Meatless Monday: Pumpkin Pasta

Pumpkin Pasta

Rewind to last night: I ask the husband if he'll eat pasta in a creamy pumpkin sauce for Meatless Monday. He tells me he'll eat it if I make him a pumpkin pie. I agree. Fast-forward to tonight: I make pasta in a beautiful, thick and creamy pumpkin sauce. The kitchen smells spicy and amazing. But it smells like I'm making pie - not dinner. 


After about 20 minutes of cooking, dinner is on the table. The husband starts eating  and squints his eyes and gives me a smirk from across the table. It's his look that lets me know he loves me. After all, he's voluntarily eating a meatless dinner that smells like one of his favorite autumnal desserts. Oh, it's weird.


"Can you hand me the Creole seasoning?" The husband asks. He tells me a little seasoning makes it better, but he still isn't in love with it. He's glad I was careful to only make two servings. I ate mine without Creole seasoning, but it took me a while to adjust to the flavors. It was a bit strange. Even while we were doing the dishes, I still couldn't decide whether I liked dinner. I told the husband if he's ever sent back to Vegas on business, I'll think about making this dish again.


I ask him if he still has pie on the brain and he looks at me with a completely straight face. "Well, you still need to make something good with that damn pumpkin!" Since he held up his end of the deal, I guess I'll be making a pie tomorrow night.

Pumpkin Pasta
Modified only slightly from Food.com

1/3 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove
1/2 tablespoon oil
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons 1% milk
dash of apple pie spice

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
two servings pasta
salt & pepper

In a medium skillet, cook the onion and garlic in the oil over medium heat until soft.

Stir in the pumpkin, broth, milk and spices to taste.

Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta, about 8 minutes.

Drain the pasta well, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking water.

Add the pasta to the sauce and heat, stirring and thinning with reserved water if needed, until pasta is well-coated.