Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Parmesan

Name: Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Parmesan
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 500 g pumpkin or squash, peeled and cut into roughly 3 cm cubes; 350 g short pasta; 1 onion, finely chopped; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 tbsp olive oil; 50-100 ml whole milk; 2 tbsp tomato puree; 2 tbsp mascarpone; 40 g grated Parmesan or vegetarian alternative, plus extra to serve

This creamy pumpkin pasta is rich, comforting, and easy enough for a weeknight dinner. Sweet pumpkin is blended with onion, garlic, mascarpone, and Parmesan to create a silky sauce that clings beautifully to every bite of pasta.

Servings4 Portions

Prep Time15 Mins

Cook Time35 Mins

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

pumpkin or squash, peeled and cut into roughly 3 cm cubes
500 g
short pasta
350 g
onion, finely chopped
1
garlic, crushed
2 cloves
olive oil
2 tbsp
whole milk
50 ml
tomato puree
2 tbsp
mascarpone
2 tbsp
grated Parmesan or vegetarian alternative, plus extra to serve
40 g

Step-by-Step Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or shallow casserole over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion with a small pinch of salt and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, then remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pumpkin and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until very tender when pierced with a knife. Drain well, then transfer the pumpkin to a blender with the cooked onion mixture and 50 ml milk. Blend until smooth, adding a little more milk as needed until the sauce is thick but pourable.

Pour the pumpkin sauce into a large pan and stir in the tomato puree and mascarpone. Set over low heat and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until smooth and warmed through.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve about 240 ml of the pasta cooking water, then drain.

Add the drained pasta to the sauce along with the grated Parmesan. Toss well, adding 50-100 ml of the reserved pasta water until the sauce lightly coats the pasta. Season to taste and serve with extra Parmesan on top.