chicken and pumpkin baked pasta
What do people do with leftover pumpkin from Thanksgiving (yeah ok I’m lagging on some of my leftover ingredients)? I toyed with the ideas of pumpkin biscuits, pumpkin pajeon, and pumpkin dumplings of sorts, but settled on gooey baked penne pasta.
5-6 ounces whole wheat penne
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
a few sprigs of fresh thyme (or a pinch of dried thyme)
a few sprigs of fresh oregano (or a pinch of the dried stuff)
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken (or turkey, if that’s still an issue)
3-4 ounces fontina cheese (or more if you really wanna go nuts), sliced or shredded
toasted pumpkin seeds, chopped scallions, chopped parsley, and grated Parmesan cheese to garnish
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water for 2/3 of the cooking time listed on the package.
While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapeno. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 7 or 8 minutes. Add pumpkin, paprika, and herbs. Heat through for a few minutes, then add broth and milk, stirring to mix evenly.
Mix pumpkin sauce with drained pasta and shredded chicken. Pour in a baking dish and top with fontina cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned. Garnish with all the other stuff.
