking, repeat what you did with the squash: cut a corner, drain the excess water, then add to the sauce and stir to cover.
By this point your pasta is close to ready. Test a piece to be sure the pasta is cooked through, and (assuming it doesn't need more time) drain it into the colander.
While it's draining, scrape all the sauce to one side of the saucepan. It's heavy, chunky stuff, so it'll mostly stay where you put it.
Once you've made some space in the saucepan, pour the pasta into the open spot. Fold gently to mix the pasta and sauce together without shredding the pasta. Turn the burner off, cover the pan again, and let sit to allow the pasta and sauce to meld for five minutes before serving.
Serve with a little parmesan cheese and/or crushed red pepper, depending on your family's likes and dislikes.
We hope that you enjoyed this recipe! Let us know if you decide to make it over on our Facebook page. As always, we love to hear from you.
If you discover that your dishwasher just isn’t wanting to wash up after this dish, it might not be the pumpkin’s fault. It might be an issue with your dishwasher instead, and that’s where Appliance Rescue Service can help. We service every model of dishwasher, from LG and Samsung to GE and Bosch. So long as you’re within the DFW area, we’re here to help. You can reach out to us via our contact page or by giving us a call at ((214) 599-0055). We’ll work with you to set up a date and time that fits your schedule so we can get your home running smoothly again.
