Best 4 Healthy Pumpkin Pasta Recipes

CREAMY PUMPKIN PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta to al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, drain pasta, and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once hot and sizzling, add the flour, then whisk constantly until it turns a golden color and smells nutty. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Slowly pour in the milk a few splashes at a time, whisking constantly to smooth any clumps. Increase the heat to medium high, then let cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce bubbles and thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, then stir in the pumpkin, cream cheese, half of the chopped sage leaves, salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne. Continue whisking until the cream cheese melts and you have a smooth, rich sauce. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired.
• Add the cooked pasta to the pan and gently toss to combine. Thin the pasta with a bit of the reserved pasta water as needed if it seems too thick or sticky. Serve immediately, topped with Parmesan and the remaining sage.

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PASTA

Steps:

• Add flour and salt to a food processor and pulse. Then add in whole egg, egg yolks, and pumpkin puree. Pulse until well combined. Then drizzle in water until a dough forms (see picture).
• Transfer to a very lightly floured surface, sprinkle top with a little flour, and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside for 30 minutes to rest.
• After it's rested, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously.
• Cut the pasta into thirds and begin rolling out into a loose rectangle, sprinkling on only as much flour as it takes to keep it from sticking. More flour = a less flavorful, tender pasta. Also, the pasta will want to stick to the rolling pin - simply use one hand to hold it down while you use the other to roll.
• Once the dough is nearly paper thin, cut it into any shape you want. You can even leave it in a solid sheet if you'd like. I used a pizza cutter to cut mine into fettuccini-sized strips.
• Cover with plastic wrap until ready to cook. Add pasta to boiling water and stir just to make sure they don't stick together. It should only take 1-2 minutes to cook.
• Drain and transfer to serving plate. Top with pesto and parmesan cheese, toss with your favorite tomato sauce, or try this easy pumpkin mac-n-cheese sauce.

CREAMY PUMPKIN PASTA

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

HEALTHY PUMPKIN PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel pumpkin and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 4 cups). Toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the honey. Roast on a baking sheet until tender, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions.
• While pasta is cooking, heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, and anchovies (optional) in a skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add walnuts and pumpkin. Toss to combine and heat through. Set aside.
• Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Toss pasta with 1/2 cup cooking water and stir in parsley and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Transfer to a bowl, and toss well with walnut and pumpkin mixture. Serve immediately.