Baked Creamy and Cheesy Pasta with Pumpkin, Potatoes, and Fontina
This baked pasta with pumpkin, potatoes, and fontina is an excellent first course especially suitable for the autumn months.
I took the recipe from a precious issue of the culinary magazine par excellence: “La Cucina Italiana” from the ’90s and it has rightfully entered among my family recipes, those that I replicate most often with success, which you can find in my Blog Section: “My TOP Recipes” !
A simple baked pasta, without béchamel, yet tasty, an easy, convenient first course (you can also prepare it the day before) and quick to make, a real comfort food to face the first chills.
The pumpkin I usually prefer for this type of dish is the elongated pumpkin, the Neapolitan one, which in dialect is called cocozza, very versatile due to its firm flesh, it is used in both sweet and savory preparations, as it is not watery, but you can use the type of pumpkin you prefer.
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All About PUMPKIN: From Sweet to Savory: in this Collection, you will find many recipes (both sweet and savory) as well as tips on how to choose, clean, cut, cook, and store pumpkin, with all the information on the nutritional properties of pumpkin!
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Linguine with Pumpkin Carbonara. Easy Recipe
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients for Creamy and Cheesy Pasta with Pumpkin, Potatoes, and Fontina
- 400 g pasta (any type of short pasta, e.g., sedani, ditaloni, cartwheels, etc.)
- 500 g Neapolitan pumpkin (or whichever you prefer)
- 350 g potatoes (yellow-fleshed)
- 200 g fontina (diced)
- 80 g golden onion
- 80 g butter
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste grated Parmesan (optional)
- to taste black pepper (optional)
Tools
- Bowl
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Mezzaluna
- Pans
- Pot
- Baking Dish
Steps for Creamy and Cheesy Pasta with Pumpkin, Potatoes, and Fontina
Clean the pumpkin, remove the seeds, and cut it into cubes. Also dice the fontina and peeled potatoes. Chop the onion with a mezzaluna.
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Prepare a sauté with the chopped onion, oil, and butter (it should cook for about 8-10 minutes) and set aside.
At this point, cook everything in one pot: potatoes, pumpkin, and pasta, respecting these cooking times: place a pot with salted cold water on the stove and add the potato cubes, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and after 10 minutes add the pumpkin cubes and cook for another 5 minutes, finally add the pasta and cook for 4 minutes, then drain everything (pasta and vegetables). Everything should be al dente, because it will go in the oven later.
Heat the pan with onion sauté and add the pasta, cooked pumpkin, potatoes, and optional pepper; let everything flavor for two minutes, and with the heat off, add the fontina cubes, mix well.
Transfer everything to a well-buttered baking dish, sprinkle the surface with butter flakes and grated Parmesan, and gratinate in a preheated static oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Serve the dish hot and cheesy.
Shopping Tips!
To make this recipe, I used this set of perfectly non-stick pans, high thickness, no nickel, no PFOA, no bisphenol, ideal for creaming pasta, clean in an instant, and also dishwasher-safe! #adv
I cooked the pasta in the oven using this irresistible Pyrex dish made of borosilicate glass: 100% natural and hygienic material, ideal for baking up to 572°F. It withstands thermal shocks and can go directly from freezer at -4°F to oven at 464°F. #adv
I also used this practical and very useful two-blade mezzaluna to quickly and effortlessly chop fresh herbs, onions, garlic, nuts, chocolate, nuts, and much more. #adv
I also used this practical and very useful two-blade mezzaluna to quickly and effortlessly chop fresh herbs, onions, garlic, nuts, chocolate, nuts, and much more. #adv
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How to make a good onion sauté?
Prepare the onion by peeling and finely chopping, coarsely chopping, or slicing it: it depends on the recipe. If not specified, when in doubt, chop it finely.
Put extra virgin olive oil in a non-stick pan or pot and place it on the medium burner at full flame.
As soon as the oil starts to heat, it’s time to add the onion, spreading it with a wooden spoon.
As soon as it starts to sizzle, lower the heat to half power and wait for it to become golden. It should sauté slowly.
At this point, add two tablespoons of broth (or hot water or dry white wine), a pinch of salt, stir, and cook over medium heat until the cooking base has reduced and is thick and creamy. Generally, 4-5 minutes are enough.How to avoid the tear-inducing effect of onions?
Point the cut side of the onion away from your eyes;
Wet the knife and cutting board, thus reducing the number of irritating molecules;
Use cold to slow down the action of enzymes, and therefore keep the onion in the freezer for a few minutes before cutting it.
