Life-changing pumpkin pasta

Name: Life-changing pumpkin pasta
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: ¾ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil; 1 brown onion, finely diced; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; 6-10 sage leaves, finely sliced; 2 cups roasted pumpkin (from about 1kg raw pumpkin; or use 2 cups unsweetened pumpkin puree); 400g can finely chopped tomatoes; 1 cup vegetable stock; 200ml creme fraiche; 500g tagliatelle, bucatini or spaghetti

Katrina Meynink

March 24, 2023

This smooth pumpkin sauce clings to any long pasta shape.Katrina Meynink

easyTime:< 30 minsServes:4-6

I would roast pumpkins and hoard the caramelised flesh in the back of the fridge, just so I could pull this off at a moment’s notice. I’ve had so many mouth-cloying pumpkin, sage and cheese pastas in my time that have been nothing but disappointment, until this iteration. It is utterly dependable and completely satiating.

Rich without being overbearing, it still tastes of pumpkin, and the sage and parmesan complement rather than override the flavour of the sauce. It has midweek dinner success written all over it.

Ingredients

¾ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1 brown onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
6-10 sage leaves, finely sliced
2 cups roasted pumpkin (from about 1kg raw pumpkin; or use 2 cups unsweetened pumpkin puree)
400g can finely chopped tomatoes
1 cup vegetable stock
200ml creme fraiche
500g tagliatelle, bucatini or spaghetti

To serve

3 tbsp butter
sage leaves
parmesan

Method

Step 1
Add the sun-dried tomatoes and a few tablespoons of the oil they come in to a frying pan with the onion and garlic. Cook over low-medium heat until the onion has completely softened, and everything is very fragrant and soft. Add the sliced sage leaves and cook for another minute before adding the pumpkin, tinned tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir to combine and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes. Add the creme fraiche and stir through. Using a handheld blender give everything a blitz in the pot to make a smooth sauce.
Step 2
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions, until al dente. Strain quickly and add to the pumpkin sauce – any residual cooking water on the pasta is fine and encouraged as it simply becomes part of the sauce. Gently turn to coat in the pumpkin mixture.
Step 3
Add the butter to a small frying pan over medium heat. When melted and beginning to bubble, add the sage leaves and cook until crisp.
Step 4
Serve the pasta in bowls. Top with the fried sage leaves and pour over any of the residual butter – it will be dark and nutty; this is what we want. Grate some parmesan over the pasta, then season generously with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.