Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta With Kale
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Ingredients
- Butter, for greasing the pan
- 1pound medium pasta shells or tubes, like conchiglie rigate or penne
- 1bunch kale (about 1 pound), ribs removed, chopped into bite-size pieces
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 1heaping tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
- 1heaping tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
- About 1 heaping cup coarsely grated Parmesan
- About 1 heaping cup coarsely grated Gruyère
- About 1 heaping cup coarsely grated Fontina or mozzarella
- 1(15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
- 2garlic cloves, peeled
- 1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
- ½teaspoon black pepper
- ½cup heavy cream
- ¼cup vegetable broth
- ½cup whole-milk ricotta
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
758 calories; 38 grams fat; 22 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 66 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 37 grams protein; 679 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 500 degrees and butter a shallow 2-quart/9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Step 2
Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 4 minutes, adding the kale for the last minute. Drain the pasta and kale, rinse under cold water, then transfer to a large bowl along with the red-pepper flakes and the chopped herbs.
- Step 3
In a blender, add the pumpkin, garlic, salt, pepper, cream and vegetable broth. Blend until smooth. (If you don’t want to use a blender, add the pumpkin, salt and pepper to a large bowl and use a spoon to break it up into a smooth mixture. Slowly whisk in the cream and vegetable broth until mixture is smooth, then grate in the garlic.) Add the sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Add in most of the grated cheese, reserving about ½ cup, and stir to coat.
- Step 4
Transfer the pasta into the baking dish, then dollop the ricotta over top and sprinkle remaining grated cheese. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until brown and bubbly. If you want the pasta really browned, broil it for 3 to 5 minutes, watching carefully. Allow the dish to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and garnish with additional chopped herbs before serving.
Private Notes
Comments
I know it's apostasy, but I made this according to the recipe. It was very good.
This was so so tasty! I made a few changes. I sauteed the kale with garlic and red pepper flakes before adding it to the pasta. Strongly recommend this. I skipped the ricotta entirely, used only 1/2 cup Parmesan, and went scant on all the other cheeses. It was still more than creamy and cheesy enough. Used 1 cup of veggie broth to thin out the sauce consistency. Only had fresh rosemary (no thyme) but think this really made the dish. I sprinkled some extra on top pre-bake. It smelled heavenly!
I added silken tofu instead of cream and less cheese - it seemed not to make much of a difference and the result was not too heavy. The herbs are a definite must as canned pumpkin really has little taste. It’s a lovely alternative to baked ziti!
I'm an outlier I guess. I thought it was pretty flavorless.
Delicious. Here’s what I had on hand: time, a butternut squash, gigli pasta, kale, fancy butter my father buys IYKYK, too much Gruyère, and too little sharp cheddar. I opted for the cheddar as the topping. Bonus: To my suprise and delight, the toasted orange cheddar colors looked great with the roasted squash’s color.
Made this and per the recipe but did add ground turkey cooked with penzys sausage blend. The “sausage” added a much appreciated dimension to this dish. It’s still hot here but this is putting me in the fall mood