Hello Hello ! I've had more requests for additional recipes to be added so here is a little creation I invented about 2 weeks ago and hubby loves it. Creamy pumpkin pasta yummo ! I like it because it's delicious, quick, easy and customisable depending on what flavours you would like to add.
When my husband and I lived in Melbourne back in 2013 I had a very good friend of mine always tell me I should write a cook book. ( Side note, our home is Sydney Australia but I was offered an opportunity to work in Melbourne 3 months after meeting my husband so we packed up and moved. My husband left everything to be with me and I will never forget this. Everyone told me it was risky as we barely knew each other but I personally think this is why we are so close and I knew he was the one. Go with your gut and instinct- people will always have something to say and if I hadn't of taken the chance then we wouldn't be where we are today). Moral of the story, live your live and take risks- you don't want to have any regrets!
Anyways, I have loved the idea of having my own cook book but found it difficult as I am not the type to measure out exact quantities and I am not a neat cook- my presentation is home style, not a 3 hat restaurant. The way I was taught to cook was by watching my nonna and mother in the kitchen. Everything is done by tasting along the way and by experience. The more you cook the better you will become.
Tips :
I cut the pumpkin into two sizes. Some into smaller cubes because when it cook's it gets a little mashed and adds a different texture to the sauce and it thickens up.
Cut down the total time it takes to make dinner by putting the boiling water on first and if you're in a super hurry then boil the kettle then put the boiling water into the pot
Adding the salt into the water right before you add the pasta reduces the time it takes for the water to boil
Make this recipe vegan by substituting the cream for coconut cream. It will alter the taste but it will still be delishhhhh
Get more veggies in by adding a handful or so of baby spinach leaves right before serving
When cooking with cream I always use some sort of butter instead of oil
Put less salt then you usually would because the stock can be salty and you're going to add parmesan too
This serves 4 people and should take 30minutes or less
You can substitute the basil for parsley if you prefer
Here is what you need :
Half a pumpkin (I used Jap)
Half of a red/purple onion sliced
600ml of thickened cream
2tbsp of some sort of butter whether it be sunflower, olive oil etc
Vegetable stock (approximately a cup or so)
Handful of basil
3tbsp of tomato paste and maybe a few cherry tomatoes for added texture
500g of your choice of pasta. I usually use Bucatini because it's my favourite long pasta and the holes inside capture all the sauce but in the image I had used gnocchi because my husband was gnocchi obsessed for a while
Parmesan cheese
Here is what you need to do
Put water in a large saucepan for your pasta to cook
Cube the pumpkin and add to a heated saucepan with your choice of butter. I let the pumpkins brown a little on one side then I add the tomato paste and/or tomatoes, the stock, pepper, salt, basil and red onion. Stir. You want the pumpkin to cook a bit in the stock but also for it not to be too watery. You may need to add or subtract the stock amount depending on the size of your saucepan as you don't want the pumpkin full immersed in the stock.
Let this cook with the lid on for 10 minutes or so on a medium heat then take the lid off so the stock evaporates. Try for seasoning and to see how cooked the pumpkin is.
When the pumpkin needs only another 5 minutes of cooking time add the cream and lower the heat Keep the lid off as you don't want the cream to curdle. By now it should be looking and smelling delicious. Once the cream has heated through and the pumpkin is cooked it will be ready.
Drain the cooked pasta, add to the sauce (if you're going to add spinach leaves do it now), serve in bowls and top with parmesan. YUMMY.