This is the most delicious pasta bake to make with the fresh squash and pumpkin in season right now. I love buttercup, turban, acorn, pie pumpkins. All will work perfectly for this recipe. I slice them in half, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and bake them face-down on a tray at 375 until softened. I've previously posted a couple easy ways to make homemade pumpkin/squash puree, pumpkin seeds, and links to my pumpkin/squash recipes. Cool a bit, then scoop out the seeds (those are compost/trash). Then scoop out all that lovely cooked squash/pumpkin to use in pumpkin recipes of your choice! This is a lovely vegetable-filled pumpkin pasta bake. Friends and family have loved it. Enjoy!
Fresh pumpkin pasta bake, ready to eat!
A-maz-ing Pumpkin Pasta Bake
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Noodles:
(I boil the water and cook the noodles while I'm making the sauce)
Prepare noodles while you're cooking the sauce. Cook most of the way in slightly salted water (1-2 minutes less boiling time since they will bake in the oven):
400 g GF fusilli pasta OR preferred shape
Drain and rinse noodles, setting aside until needed.
Sauce:
Sauté over medium heat ~5-7 minutes:
1 Tbsp olive oil (plain or chipotle-infused olive oil)
2-3 Tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
2-3 cups zucchini, cut into large bite-sized chunks
3/4 tsp freeze-dried thyme OR 2 tsp fresh, minced thyme
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp salt
Add, stir and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant:
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 green onions, sliced
Don't be confused by the lack of green edges on this zucchini. The zucchini my friend gave us was enormous, so the skin was thick. I just sliced off the skin and diced the zucchini.
Add:
2 cups chicken stock/broth OR 2 cups water + 2 tsp chicken bouillon or Asian mushroom seasoning
1 - 1 1/2 cup fresh cooked pie pumpkin or squash (buttercup, acorn, etc) OR canned 100% pumpkin
Simmer ~10 minutes. Mix together in a small bowl, and add into the pot to thicken:
1/2 cup milk or 10% cream
2 Tbsp cornstarch
After thickening the sauce, remove from heat. Stir in:
1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach OR 2 cups fresh spinach, diced
1 cup mozzarella, grated
1/2 cup fresh parmesan, grated
Ready to mix with the cooked pasta.
Stir in cooked noodles, from above. Put into a 9" x 13" glass baking dish (or fold them together IN the 9 x 13 pan). Divide among the top:
1/2 - 2/3 cup ricotta
Ricotta divided across the pasta bake.
Sprinkle with:
Bake for ~20 minutes at 375F. Serve and enjoy!!!
You can cook it until it's just barely browning on the top, or give a few extra minutes if you'd like a more crispy cheesy top. Either way is delicious.
No comments:
Post a Comment