Happy first day of fall! This is my favorite time of the year and it definitely gets me into the cooking and baking mood. Lately when I have been walking around the grocery store, I have been seeing pumpkin spice flavored EVERYTHING. These fall flavors inspired me to whip up both savory and sweet pumpkin dishes.
To start off the season, I decided to make a pumpkin pasta casserole. While I was studying abroad in Florence, one of my favorite dishes was a pumpkin pasta from the restaurant Aqua Al due. At first, the thought of pumpkin being combined with pasta grossed me out a bit. After trying it, my thoughts immediately changed! The texture of the pumpkin really helps to create a creamy texture for the sauce and is much healthier than adding heavy cream. It's definitely a different taste, but very good!
Easy Cheesy Pumpkin Pasta
Ingredients:
1 lb Box of Rotini-style Pasta
2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Shallot, Minced
1 Tsp Thyme
1 Bunch Kale (3-4 Cups)- Remove the Stems
2 15 oz. Cans Pumpkin Puree
1/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/4 Cup Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Skim Milk
1/4 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
Salt & Pepper
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cook Rotini pasta according to the directions on package (al dente).
3. Melt butter over a saute pan on medium heat. Add the shallot and cook for a minute.
4. Sprinkle in the pumpkin pie spice and thyme.
5. Add the kale to the pan and let it begin to wilt. Add in the pumpkin puree, cheese, and milk to the pan.
6. Stir the mixture until everything is combined and cheese is melted.
7. Drain the pasta and add a generous amount of salt and pepper.
8. Pour the pasta into a casserole dish. Top the pasta with the pumpkin mixture and stir until the pasta is coated and everything is combined.
9. Sprinkle the top of the casserole dish with panko bread crumbs.
10. Bake for 30 minutes until the top of the casserole is golden and crispy.
(Oh, if you want to add meat to your dish, feel free! In the picture above, the top is Justin's side filled with chicken sausage)
More pumpkin recipes are coming your way! Stay tuned =)
Hey! Can you cook this again? Also, please add more recipes...your fans are getting hungry. Thanks!
ReplyDelete