Creamy pumpkin pasta
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Creamy pumpkin pasta

By Esther Clark

Make the most of pumpkins this autumn. When puréed and combined with mascarpone and parmesan, their flesh transforms into a silky, delicious pasta sauce

  • Prep:15 mins
    Cook:35 mins
  • Serves 4
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 461
  • fat 14g
  • saturates 6g
  • carbs 63g
  • sugars 0g
  • fibre 8g
  • protein 16g
  • salt 0.2g

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 500g pumpkin or squash, peeled and cut into roughly 3cm cubes
  • 50-100ml whole milk
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 tbsp mascarpone
  • 350g short pasta (rigatoni or penne work well)
  • 40g grated parmesan or vegetarian alternative, plus extra to serve

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large, shallow, flameproof casserole or frying pan over a low-medium heat and fry the onion with a pinch of salt for 10-15 mins until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and fry for 1 min more. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

  2. Meanwhile, cook the pumpkin in a pan of boiling salted water for 10-15 mins until tender when pierced with a cutlery knife. Drain and tip into a blender (or use a hand blender). Blitz with 50ml milk and the onions until completely smooth, gradually adding more milk until the mixture is thick enough to just coat the back of a spoon (you may not need all the milk). Tip into a large frying pan with the tomato purée and mascarpone, and bring to a simmer over a low heat.

  3. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling, salted water following pack instructions. Drain, reserving a cupful of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the pumpkin sauce, parmesan and 50-100ml of the reserved water to loosen. Season and scatter with extra parmesan.

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