It’s November 1st, meaning I’m fresh off an A+ Halloween party (I went as Sleeping Beauty in pajamas and a tiara — comfiest costume yet) and an exuberant marathon of Halloween movies. I opted for the beloved classics of my youth: Hocus Pocus, Hocus Pocus 2, Halloweentown, and Casper, each viewing complete with a few friends, Prosecco, and consistently, without fail: a very October 31st-esque pumpkin pasta. Because there is nothing I love more than my couch + a movie + pasta, especially when made with pumpkin.

(The fact that I went to a party dressed in pajamas probably already hinted at this, though).

In any case: while still smack in the middle of soup season, I also got it in to my head to develop a new autumnal pasta recipe, multi-tasker that I am. Conveniently, Halloween movie nights guaranteed eager pumpkin pasta taste-testers, who were generous enough to sample everything from a version with mozzarella and pancetta to an autumnal mac ‘n cheese, starring a hunk of cheddar from the UK. There was a roast pumpkin and ricotta rendition, not to mention a pumpkin-mushroom type deal. All were delicious. But, in true Goldilocks style, I eventually arrived at this pasta con crema di zucca al forno, or baked pumpkin pasta. Or rather: the Pumpkin Pasta Of My Dreams.

This recipe played out largely like the versions before it; there was chopping, simmering, blitzing, and grating. What followed, however, was an assurance that this was the Halloween-pasta I’d been aiming for, emerging as it did from the oven, burnished and bubbling, dressed up in a creamy, velvety pumpkin sauce. Upon delving a serving spoon into said pasta, you’ll need a little patience as you deal with the unwieldy stretches of buttery, melted taleggio (in Italian there is an adjective for this: filante), but no matter: it’s worth it. Once on your plate, you’ll find there’s also an abundance of punchy Parmesan, earthy sage, and lots of spicy black pepper. It’s comforting and cozy and a joy to eat on an autumn evening, and is easy on the eyes, too, sporting a stunning shade of sunset orange. In any case: this will be the pasta I make on every October 31st onwards.

…but wait, there’s more! This pasta con crema di zucca al forno is not just for Halloween — this would also make an ideal main for those vegetarians who pass on the roast turkey at Thanksgiving dinner. Whatever the occasion: make this asap.

A note on pumpkin in Italy: The word in Italian for both pumpkin and squash is zucca. After a little investigating, I found that there is very little difference between the two — just shape and stem. They are both part of the same happy, vibrantly orange family.

A couple of notes: You have a couple of choices here: if you want just a pumpkin sauce, stop after step #4, and serve the pasta from the pan with lots of Parmesan on top. Feel free to switch up the cheeses, too; I have made this with provolone in place of the taleggio with good results, and will be making this again soon with some ricotta and gorgonzola added in (think 4 cheese pumpkin pasta). If you want, you could also add some pancetta to the recipe — cook it separately and stir it in to the pasta along with the cheese.

Looking for other pumpkin recipes? Click here.
Looking for other pasta recipes? Click here.

PASTA AL FORNO CON CREMA DI ZUCCA

Serves 4 generously.

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 pound short pasta of your choice
2 cloves garlic, smashed
8 sage leaves, chopped finely
2 lbs (900 grams) butternut squash/pumpkin, weighed without peel, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 cup (240mL) water, plus more as needed
1 1/4 cups (300mL) whole milk
1 cup (45 grams) freshly grated Parmesan
5 ounces (140 grams) taleggio cheese, cut into small pieces
Black pepper to taste

A 9x9 inch rectangular baking pan, buttered
Food processor/immersion blender

Directions:
1.) Heat enough olive oil to generously coat the bottom of a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and sage and let it cook until fragrant. Add the pumpkin/squash and stir well, then add 1 teaspoon of salt. Let the squash cook until slightly softened.

2.) Add 1 cup of water to the pan. Raise the heat a bit on the stove and let the water come to a bubble. Cook until the pumpkin/squash is completely softened, broken down, and cooked throughout, and the water has evaporated completely. Note that you may find that you need to add a little more than 1 cup water; if this is the case, add more water 1/4 cup at a time. I think I ended up using about 1 1/2 cups total.

3.) Using a food processor or an immersion blender, blend the pumpkin/squash until smooth. If you used a food processor, add it back to the pan. Add the milk, and once warm throughout and incorporated into the squash, taste for salt (I added about 1/2 teaspoon more, but adjust it to your tastes). Add a generous amount of black pepper.

4.) Put a pot of water on to boil for your pasta, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius). In the meantime, cook the pasta of your choice in a large pot, taking it out about 2-3 minutes before it is al dente (it will continue cooking in the oven). Reserve 1 cup of the starchy pasta water, and then drain the pasta.

5.) Add the pasta to the pan with the pumpkin/squash sauce and stir well, adding the pasta water as needed until you have a creamy sauce that generously coats your pasta. You can add a little more milk here if you want, too. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan to the pasta along with all of the taleggio, and stir well.

6.) Pour the pasta into your buttered recentagular baking pan. Top the pasta with the rest of the Parmesan. Cover the pasta with aluminum foil, and bake for 15 minutes. When the 15 minutes are up, remove the foil and broil the pasta until the cheese on top is crisp and brown. Let cool slightly and eat with gusto.