Oops, I ate the photo op. But here's a peek at the leftovers out of the fridge.
This is dish wasn't spectacualr, but it was solidly good and very simple. A great yummy pasta dish for the fall, and/or when you and your family are just sick to death of tomato sauce or pesto.
The sauce is mild and creamy, but has a slight kick in the back from the red pepper. Not what you'd call spicy at all, just a nice punchy aftertaste. This recipe fed 4 hungry adults with one lunch-sized portion left over.
It takes about 7 minutes to pull together once the pasta is cooked (so about 17 minutes total!) and there's almost zero prep. It's also cheap and uses one pot. What more could you ask for?
Pumpkin Penne with Rosemary
1 pound penne pasta
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary leaves (I use closer to 2 Tbsp)
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree (fresh pumpkin or squah works too)
2 cups reserved pasta water (don't worry if you forget, just use regular water)
1/2 cup half & half (you can substitute heavy cream or evaporated milk)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
Salt
Boil a pot of salted water and cook the penne until al dente. Drain pasta but reserve one cup of pasta water. Rinse pasta in cool water to stop the cooking and set aside.
In pasta pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add rosemary leaves and fry, stirring, until browned, 1-2 minutes. Remove from pot with slotted spoon and let the rosemary drain on a paper towel.
Now add the pumpkin puree to the pot. Careful, it will splatter. Add 1 cup of pasta water, half & half, garlic, Parmesan, vinegar & crushed red pepper. Stir sauce until heated through, about 3 minutes.
Add the drained pasta back to the pot and stir. You can add a bit more water to get the sauce to the consistency you want. Salt generously.
Garnish each serving with the fried rosemary or set it out in a small dish for people to garnish themselves. I also like to set out a small dish of more crushed red pepper flakes. Serve with a salad and some garlic bread.
Eat it up.
