Description
A creamy and smoky Chipotle Pumpkin Pasta that combines the sweetness of pumpkin puree with the smoky heat of chipotle powder, creating a flavorful and comforting dish perfect for fall or any time you crave a rich pasta sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
- 1 15oz. can pumpkin purée
- 1.5 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp salt
- freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Pasta
- 8 oz. pasta
Instructions
- Prepare Aromatics: Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sauté both in a skillet with the olive oil over medium heat until the onion is soft and transparent, about 5 minutes.
- Add Chipotle Powder: Stir in the chipotle powder and cook for an additional minute to release its smoky flavor.
- Create Sauce Base: Add the pumpkin purée, chicken broth, salt, and freshly cracked pepper to the skillet. Stir everything together until smooth and well combined.
- Simmer Sauce: Reduce heat to medium-low and let the sauce simmer gently for 15 minutes to meld the flavors.
- Cook Pasta: While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente, then drain in a colander.
- Finish Sauce: Turn heat to low and stir the heavy cream into the sauce for added richness.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir thoroughly to coat the pasta with the sauce. Let it heat together over low heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Add Cheese and Serve: Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese, sprinkle a little cracked pepper on top, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use a high-quality, full-flavored chicken broth (such as Better Than Bouillon) to enhance the sauce’s depth of flavor.
- For a vegetarian version, substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth.
- You can adjust the amount of chipotle powder based on your preferred level of spiciness.
- Heavy cream can be swapped with half-and-half for a lighter sauce but the texture will be less rich.
- Freshly grated Parmesan works best for melting evenly into the sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
