weeknight pasta revisted

weeknight pasta used to be a pretty regular thing on this old blog and certainly in my so-called semiweekly life. but with my sweet carvings on the ultimate joy ride the past few months, i found it necessary to curb some of the carb love so my pants didn't leave permanent indentations on my thighs. just saying, it's not pretty. 

buttttt since tights/leggings/sweater/elastic waist season is upon us and bathing suit season is seemingly in limbo (seriously, i think i wore a bathing suit twice last year), carbs are returning in full force to my kitchen with pasta leading the charge. 

after a lovely wind-blown walk home from work the other day i dreamt up this recipe for a warm bowl of delicate angel hair in a light pumpkin sauce. i dare say it will become a favorite of yours as well.

now, i know we're all totally on pumpkin overload. at least i am. the internets and food blogs and every restaurant is pushing pumpkin like its the new mcrib. good gracious people! is pumpkin now trendy? what is up? now everyone loves pumpkin? oh pumpkin is SO great! let's have pumpkin everything! even nelson  is sending me 80 zillion ways to make pumpkin. oy vei with the pumpkin already. enough! or so i thought.
but i'm kind of lying a bit about pumpkin. sooooo apparently i am not just a copy cat, i am also a liar. this blog is becoming a little too confessional perhaps? i feel like i'm in the real world and next i'll be telling everyone that i put my finger in pedro's peanut butter jar. ugggg.

back to the pumpkin drama. clearly there is no shortness of pumpkin love on this blog. don't believe me? check out these pumpkin posts: here, here, here, here, here and here.
i didn't even know i had posted about pumpkin that much!

but this craving was more about the angel hair, which is a new love of mine. like most things i end up loving, i used to think i hated angel hair. this was sort of like when i thought i hated mustard, oatmeal and beets. i had either a) never had them or b) had them 25 years ago and remembered gagging on them. neither of these are  longer sufficient reasons to dislike something. and angel hair is really one of the world's most perfect pastas. it's oh so delicate and light and is perfect for a light creamy sauce because the strands practically glue themselves to the sauce. there is no fishing around your bowl for the sauce, it all coats oh so evenly to each and every strand. and i just happened to have about 1/4 cup of pureed pumpkin leftover in the fridge, just calling out to me. stir me into your angel hair! i am fall personified!

the pumpkin was basically the sauce, along with a handful of other ingredients to enhance the pumpkinness but not detract from the beautiful angel hair.

necessary additions: cinnamon toscano. note, this is one of the best cheeses i've ever had in my entire life. it's on limited supply at trader joes and i'm seriously scared for when they remove it from the dairy case. this hard cheese added another layer of richness, while the flecks of cinnamon added that subtle sweet spicy kick. and a handful of parsley for freshness and color. basil would have worked wonderfully as well.

Recipe: Angel Hair with Pumpkin Sauce

Ingredients

2 oz angel hair

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/4 cup pureed pumpkin

1/4 tsp minced garlic

1 tablespoon greek yogurt

1 tablespoon ff half and half

1/4 tsp salt

dash black pepper

pinches cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin

handful rough chopped parsley

ample gratings cinnamon toscano

Method:

Cook angel hair according to instructions

Meanwhile warm a medium skillet, add a few sprays of pam and olive oill

add garlic, let cook 1-2 minutes

add pumpkin, stir around, let cook 3-4 minutes, 

add spices

add ff half and half and greek yogurt

grate cheese and chop parsley

taste sauce, declare yourself a genius

add cooked angel hair plus a tablespoon of pasta water to sauce, stir to combine

let cook together for 2 minutes

add chopped parsley and amazing cinnamon toscano

cook an additional 1 minute

serve and add yet more cheese