Classy Pumpkin Pasta Food

CREAMY PUMPKIN PASTA WITH CRISPY BACON

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 200°c and line a baking tray with foil.
• Combine the pumpkin, honey, salt and olive oil in a mixing bowl then transfer to the prepared baking tray. Add the thyme and place in the oven.
• Allow the pumpkin to roast for 30-45 minutes until starting to caramelize and cooked through.
• Remove from the oven, discard the thyme and transfer to a bowl then puree with an emersion blender. Add a splash of milk to make the blending a little easier.
• In a large frying pan, fry the onion and garlic until soft and translucent then add the pumpkin puree and stock. Allow to come to a simmer then stir in the bacon fat.
• Remove from the heat and add the parmesan cheese. Season to taste.
• Stir in the cooked pasta and toss to coat well. At this stage you can add a little of the pasta's cooking water to loosen the sauce if necessary.
• Serve the pasta topped with crispy bacon and a grating of Parmesan cheese.

CREAMY PUMPKIN PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, drain pasta, and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot and sizzling, add the flour, then whisk constantly until it turns a golden color and smells nutty. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Slowly pour in the milk a few splashes at a time, whisking constantly to smooth any clumps. Increase the heat to medium high, then let cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the pumpkin, cream cheese, half of the chopped sage leaves, salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne. Continue whisking until the cream cheese melts and you have a smooth, rich sauce. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired.
• Add the cooked pasta to the pan and gently toss to combine. Thin the pasta with a bit of the reserved pasta water as needed if it seems too thick or sticky. Serve immediately, topped with Parmesan and the remaining sage.

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PASTA

Steps:

• Add flour and salt to a food processor and pulse. Then add in whole egg, egg yolks, and pumpkin puree. Pulse until well combined. Then drizzle in water until a dough forms (see picture).
• Transfer to a very lightly floured surface, sprinkle top with a little flour, and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for 30 minutes to rest.
• After it's rested, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously.
• Cut the pasta into thirds and begin rolling out into a loose rectangle, sprinkling on only as much flour as it takes to keep it from sticking. More flour = a less flavorful, tender pasta. Also, the pasta will want to stick to the rolling pin - simply use one hand to hold it down while you use the other to roll.
• Once the dough is nearly paper thin, cut it into any shape you want. You can even leave it in a solid sheet if you'd like. I used a pizza cutter to cut mine into fettuccini-sized strips.
• Cover with plastic wrap until ready to cook. Add pasta to boiling water and stir just to make sure they don't stick together. It should only take 1-2 minutes to cook.
• Drain and transfer to serving plate. Top with pesto and parmesan cheese, toss with your favorite tomato sauce, or try this easy pumpkin mac-n-cheese sauce.

PUMPKIN PASTA WITH WINTER HERBS AND PARMESAN CHEESE

Steps:

• In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous amount of salt. The pasta water should taste like sea water. Add the pasta to the pot and stir so it doesn't stick to the bottom as it cooks. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, 8 to 10 minutes. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta in a colander and hold it there until the sauce is finished.
• While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the sage sprigs and cook until crispy but not browned, about 1 minute. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Fry the rosemary sprigs in the same hot oil until crispy but not browned, about 1 minute. Transfer to the same plate. Sprinkle the fried herbs with salt. Remove the leaves from the stems (discard the stems). Discard the oil or save for another use.
• Return the skillet to medium heat and melt and cook 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of butter until it starts to turn light brown. Add the ginger and garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin, sugar and some of the reserved pasta water. Stir in about 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and warm gently, tossing to coat the pasta with the sauce. Stir in some of the fried sage and rosemary. Top with the remaining Parmesan and fried herbs.

PUMPKIN PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Dust a baking sheet with flour.
• For the pasta: Put the flour and pumpkin puree in a food processor and pulse in short bursts until the mixture comes together and a dough forms, about 1 minute.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Roll and cut the pasta to desired thickness using a rolling pin or a pasta machine. Cut into the desired shape, transfer to the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with flour (this keeps the pieces from sticking together). Cover the pasta with plastic wrap for up to 4 hours if you are not cooking right away (see Cook's Note).
• Cook the pasta until tender but not mushy (there shouldn't be a line of raw flour in the center), 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness and shape. Drain thoroughly.
• For the sage butter: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sage and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are crispy and the butter begins to brown slightly and has a nutty aroma. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss vigorously to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

CREAMY PUMPKIN PASTA

Steps:

• In a saucepan, cook onion, garlic, sage, thyme, and chili flakes in butter over medium heat until tender.
• Add flour and cook 1-2 minutes. Stir in broth a little bit at a time until smooth. Simmer 1 minute.
• Add pumpkin and heavy cream. Simmer uncovered until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta al dente in salted water according to package directions. Drain well, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• Toss pasta with sauce, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time if needed. Top with parmesan cheese and parsley.

CREAMY PUMPKIN PASTA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until onion is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, half-and-half, parsley, nutmeg, white pepper, salt, and black pepper; cook and stir until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; cook the rotini at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes; drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Top pasta with pumpkin sauce and Parmesan cheese.