This recipe comes from one of those moments where you’re staring at the fridge, and fretting about the sheer number of ingredients that need to be used up before it’s time comes to end. This is perhaps the most daunting task I face with since I shifted homes and my mind is constantly at how on earth am I going to finish 250 grams of pumpkin. So I thought, pasta is comfort for me but how can I bulk it up? I’m perhaps one of the biggest fans of pumpkin – because not only does it taste delicious, but also is so versatile in taking on flavours – from a mashed Indian-style bharta, to a Gujarati style sabji with methi leaves, and also delightful in sweet forms in cakes and grilled with a pinch of cinnamon, honey and butter. And of course, in gourmet-style Italian form with lots of garlic, tomatoes, and my favourite, rosemary.
This pasta has a lot of pumpkin cubes, cherry tomatoes, and onions cooked slowly, then added in some old red wine, with butter and rosemary and lots of red chili flakes. I had just a small part of comte cheese, so that of course went in at the end, and made a light sauce with spaghetti and I must tell you, I had a fine meal!
The Recipe
1
Ingredients
30 g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 spring onion, white part only, sliced
1 tbsp red chili flakes
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar or red wine
½ tsp brown sugar
1 sprig of fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter, divided
portion for 1 pasta, cooked al dente
few spoons of the cooked pasta water
handful of grated comte cheese
Instructions
Then add the pumpkin with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes until soft, covering the pan if required
Then add the white spring onions, cherry tomatoes, rosemary, chili flakes and sauté with added salt and a few spoons of the pasta water
Once the tomatoes have burst open and is fragrant, add the wine or vinegar and sugar and toss well
Then add the butter and cooked pasta and a spoon of the pasta water, comte cheese and stir well
Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top
In a large pan, heat the olive oil and butter with garlic and sauté until golden
Then add the pumpkin with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes until soft, covering the pan if required
Then add the white spring onions, cherry tomatoes, rosemary, chili flakes and sauté with added salt and a few spoons of the pasta water
Once the tomatoes have burst open and is fragrant, add the wine or vinegar and sugar and toss well
Then add the butter and cooked pasta and a spoon of the pasta water, comte cheese and stir well
Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top
