Pumpkin Rigatoni Pasta

Pumpkin Rigatoni Pasta

Happy National Pumpkin Day! Today is National Pumpkin Day and oh boy, we have so many ideas that are making us hungry! I’m eagerly awaiting a celebratory dinner of Pumpkin Rigatoni Pasta…but there’s no need to reserve this perfect fall dish just for today. Our Butternut Squash Seed Oil creates a perfect Autumn meal with this pasta recipe.

Products used: Butternut Squash Seed Oil, Sicilian Sea Salt

Ingredients

1 Pumpkin, medium-sized
1 small, sweet Onion
½ cup White Wine
1 lb Rigatoni Pasta
½ tsp Thyme
4 large slices of Pancetta
½ cup Butter
1 tsp Sage or Rosemary
¼ cup Provolone or Romano Cheese
2 Tbsp SOOC Butternut Squash Olive Oil
Freshly ground Pepper, to taste
SOOC Sicilian Sea Salt, to taste

Directions

Cut ⅓ of the pumpkin julienne style; cut the rest into ⅔-inch small cubes. In a large saucepan, combine the Butternut Squash Seed Oil and the sweet onion; simmer on low heat until onion is golden.

Stir in the cubed pumpkin, then add the white wine, and reduce. Add water, Sicilian Sea Salt and pepper; cook for about 10-15 minutes until soft. Remove from heat and let cool; blend in a food processor until creamy.

In a frying pan combine the butter with the remaining (julienne cut) pumpkin; add the thyme and sage (or rosemary), then stir for 5 minutes. Add the pancetta and cook for additional 5 minutes. Season with Sicilian Sea Salt and pepper, as desired.

Start preparing pasta according to package directions. Once the pasta is al dente, strain to remove water. Stir pasta into frying pan with julienne pumpkin; add creamy pumpkin mixture and stir thoroughly. Top with provolone or Romano cheese to serve.