Description
This Pasta Bake with Pumpkin Tomato Sauce is a hearty and flavorful dish, perfect for the fall season. Combining the creamy texture of pumpkin and savory tomato paste, it creates a delightful twist on traditional pasta bakes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb. dry pasta of choice (such as mezzi rigatoni
- shells
- ziti or any other tubular pasta
- fusilli
- or farfalle)
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh sage leaves
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 oz. cremini (baby bella) mushrooms
- sliced
- 1 yellow onion
- finely chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 4 garlic cloves
- minced
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 to 4 handfuls fresh baby spinach
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin purée
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 1/2 cups grated fontina cheese
- divided
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the walnuts and sage, cooking until fragrant.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and chopped onion to the skillet and sauté until they are softened.
- Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, and red pepper flakes, cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Add the baby spinach, oregano, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg to the mix, cooking until the spinach wilts.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and pumpkin purée, stirring to combine and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Combine the cooked pasta with the sauce mixture and half of the fontina cheese.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and top with the remaining fontina and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
Feel free to substitute any other cheese or add additional vegetables to customize this recipe to your taste.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American-Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 65 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 19 g
- Cholesterol: 28 mg
Keywords: Pasta Bake, Pumpkin Tomato Sauce, Vegetarian Pasta, Comfort Food, Fall Recipes