Apparently it’s carb week! Don’t be scared by that, or by the fact that this carb involves pumpkin 🙂
This week we got hooked up with some pasta products to test out. Along with the food there were a few recipes and one of them was a ravioli with pumpkin alfredo. I didn’t have a lot of the ingredients (including the container of alfredo they sent because I already ate it! Kind of a main ingredient…) but the idea of a pumpkin cream sauce intrigued me so I took the basic idea and went with it. I used my guiltless alfredo sauce, and it worked perfectly. If the idea of mixing pumpkin into a creamy sauce freaks you out, don’t worry- it’s a really mild flavor, but just enough to be interesting and give it a great color. If you’re a big pumpkin fan like I am, you could add a little more. I loved this, and so did my husband and my kids.I paired it with whole wheat 4-cheese ravioli. I thought the whole wheat was a perfect harvest-y thing to go with such a harvest-y dish.
Pasta with Pumpkin Alfredo
1 Package Fresh Pasta
1/2 batch Guiltless Alfredo Sauce
(or 10oz prepared Alfredo)
1/2 T real butter
1/4 C Finely minced onion
1/2 C canned pumpkin (try more if you love pumpkin, this is really mild)
2 T Chicken broth (vegetarians substitute milk or veg. broth)
1T chopped fresh sage (1t dried leaves)
1/2 T fresh thyme (1/2 t dried leaves)
Follow instructions on pasta to cook. In a separate sauce pan melt butter on medium heat. When melted, add onion. Make sure your onion is really finely diced. Since you have a nice smooth sauce, you don’t want big chunks of onion, you just want little bits.
Saute until soft. Since they’re small it should only take a couple of minutes. Add chicken broth and herbs. (I used fresh herbs, but I’m sure dry is great too, just go for leaves as opposed to ground spices so not to muddy the color)
Use a spatula to deglaze the pan a bit and get any cooked bits of onion off the bottom. Add pumpkin and whisk to combine. Add alfredo sauce, stir to combine, and cook until heated through. Depending on the alfredo you use you may need to adjust salt and pepper. Mine didn’t need anything added.
Serve on top of prepared pasta and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a sprinkling of extra herbs. Pair it with a salad and breadsticks for a great vegetarian meal. YUM!
I want to know how you feel about pumpkin pasta! Sound good? Sound weird? And if you’ve never commented before, introduce yourself so we can get to know ya! We love all you guys!
Normally I don’t hesitate to try your recipes, but this one might make me. I’m not a brave soul when it comes to new flavor combinations. Pumpkin in my mind should be reserved for dessert. However I am married to a brave soul and I cook more for him than anyone else and I’ll let him decide. I love your site, even if I’m not always leaving a comment. Keep it up!!!
You both know i love this sight i have made so many things from here that i love love love! Lean cuisine has these butternut squash ravaolis that are really good. I wonder if it will taste like that. Keep up the good works girls! I love you both!!
K-the ginger spice cookies were a HUGE hit and oh so easy. I’m in trouble–i’ve already had at least 5…..
Hey Sara, I’m finally going to leave a comment…. I really do check your site everyday for new ideas and also to see how you’re doing! You’re doing a great job… Isabel loves pumpkin, Brady hates it so it’ll be one of those recipes to make when he’s gone snowplowing! I’ve shared your breadstick recipe with tons of people!
Love! Love! Love your website! And no, you are not a comment-whore! It is always nice to read people’s comments. And know that someone is actually enjoying what you do. Sometimes we just need a seift kick in the butt! Thanks so much for all you do to share with us…
Sara, you’re totally a comment whore in denial! 🙂
No, we’re just glad you guys are all alive! Honestly, we wish we could respond to every single one of you, but please know that we love hearing from and helping you guys so much! That’s what makes this fun and know that we read and love every comment that we get. If you have blogs, please let us know and we’ll be sure and leave comments when we can!
Oh, and there is no way in H-E-C-K that I could ever get my husband to eat pumpkin whole wheat pasta. It definitely falls under “Sam’s on a business trip” food.
I feel the same way about comments. You guys rock! This looks delicious :). I will have to try it. Usually I’m not that creative with pumpkin. Thanks for the great blog!
That very last picture looks so beautiful I want to cry! I really want to try it. I’m just wondering – if I’m too darn lazy to make the guiltless alfredo, and want to use store bought for ease, how much would I use?
I love pumpkin and I love pasta, but to be honest, I just don’t know if I can eat them together!
This recipe sounds crazy, but fun, so of course I am going to try it. Thanks for the great recipes.. I love this blog!!!
I think this looks so good. I am not sure I can pull it off with the kids, but I am going to give it a try. I am another one who is never disappointed by your recipes and knowledge.
Sorry I meant to post this here, not on the Guiltless Alfredo post 🙂
The best pasta dish I ever had was raviolis with butternut squash sauce..it was SO good! I bet this will be similar. Can’t wait to try it.
P.S. I read every word of this post.
I love the way you write . . . weaving your experiences together! I have recently been a bit disappointed-sad-in wonder that my site receives very little comment attention! So I am leaving another comment for your site–you rock! I have pulled so many recipes and will post my pix and my compliments to your site!
Sara~you said that your kids loved it…and soooo many of your recipes have dairy in them! Just wondering if Owen can handle dairy now??? I have to do a separate dish with just soymilk for my guy so he doesn’t feel jipped! Anyways…just wondering.
I love this blog! I would definitely try the new recipe.
Annalee
Idaho Falls, ID
This sounds really yummy. Sadly my husband hates pumpkin and my daughter can’t have the dairy. *sigh*
Got a magic solution for making alfredo without cheese??? 😀
Everything you guys make is good but since pumpkin is not my favorite, and my hubby hates it, i probably won’t try it. But I am planning to make ginger spice cookies today and I am excited about that!
I will give the pumpkin pasta a try. Sounds a little strange but trust you guys as I love all your recipes that I try. Peanut Thai Noodles were the hit around this house!! Thanksgiving doesn’t scare me, I go to my mom’s and eat her food.
You guys are the absolute best! A friend turned me on to your web site 2 months ago and now my day isnt complete unless I have checked in. I have already made numerous recipes and everything has been amazing! Thank you so much for all the effort, time and love for food that you continually share with us. I will be making the “pasta with pumpkin sauce” tonight. Thanks again!!!!
This sounds great, we live on Boutoni Pasta at our house, so new recipes are great. BTW, I am one of those people that checks everyday anticipating a new great recipe,and I have yet to be dissappointed. I’ve made about 80% of the recipes on here, and love them all. Everytime someone asks for the recipe (and they always do) I tell them about your site. Thanks for all the effort and keep up the good work.
My name is Jessie and I love looking at your site and using the recipes. I love cooking and in fact have a cooking blog of my own~ http://www.foodbringsfamiliestogether.blogspot.com It isn’t as great as your site but anyway,I asked my husband that they other day~if pumpkin pasta sounded good and he said no but I think it would be great so I will have to try it when he is gone!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
I think it sounds totally weird. But I’m not a pumpkin person, I mean at all! I hate anything with pumpkin in it. Well, except these pumpkin flavored cake donuts I found at the grocery store. But, my hubby loves it, so I might have to give this a try. I do love the alfredo sauce though. I made it one night for my sister and we both agreed it was so much better then our favorite italian restaraunt. Perfect for dipping breadsticks in, too!
First time commenter here and one of your England readers. I’ve tried lots of your recipes, (The ribs – my hubby loved, Sam Burgers – I have a son Sam and we are waiting for your recipe for “Mattburgers” j/k I’ll have to make something up in the mean time for my other son, We loved the asian chicken and the zuchinni lemon herb pasta. Thanks for posting. You’ve inspired me to start cooking dinner again.
I’m not sure about the pumpkin pasta, mostly because I don’t like pumpkin pie. But, I do love fun new pasta recipes!
This recipe sounds terrific! I am definitely going to try it. My sister introduced your site to me a few weeks ago, and I love it! I’m a bit of a foodie and you guys have terrific food, but stuff I can actually prepare with little ones underfoot ( :
Humm…I think I would be willing to try it, but my husband doesn’t like crab or mixing new foods together, we will see. I made the Rosemary Bread the other day and we LOVED it.
HI HI HI!!!!!!!!!! I love your site and promise I will leave more comments. promise promise promise! HUGS you two!
I’m willing to give it a try as well. My family loves the guiltless alfredo sauce, and I have sent many people your way. I do have one question, when preparing your Thanskgiving meal do you brine your turkey? Or how do you prepare/cook your turkey. I need some tips for a moist turkey. BTW love all your tips and recipes
I think it sounds weird… and good! Does that count? I love all things pumpkin so I am definitely willing to give this a try.
I feel so honored to leave the first comment! Keep doing what your doing. I recently discovered your site and have already tried several recipes. I appreciate the specific feedback you gave when my focaccia flopped. User error, I know, but it’s nice to get real feedback from people who know! The pumpkin alfredo sounds good. I’m not sure how I’ll sneak it past the hubby though 🙂