Pumpkin Pasta Bake (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Pasta
01 -
1 lb. dry pasta you like (think shells, mezzi rigatoni, farfalle, fusilli, or ziti)
→ Walnut-Sage Mix
02 -
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
03 -
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped nice and small
04 -
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage leaves + 2 tsp. more for later
→ Veggies and Flavors
05 -
2 Tbsp. good olive oil
06 -
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced up
07 -
1 finely diced yellow onion
08 -
4 minced garlic cloves
09 -
A few big handfuls (about 3-4) of baby spinach
→ Sauce Ingredients
10 -
1/4 cup thick tomato paste
11 -
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes for a kick
12 -
1 tsp. oregano, dried
13 -
1 tsp. kosher salt
14 -
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
15 -
1/4 tsp. nutmeg, ground
16 -
3 cups vegetable stock
17 -
1 can (15 oz.) of pumpkin purée
→ Cheese
18 -
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
19 -
1 1/2 cups grated fontina, saving part for later
# Instructions:
01 -
Set your oven to 375ºF. Bring a large salted pot of water to a boil, toss in the pasta, and cook it to just slightly under al dente. Drain it and set it aside for now.
02 -
In a big pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Throw in the walnuts and 1 Tbsp. sage. Keep stirring for around 5 minutes till toasty and fragrant. Add a pinch of salt, then move it all to a bowl.
03 -
Using the same pan, heat up the olive oil on medium. Add your onion and mushrooms, cooking for about 8 minutes until they soften nicely.
04 -
Add garlic, red pepper, and tomato paste to the pan. Stir for 3-4 minutes until the tomato paste gets a bit caramelized. Toss in the spinach, stirring until it shrinks down. Mix in oregano, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and the 2 extra tsp. sage. Pour in the veggie broth, scraping up anything stuck to the pan. Stir in the pumpkin purée with Parmesan and 1/2 cup fontina until smooth.
05 -
Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce to coat it well. Scoop everything into a greased 13x9-inch dish. Sprinkle the walnut-sage topping and the rest of the fontina on top.
06 -
Cover your dish with some foil and bake it for 15 minutes. Uncover it and bake for 10 more minutes until the cheese bubbles and turns golden.
# Notes:
01 -
Keep any extra in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
02 -
You can freeze it in a container safe for the freezer for up to 3 months.
03 -
Warm it back up in the microwave with a little broth or in the oven at 350ºF until it’s hot.