Apparently it’s carb week! Don’t be scared by that, or by the fact that this carb involves pumpkin 🙂
This week we got hooked up with some pasta products to test out. Along with the food there were a few recipes and one of them was a ravioli with pumpkin alfredo. I didn’t have a lot of the ingredients (including the container of alfredo they sent because I already ate it! Kind of a main ingredient…) but the idea of a pumpkin cream sauce intrigued me so I took the basic idea and went with it. I used my guiltless alfredo sauce, and it worked perfectly. If the idea of mixing pumpkin into a creamy sauce freaks you out, don’t worry- it’s a really mild flavor, but just enough to be interesting and give it a great color. If you’re a big pumpkin fan like I am, you could add a little more. I loved this, and so did my husband and my kids.I paired it with whole wheat 4-cheese ravioli. I thought the whole wheat was a perfect harvest-y thing to go with such a harvest-y dish.
Pasta with Pumpkin Alfredo
1 Package Fresh Pasta
1/2 batch Guiltless Alfredo Sauce
(or 10oz prepared Alfredo)
1/2 T real butter
1/4 C Finely minced onion
1/2 C canned pumpkin (try more if you love pumpkin, this is really mild)
2 T Chicken broth (vegetarians substitute milk or veg. broth)
1T chopped fresh sage (1t dried leaves)
1/2 T fresh thyme (1/2 t dried leaves)
Follow instructions on pasta to cook. In a separate sauce pan melt butter on medium heat. When melted, add onion. Make sure your onion is really finely diced. Since you have a nice smooth sauce, you don’t want big chunks of onion, you just want little bits.
Saute until soft. Since they’re small it should only take a couple of minutes. Add chicken broth and herbs. (I used fresh herbs, but I’m sure dry is great too, just go for leaves as opposed to ground spices so not to muddy the color)
Use a spatula to deglaze the pan a bit and get any cooked bits of onion off the bottom. Add pumpkin and whisk to combine. Add alfredo sauce, stir to combine, and cook until heated through. Depending on the alfredo you use you may need to adjust salt and pepper. Mine didn’t need anything added.
Serve on top of prepared pasta and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of extra herbs. Pair it with a salad and breadsticks for a great vegetarian meal. YUM!
I want to know how you feel about pumpkin pasta! Sound good? Sound weird? And if you’ve never commented before, introduce yourself so we can get to know ya! We love all you guys!
Questions & Reviews
We just had this for dinner. ::husband:: raved. Said he would rather eat this than plain alfredo OR marinara. THEN I told him what it was. I used dried spices, and I may actually tone them down just a bit next time because the pumpkin flavor was soooo subtle. But either way, delicious, a hit, we’ll make it again! Thanks for all the delicious recipes! (I may just spotlight this one on my recipe blog, will link appropriately!)
I love pumpkin or butternut squash raviolis, but can’t find them anywhere here! I have a recipe I’ve been wanting to try to make my own, but this recipe sounds so much easier and it may satisfy my pumpkin craving! Sounds like a wonderful concoction–thanks again for a wonderful recipe!!
Isn’t it enough that I stop by 3-4 times a week and print off all your recipes? Now I have to leave comments, too? That is pressure.
This looks really interesting. I never would have thought to put pumpkin in it. Sounds good. Mmmm, you said breadsticks. Those are SO yummy!
I’m making this tonight. Always looking for another way to serve pumpkin. Yummy!!!!!
I can’t wait to try this. I LOVE pumpkin- but I need to find ways to use it beside bread and muffins and sweet things. This sounds perfect.
PS I am also going to try the sweet potato souffle from earlier in the week! it looks delicious!
yay! Another yummy sounding vegetarian dish. I appreciate it, and so will my husband. You gals rock!
At first I thought pumpkin sauce on pasta sounded a little strange! But your picture at the end looks delicious so I’m going to have to try it now. 🙂
Thank you both for sharing your great recipes. I really enjoy your blog.
hahahaha. Comment whores. Nice touch. 🙂
I LOVE YOUR BLOG! I have tried several of your recipes and I have actually found a new love of cooking that I never had before! Keep it up cause you two know what you are doing!! As far as pumpkin alfredo, I will try it…a little nervous about the idea but what the heck!