Radiatori Pasta with Pumpkin and Goat Cheese

Remember when we talked about cooking with pumpkins? I fully embraced the season and inspiration and came up with a recipe of my own. It’s very adaptable and one could go many directions with this, adding in ingredients that you prefer and omitting those that you don’t.

Here would be a good opportunity to try your hand at roasting your own pumpkins.  You’ll find good step-by-step instructions Here and here if you need a little guidance, which I certainly did. I found pre-cut slices of pumpkin at my grocery store, but I’ve also gone the whole pumpkin route and cut it up by hand. My slices needed anywhere from 30 to 50 minutes in a 400-degree oven, so keep an eye on them; you’re looking for fork-tender flesh.

Also, and this seems obvious, but I appreciated the note, if you are going to use roasted pumpkin for something sweet (cakes, bars, cookies, etc.) don’t add salt and pepper to your pumpkins and cover with a neutral oil like vegetable or canola. It’s worth mentioning : )

This is an easy weeknight dinner, or it could be very festive for this weekend before trick-or-treating.

Radiatori Pasta with Pumpkin and Goat Cheese (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 to 1 pound roasted pumpkin (see notes above for instructions)
• 8 ounces mushrooms (I’ve used shiitake here, but porcinis are especially good)
• 8 ounces Italian sausage
• 1 pound radiatori pasta or other dried pasta with crevices for catching sauce
• 6 ounces soft goat cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley plus extra for garnish
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

1. Roast pumpkin and cut into small chunks when cool enough to handle add to medium-sized bowl. (Note: I roasted mine with salt, pepper, and sage)
2. Toss mushrooms with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast mushrooms in a 375-degree oven for about 25 minutes, turning once halfway through. Remove from oven and set aside
3. Meanwhile cook pasta in salted water according to package directions. Drain and set aside in the pot, reserving about 1 cup pasta water.
4. While the pasta is cooking, cook Italian sausage in a little olive oil over medium-high heat, crumbling with a wooden spoon. Set aside when finished cooking, about 7-10 minutes.
5. Add goat cheese to the bowl with roasted pumpkin. Add 1/2 cup pasta water, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend either in a blender or with an immersion blender.
6. Add pumpkin and goat cheese sauce to the pasta. Stir in sausage and mushrooms until fully combined.
7. Serve warm with parsley garnish.

I really like the saltiness of the sausage with the creamy tang of the sauce–for me it creates a nice balance. But, you could easily make this vegetarian by removing the sausage, and you would still have the earthiness of the mushrooms. You could add more roasted vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, cauliflower), or even rotisserie chicken if you prefer. Swap out a different soft cheese for the sauce? Sure! You could also add fresh sage for a further autumnal vibe.

Have you cooked with pumpkin yet? I’d love to hear your ideas!