Pasta with Pumpkin Pesto and Speck

Pasta with pumpkin pesto and speck is an autumn dish that combines the sweet flavors of pumpkin with the smoky taste of speck. Here’s how to prepare this dish.

Ingredients

• 350 g of pasta (penne or fusilli work well)
• 400 g of cleaned pumpkin
• 100 g of speck, sliced
• 50 g of walnuts
• 1 garlic clove
• 50 g of grated Parmesan cheese
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A few leaves of basil (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by cleaning the pumpkin: remove the skin and seeds and cut it into cubes. Steam or bake the pumpkin until it becomes tender.
2. In the meantime, toast the walnuts in a pan for a few minutes until they become slightly golden.
3. Make the pesto by putting the cooked pumpkin, toasted walnuts, garlic, Parmesan, a pinch of salt and pepper in a blender and blend everything while slowly adding olive oil until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous cream.
4. Cut the speck into strips and fry it in a pan until it becomes crispy.
5. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water following the instructions to achieve an al dente texture, then drain it, reserving some of the cooking water.
6. Add the pasta to the pumpkin pesto in a large bowl, adding some of the reserved cooking water to mix well. If necessary, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
7. Serve the pasta on plates and garnish with the crispy speck. If you wish, you can add fresh basil leaves as decoration.

Curiosity

Although the addition of speck makes this dish unique, pumpkin has been a fundamental ingredient in Italian cuisine for centuries, especially in regions such as Veneto and Lombardy, where it is abundantly grown and used in many traditional recipes, both sweet and savory.

I wish you good preparation and a tasty tasting!