Sooooo ummmm…..this.
When one is beyond obsessed with pumpkin in every form, you gotta get creative. I mean I can only eat so many pumpkin chocolate chips cookies and drink so many DIY pumpkin spiced lattes and flip so many pumpkin spiced pancakes. It has to end somewhere.
Or does it?
First I was thinking pumpkin brie quesadillas. Then I was like, wait– I’ve never even bought brie before and I don’t plan on starting now.
Then I thought pumpkin baked oatmeal. But that’s kinda sorta boring unless it’s bursting at the seams with huge chunks or dark chocolate (which I’m currently out of). I was in a serious pickle.
Pumpkin pickles? Ew. Sorry.
Then I thought you guys would think hell just froze over because I ACTUALLY posted an entrée on this lovely space instead of the usual muffin and no-bake cookie fare. You’re welcome.
Okay, how about pumpkin pasta with all those classic fall flavors we adore like cinnamon, nutmeg and fresh sage. Sweet and savory and creamy and crunchy. Totally abstract and totally worth blogging about. After all, who doesn’t like all their food groups smushed into one decadent pumpkin pasta smorgasbord? You’ve got your green starchy veggie, your orange starchy veggie, your starchy pasta and your fatty walnuts. AKA this is totally low-carb. Oh, and it’s vegan. <—that statement is actually true.
Do you ever cook with sage? Me either. Let’s start together!
Oh and please don’t freak out because this recipe calls for nutritional yeast and you have a phobia of ingredients you’ve never used before. You can get it dirt cheap in the bulk bins at Whole Foods or grab the Red Star brand at Kroger (or another mainstream store). Breathe. It’s super good for you and tastes like cheese. AKA a vegan’s dream come true. Read more about it here if I just gave you the heebie jeebies.
Let’s be real– no one would read this blog if I posted pumpkin pickles.
Or would you?
Creamy Pumpkin Pasta with Peas and Toasted Walnuts
–adapted from this pumpkin mac ‘n cheeze sauce
Prep Time:
Yield:
Print
PinIngredients
- 2 cups dry whole-wheat pasta shells or elbow macaroni
- 1 cup frozen peas
- For the sauce:
- 1 tbsp butter or coconut oil
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tbsp flour (I used whole-wheat pastry flour)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh sage
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
Instructions
- In a medium or large pot, bring water to a boil and add good pinch of salt. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
- While pasta is cooking, heat a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add butter or coconut oil.
- In a bowl, whisk together milk and flour, then add to pot along with remaining sauce ingredients. Whisk to combine. Cook for a couple minutes or until heated through, whisking frequently.
- Meanwhile, microwave the peas for one minute and set aside.
- Toast walnuts in a small pan over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until fragrant and browned. Once browned, pulse in food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs.
- Strain pasta and add back to pot along with the sauce and peas. Stir to combine. Pour into an 8 x 8in casserole dish and top evenly with toasted walnut crumbs. Serve!
Pinning this as we speak — I can’t wait to make it! I love adding peas to creamy pasta dishes 🙂
Me too! Enjoy 🙂
YUM! I’m all about this pumpkin + shells combo. What a great idea! And I totally want to start cooking with sage. I recently discovered my intense love for thyme and feel like sage will be next!
I ended up throwing away the rest of the sage…such a waste on my part! I totally should have saved it for another yummy dish :/
You nailed it, a pumpkin recipe that’s not just-another-pumpkin-recipe. My family loves butternut squash pasta sauce and I know this pumpkin/sage/walnut combo would be very well-recieved at my house. The pumpkin-brie-quesadilla idea does sound pretty awesome though (though seriously fattening). Maybe you’ll have to veganize that for your next act (but without cashews! I can’t eat them).
★★★★★
Thanks, Mary! I was really digging the sage, pumpkin and walnut combo. I should totally take a stab at that vegan quesadilla, though the brie version sound so ridiculously amazing!!
Alexis, I ended up using this recipe of yours as my inspiration tonight! My ingredients on hand were a little different (kabocha squash, Thai basil, lime) but the spirit was the same with the squash, peas, and the delicious toasted, crumbled walnut topping and it was a real winner!
Oh my goodness…this sounds amazing!!!! I love the addition of pumpkin. Pinned and will be trying asap!
Thanks!! Pumpkin gives it the best flavor and texture 🙂
The nutritional yeast comment…amazing! Also amazing, this recipe. Love it!
I just saw your spinach and pumpkin pancakes…I’m dying!!
This looks amazing- I’m so pumped seeing more savory pumpkin recipes as here in Australia, its the way we have all grown up eaten it!
I’m all about the savory pumpkin recipes! Okay…sweet too 🙂
Pumpkin pickles????? Sounds insanely weird. Pumpkin pasta? Yes, pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaase. 🙂
★★★★★
Pumpkin pickles def didn’t make the cut.
Looks delicious!
Oh my god, I want to make this right now except I’m at work and that might be weird/impossible. Where can I buy nutritional yeast and is it expensive??
Hahah I just loled. You can get it at Whole Foods or Kroger or any health store. It’s not expensive!!
Omg omg omg. I actually have all of the ingredients to make this! I bought sage last week to make raw Alfredo sauce and had no idea what I would do with the leftover. Can’t wait. Thank YOU 🙂
Eeeeeek! Raw alfredo sounds right up my alley.
You can find it at http://www.youtube.com/user/FullyRawKristina 🙂
I could take a bowl or two of this. I cant wait to start on the pumpkin bandwagon.
More like a bowl or three….
I agree, this is much more exciting than baked pumpkin oatmeal. It looks delicious!
I can’t believe it’s vegan too.
I don’t cook with sage all of the time but I love it! It goes very well with fall produce.
I’m totally gonna start cooking with sage more often…tis the season!
Okay I’m definitely intrigued. But seriously now I have so many pumpkin recipes to make I don’t know where to start. #foodiedilemmas
Is it okay to hashtag on blog post comments? I’m gonna go with yes.
I actually legit kind of get stressed out over the copious amounts of pumpkin recipes I need to make #firstworldproblems 🙂
Love the cake, much too cute to eat (but oh, gimme a slice or three!) I loved your previous post about the btnotus; I can never pass them up either and have a huge stash here from my mother. I use them every time I sew a new garment. And I always remove the btnotus from something that is headed for the rag bag.
Pumpkin and sage is one of my favorite flavor combinations! This looks incredible and so hearty for cold Fall nights.
I’m waiting for it to get chilly out so I have more of an excuse to eat comfort food!