Everyone always goes crazy about pumpkin spice this time of year, but for me it’s all about the pumpkin. And the squash. Give me pumpkin desserts and pumpkin sauces and I am a happy camper. No, a really happy camper.
And since it is officially pumpkin season–declared by me–I figured I’d start as I mean to go on.
Honestly there’s no big story behind this recipe. I was browsing on Pinterest in search of marketing ideas for my romance books (find them here) and I saw a thumbnail for a pumpkin pasta dish with sausage, walnuts and cheese. Of course I veganized it and here are the results.
Pumpkin
Here in Romania there’s only really one choice when it comes to pumpkins, the giant, pale blue ones. My mother-in-law tells me they are Turkish pumpkins but they’re actually pretty good. They have a mildly sweet flavor that work well in soups, sauces and pies.
The only thing I don’t like about the blue pumpkins? The seeds are too thick and hard and they don’t take well to baking. I prefer using butternut squash seeds anyway.
BUT…use whatever pumpkin you have.
Note: I split the pumpkin in half, gut the seeds and bake it until soft. And then I scoop it all out and store it in the fridge until I’m ready to use it. After about 2 days, if I think I’m not going to be able to use it all, I pop it in the freezer.
Cheese?
Nope. I didn’t use vegan feta or any other cheese because I didn’t really think it was a necessary addition to the dish. Vegan feta cheese, in my opinion, is delicious in applications that aren’t cooked like salads or sandwiches. Or even whipped feta is delicious. But I think it tends to get lost in sauces like this.
Bottom line? If you feel like cheese, use your favorite vegan cheese and enjoy.
Kitchen Tools
Immersion blender
Cutting board
Spatula
Knife
Deep skillet
Ingredients
Pumpkin
Vegan sausage
Garlic
Plant milk
Nutritional yeast
Pasta (rigatoni)
Instructions
Put on a pot of salted water for the pasta.
Heat skillet over medium-high heat.
Toast chopped walnuts in a dry skillet for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing regularly until golden brown & fragrant. Put it in a small ramekin and set aside.
Chop vegan sausage into bite-sized pieces and add to the skillet. Cook about 3 to 5 minutes or until the edges begin to brown..
Chop garlic and add to the skillet, and cook for about 4 minutes.
Put pumpkin into a deep bowl and use an immersion blender to smooth it out. Add plant milk or water to thin out the sauce.
Add it to the skillet and stir.
When you get the right consistency, add in the nooch and bring to a boil and simmer. Taste it and add whatever else you need. I kept it simple with salt & black pepper, sweet paprika and a pinch of cumin.
Add the pasta straight from the water into the pumpkin sauce and stir until the sauce is clinging to the pasta like a possessive lover and…enjoy!
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Tell me what you think about this!