Baked pasta with pumpkin cream and stracchino made using one of my recent recipes, with the pumpkin cooked in an air fryer. This tasty first course is a twist on simple cooking. It can be prepared in advance, cooked, and reheated or even frozen in single portions in suitable containers. In the description, I summarize the pumpkin cream and stracchino recipe with quick photographic steps that are essential for the success of this dish, where we will not use béchamel or other sauces. Here below are other ideas for creating delicious special baked pastas, while at the end of the recipe complete with photographic steps, I answer some of the most frequently asked questions about this idea.

Difficulty: Very Easy
Cost: Very Economical
Preparation time: 40 Minutes
Portions: 4 people
Cooking methods: Electric Oven, Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Autumn, Winter

Ingredients

10.6 oz pumpkin (sliced)
7.1 oz stracchino
1 slice onion
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
to taste fine salt
to taste pepper
to taste parsley
11.3 oz pasta (short)
0.5 oz coarse salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4.2 oz mozzarella (also pre-sliced)
3.5 oz Grana Padano, grated

Tools

1 Mixer
1 Knife
1 Cutting Board
1 Pot
1 Air Fryer Paper
1 Air Fryer
1 Bowl
1 Spoon
1 Baking Dish

Steps

To make the baked pasta with Pumpkin Cream and Stracchino, first cut 10.6 oz of pumpkin into thin slices, as shown in the photo. Remove the skin. Place the pumpkin slices in the air fryer basket lined with parchment paper. Add the chopped onion.
Combine the coarsely chopped parsley, fine salt, extra virgin olive oil, and pepper. Bake in the air fryer for 10 minutes at 356°F.
The pumpkin should be tender, so check with a fork to ensure it is. If not, continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes. Let it cool for a few minutes before placing it in the blender jug. If you don’t need it immediately, let it cool completely to prevent the stracchino from souring. Blend everything together until you achieve a creamy and homogeneous consistency. The cream is ready,
Cook the chosen pasta, preferably short, in plenty of salted water. Drain it and let it cool in a bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
After this time, add the pumpkin cream.
Add 2.1 oz of grated cheese. I suggested using Grana Padano, but you can actually use whatever you have in the fridge or prefer.
Add 2.1 oz of mozzarella, again your preferred choice. If you use fresh mozzarella, drain it very well in a strainer after cutting it into cubes.
Mix well to incorporate all the ingredients used so far.
Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased baking dish and garnish with the remaining mozzarella.
Also add the remaining cheese and bake in a preheated convection oven at 356°F for 20-25 minutes or until fully golden.
Serve the recipe still warm from the oven, letting it cool for 5 minutes.