Description
A comforting and flavorful Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta featuring crispy pancetta, tender kale, and creamy white beans. This dish combines whole-wheat penne pasta with a rich pumpkin and cheese sauce, topped with golden panko breadcrumbs for a delightful crunch. Perfect for a cozy dinner that blends autumnal flavors with hearty ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Produce
- 6 oz pancetta, diced
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bunches kale, stemmed and torn
Pantry Ingredients
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Cooking spray
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 12 oz whole-wheat or gluten-free penne pasta
- 2 (15-oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree or butternut squash puree
- 1 ½ cups grated Gruyère or sharp Cheddar cheese (4 ½ oz total; 1 cup reserved for mixing, ½ cup for topping)
- ½ cup panko or gluten-free breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Cook Pancetta: In a large skillet over medium heat, fry the pancetta until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to cool and discard all but approximately 2 teaspoons of the rendered fat.
- Sauté Onions and Garlic: Add the sliced onion and ¼ teaspoon salt to the same pan with the reserved fat. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes until browned and fragrant. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes during the last minute, toasting for 20 to 30 seconds without burning the garlic.
- Deglaze Pan: Pour in 2 tablespoons of water to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Remove the pan from heat.
- Boil Water: Meanwhile, fill a large pot with salted water and bring it to a boil.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Dish: Preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) and lightly grease a rectangular baking dish with cooking spray.
- Blanch Kale: Add kale to the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes until bright green and tender but still crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer kale to a colander to drain.
- Cook Pasta: Add penne pasta to the same boiling water and cook 1 to 2 minutes less than package instructions, leaving it just shy of al dente. Reserve ¾ cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta with the kale.
- Prepare Pumpkin Cheese Sauce: In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree with 1 cup of grated cheese. Season generously with black pepper. Whisk in ½ cup of reserved pasta water until mixture reaches a creamy, bechamel-like consistency that will coat the pasta.
- Combine Ingredients: Fold in the pasta, blanched kale, sautéed onions, crispy pancetta, and cannellini beans into the pumpkin cheese sauce and stir well to coat evenly.
- Assemble and Top: Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup grated cheese evenly over the top. Add the panko breadcrumbs and lightly spray with cooking spray to aid browning.
- Bake and Broil: Bake in the preheated oven for 14 to 18 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden. For extra browning, place the dish 3 to 4 inches below the broiler and broil for 1 to 2 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
Notes
- This Baked Pumpkin Pasta is a hearty and flavorful dish combining pancetta, kale, and white beans with a creamy pumpkin cheese sauce.
- Using whole-wheat or gluten-free pasta accommodates dietary preferences.
- Adjust red pepper flakes to control the level of heat in the dish.
- Broiling at the end creates a crispy golden breadcrumb topping, enhancing texture.
- Leftovers reheat well and can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 473 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 729 mg
- Fat: 13.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 66.5 g
- Fiber: 13 g
- Protein: 25.5 g
- Cholesterol: 17.5 mg
