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Pasta with pumpkin and feta

17/11/2023

Pasta with pumpkin and feta is a simple yet flavorful dish. Here is a version with an Italian touch that I hope you will like.

Ingredients

  • 320 g of pasta (penne or rigatoni work well)
  • 400 g of pumpkin (already cleaned and cut into cubes)
  • 200 g of feta cheese
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste (optional)
  • A few leaves of fresh sage (optional)
  • Toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)
  • Grated Parmesan cheese to serve (optional)

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C. Spread the pumpkin cubes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, season with salt, pepper, 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and, if you like, some torn sage leaves. Mix well to ensure the seasoning coats the pumpkin.
  2. Bake the pumpkin until it is golden and soft, about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the cubes.
  3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions to achieve an al dente texture.
  4. While the pasta is cooking, take a large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and lightly sauté the garlic clove to flavor the oil. Then remove the garlic.
  5. Drain the pasta reserving a little of the cooking water. Remove the pumpkin from the oven and mash part of it with a fork, leaving the remaining pieces whole for texture.
  6. Add the pasta to the skillet with the garlic-flavored oil, incorporate the mashed pumpkin and the whole cubes, and mix well. If necessary, add some of the pasta cooking water to make everything creamier.
  7. Crumble the feta cheese and add it to the pan with the pasta and pumpkin, mixing gently.
  8. Serve hot, with an extra sprinkle of feta, toasted pumpkin seeds, and if you like, another pinch of black pepper and grated Parmesan cheese.

Curiosity

Pumpkin is a very versatile ingredient in Italian cuisine, especially in autumn. In some variations of this recipe, you might find pumpkin used for a creamy sauce or filling for ravioli. The pairing with feta is not traditional in Italy, but it underscores how Italian cuisine can be reinterpreted with ingredients from other traditions, creating new but always delicious dishes.