Pasta with Pumpkin Cream, Mushrooms, and Ginger: A Refined First Course
If you’re looking for an idea for a special lunch that combines authenticity and sophistication, the pasta with pumpkin and champignon mushrooms cream is the ideal choice. This dish is born from the need to enhance excellent seasonal products, transforming a simple pumpkin into a creamy and fragrant sauce, made unique by a modern touch of fresh ginger.
The Secret of Creaminess: Pumpkin and Pasta Shape
For restaurant-quality results, the secret lies in the choice of ingredients:
The Base: A velvety pumpkin cream that embraces the flavors of the undergrowth.
The Pasta: A short pasta (like artisanal Neapolitan penne) is essential to maintain perfect “al dente” cooking and capture every drop of sauce. The sautéed champignon mushrooms add a meaty texture, while the grated ginger provides an aromatic freshness that balances the sweetness of the pumpkin.
Why prepare it?
Besides being an exceptional “comfort food” for the winter months, this recipe is digestible and healthy. Ginger indeed aids digestion and offers anti-inflammatory properties. Moreover, it is waste-free, being perfect for using up leftover pumpkin from holidays, turning it into a gourmet dish.
Other first courses that might interest you:
- WHOLE WHEAT TIMILIA PENNE IN ZUCCHINI BLOSSOM AND RICOTTA CREAM
- BAKED TROFIE WITH GREEN BEAN AND PISTACHIO PESTO (Recipe without béchamel)
- WHOLE WHEAT FUSILLI WITH BROAD BEAN PESTO WITH PEAS, CHERRY TOMATOES AND FETA
- WHOLE WHEAT FARFALLE WITH TUNA AND LEMON
- WHOLE WHEAT PENNE IN RICOTTA CREAM, LEMON ZEST, AND CAPERS
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 12.4 oz maccheroncini (or other short pasta)
- 1.1 lbs delica pumpkin
- 1.9 cups vegetable broth
- 12.4 oz champignon mushrooms
- 1 fresh spring onion
- 3.5 oz fresh spreadable cheese
- 0.35 oz fresh ginger
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 clove garlic
- to taste nutmeg
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Tools
- 1 Knife
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 Wooden Spoon
- 1 Lemon Zester
- 1 Skimmer
- 1 Hand Blender
Preparation
Clean the pumpkin, removing the skin and inner fibers, then cut it into chunks. In a large saucepan, sauté the spring onion with a drizzle of oil, add the pumpkin, let it flavor over high heat for 2 minutes, and cover entirely with the vegetable broth. Cook for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, clean the mushrooms with a clean, damp cloth, removing the earthy base, and slice them, then sauté in a pan with the garlic clove.
Grate the ginger and cook gently for about 10-12 minutes, adding a few tablespoons of hot broth as needed.
Turn off the heat, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with a bit of coarsely chopped parsley.
Once the pumpkin is cooked, drain it with a skimmer and transfer it to a beaker. Blend it with the help of a hand blender along with a few tablespoons of broth until it becomes a puree.
Then combine the cream with the mushrooms and turn the heat back on.
Incorporate the spreadable cheese and a few more tablespoons of broth and lower the flame.
Cook the mezzani in the same cooking water as the pumpkin and drain al dente. Drain with a skimmer and transfer to the pan mixing all the ingredients. If necessary, add a few more ladles of broth.
Finish with a grating of nutmeg, mix, and turn off the heat. Serve with more fresh chopped parsley.
And voilà… the mezzani in pumpkin and champignon mushroom cream are ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Tips, Notes, Variations, and Suggestions
🟣The choice of pasta is of course optional. For this dish, I recommend a short shape, so feel free to use sedanini, maccheroncini, mezze penne, farfalle, etc., according to your taste.
1. What mushrooms to use apart from champignon?
Even though champignon mushrooms are perfect for their delicacy, you can enrich the dish with porcini mushrooms (fresh or dried) for a more intense and wild flavor.
2. Can the sauce be prepared in advance?
Absolutely yes. The pumpkin cream and mushrooms can be prepared the day before. You just need to reheat them with a ladle of the pasta cooking water to restore the original creaminess.
