This is a delicious vegetarian pasta dish with contrasting flavours and textures from the soft shallots and pumpkin, to the al dente pasta (with a bite) to the crunchy pumpkin seeds.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 small pumpkin
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 20 small shallots, peeled
- 300g dried or fresh penne pasta
- 1 chilli, seeded and finely sliced
- 15g butter
- 6 tbsp water
- 1 sprig rosemary, chopped
- Grated Parmesan cheese, to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven if necessary to 180°C/ESSE Dial Guide MODERATE. (Aim for the dial reading to be at the top end of MODERATE or the very low end of HOT).
- Peel and cut the pumpkin into bite-sized pieces, reserving the pumpkin seeds. Place the pumpkin in a pan with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté for about 5 minutes until coloured on the outside. Add the shallots and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling, salted water according to the packet instructions. Drain, rinse and keep warm. Toast the pumpkin seeds in the oven for 5 minutes.
- Return a quarter of the pumpkin and shallot mixture to the pan with the chilli, butter, water and rosemary. Heat through to make a bubbly sauce. Add the remaining pumpkin mixture then finally fold in the cooked pasta.
- Serve on warmed plates dusted with a little Parmesan cheese and scattered with the pumpkin seeds.
Variation
Those who miss meat might welcome the addition of come cooked and sliced spicy sausage at the end of cooking.
