Approved by a certified nutritionist and kids' cooking instructor, this recipe for pumpkin pie pasta is a simple and fun dinner idea that the whole family will love. Try it on a chilly fall night when the pumpkins are plump in the fields, or any night when you're craving something other than plain old pasta.
Pumpkin Pie Pasta
Try adding some protein like chicken or white beans for a more balanced meal.
Ingredients
1 pound bow tie pasta
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ to 1 cup canned pumpkin purée
½ stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
ground black pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
½ cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
Directions
1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, except for the pasta and basil. Heat the butter a little if necessary. Set aside.
2. Cook the pasta until al dente.
3. Drain pasta well and immediately add to sauce bowl.
4. Sprinkle with basil and toss.
5. Serve at once with extra Parmesan.
Recipe by Jacquie Grinberg, adapted from Joie Warner's "No-Cook Pasta Sauces" (Chornicle Books, 1998)
Julie Negrin, M.S., is a certified nutritionist, cooking instructor, and author. She has been teaching children how to cook for 14 years and spent five years as the director of culinary arts at the JCC in Manhattan. She has appeared on "Sesame Street" and the "Today Show with Al Roker." The above recipe was excerpted with permission from her "My Kitchen Nutrition" blog at julienegrin.com.
