There’s a comfort that comes with preparing a comforting meal for a hungry household
The simple pleasure of a shared meal seems to get even better in the Autumn months. As the days blink by and the vignette of the evening sky appears at the window at 4pm, there’s a comfort that comes with preparing a comforting meal for a hungry household; where the hours pass effortlessly between forkfuls of pasta and sweet ordinary conversations about work and weariness. Families being families, couples mirroring eating habits, pausing to celebrate the casual art form of dinner time togetherness – capturing a flavour, a memory, a familiar tradition for future you to recall and feast on with a joyful heart.
The same can be said for preparing a meal for yourself and only yourself. Taking time out of the virtual world to throw a recipe together and indulge in the ritual of eating is the ultimate form of self-care. Enjoy it.
Stuffed with creamy ricotta and pumpkin and smothered in creamy garlic & parmesan sauce
This epic parmesan & pumpkin pasta recipe is a dish you’ll want to keep coming back to all through fall. Stuffed with creamy ricotta and pumpkin and smothered in creamy garlic & parmesan sauce, it’ll have everyone hovering in the kitchen, impatiently waiting for the clatter of serving plates and cutlery to sound.
Best served warm, on a rainy Autumn day with crunchy bread for dipping.
SERVES 6
PREP:
40 MINS
COOK:
25 MINS
MEDIUM
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients
For the stuffed pasta
- Jumbo pasta shells (as many as your dish will fit!)
- 250g ricotta cheese
- 150g soft cheese
- 400g pumpkin puree
- 100g grated Parmesan
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon chopped sage leaves
- Pinch of nutmeg
For the creamy garlic sauce
- 50g butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 50g all-purpose flour
- 300ml cups milk
- 100ml Double cream
- 100g freshly grated Parmesan
- Preheat oven to 180° celcius
- Lightly coat your baking dish with butter.
- In a pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente (slightly undercooked)
- Drain and pop it on a baking sheet to cool
- In a large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, cream cheese, pumpkin puree, parmesan, egg, sage leaves and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- For the creamy garlic sauce; melt butter in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic, and stir for 2 minutes.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Gradually whisk in milk and double cream, until incorporated,
- Stir parmesan until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
- Spread 1/2 your cream sauce in the prepared baking dish.
- Stuff your pasta shells with the pumpkin mix and place into your baking dish. We used a piping bag, but you could use a zip lock bag or spoon it in
- When you’ve filled the dish with your pasta shells top them with the remaining creamy sauce.
- We topped our with a bit of cheddar, you could also add breadcrumbs for an extra crunch!
- Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
