Recipes

500G / Kitchen sheet

Creamy pumpkin pasta: a one-pot recipe without cream

Serves 4 · Preparation 15 min · Cooking about 30 min · Easy

Pumpkin softens into a sauce without needing cream. We leave some pieces whole and finish with toasted breadcrumbs: one pot, a small frying pan and two textures on the plate.

At the stove

Method

  1. Cut the pumpkin into roughly 1.5 cm cubes and chop the onion. Keep the water hot.
  2. Soften the onion and rosemary in a wide saucepan with 2 tbsp oil for about 5 minutes over low heat. Add the pumpkin and stir for 2 minutes.
  3. Add 250 ml hot water, cover and cook for 12–15 minutes until the pumpkin yields to a fork. Remove the sprig and mash about half the pumpkin.
  4. Add the pasta and enough extra hot water to just cover it. Stir frequently and cook for the packet time, adding small amounts of hot water as necessary. Total water depends on the pasta, pumpkin and pan.
  5. Meanwhile, toast the breadcrumbs with the remaining tablespoon of oil in a small pan for 2–3 minutes, stirring until golden.
  6. When the pasta is cooked and the sauce creamy, season with salt and pepper. Rest off the heat for a minute. Add breadcrumbs to individual plates just before eating.

If the pumpkin releases lots of water

Let excess liquid evaporate before adding pasta. If the mixture dries out, add water gradually so you stay in control of the consistency.

Which pasta?

A short shape is a simple starting point. Follow its packet timing and taste as you go; different shapes will not all cook in the same minute.

The 500G note

Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl on the table. Add them at the last moment for crunch, or leave them out for a softer dish.

Read about smooth and ridged pasta, or try pasta and potatoes.