Tag Archives: main dish

Pumpkin Fettuccine Alfredo

Happy Thanksgiving!

You probably have pumpkin coming out your ears. In fact, you may at this very moment in time be digging into a slice of pumpkin pie. But I am taking a risk and sending one more pumpkin recipe out there. I figure by the end of the day some of you may have leftover or half-used cans of pumpkin puree, and this dish will give that puree a delicious home.

I found the idea for this recipe on a blog I frequent called The Pajama Chef. Sarah christened the first week of November ‘Pumpkin week’ and posted daily pumpkin recipes. When I pulled up her blog one morning and saw her recipe for what she called ‘Pumpfredo’ sauce, I was intrigued.

Mustard? Yogurt? Pumpkin? Huh?

I just had to try it.

Her version is very healthy–yogurt, no butter, no cream, and only 2 Tablespoons of cheese. But I couldn’t bear to make it with no whipping cream! I had a huge carton of it just sitting in my fridge! So my version has cream. And I had just bought 2 big wedges of Parmesan on sale at the grocery store . . . so I used at least 5 times as much Parmesan as she did. Oh, and because I can’t leave well enough alone, I also added butter. I’m sorry Sarah! I had to follow my heart. And the heavy whipping cream and I go back . . . far back. I hope you understand. My loyalties are deep.

Guys, it’s creamy. It’s rich–but not too rich. With a cup of pure pumpkin puree in it, it’s bound to have some health value. If I had picky eaters around my table, this would be a great way to sneak some veggies into their dinner equation. Of course if I have kids, my plans dictate they will be consummate eaters of things like brussel sprouts. Spinach. Salads.

Things even I rejected as a child.

But that’s why we’re fathering the next generation–so that they can go above and beyond us. Right?

Anyway, let’s get this pumpkin pasta on the table. We’ve got things to do, places to go, stuff to see, and they all involve a plate of this creamalicious orange stuff.

Ingredients

(Serves 5)

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup pumpkin puree

2 teaspoons dijon mustard or spicy brown mustard

1 tablespoon fresh sage or 1 teaspoon dried sage

3/4 c heavy whipping cream

1 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

salt to taste

lots of freshly ground black pepper

2 TBS butter

1 lb pasta, cooked

Place the pumpkin puree (please note: not the same thing as pumpkin pie filling!), mustard, sage, chicken broth in a saucepan.

Give ‘er a good old-fashioned whisk to meld it all together.

Cover and heat to boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for at least 20 minutes or until sauce thickens. When you uncover the old girl, the sauce should pass the ‘drag’ test–if you drag a spatual across the pan, the area should not immediately refill with liquid.

With the heat still on low, add the Parmesan cheese, the butter and the cream.

Cook for 10 minutes over medium-low, stirring frequently, and let it thicken and become glorious.

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning. I happen to like tons of black pepper in mine. I also recommend adding a solid amount of salt, since once the sauce coats the pasta, the levels of saltiness will need to carry the whole dish through.

Pour the sauce into the cooked pasta . . .

. . . and stir to mix all that lovely goodness together, where it was meant to be from the dawn of time.

Heck yes!

 

Let it sit for a few minutes to ‘set.’

Serve ‘er up, garnished with some extra sage and parmesan.

She’s a beaut alright.

Grab a fork and dig in!

The pumpkin flavor is there, but it’s not screaming at you. It’s perfect its subtle creaminess.

This would be perfect served with a little leftover turkey. Uh huh.

Enjoy, my friends! I hope you’re all having a beautiful day with family and friends . . .

Of course, I’m just remembering this is the internet. And not all of you live in the US. In fact, Canadians are waaaay over Thanksgiving. They had theirs ages ago.

So for my international friends–I love you too. Make this fettuccine. Amen.

Click here for printer-friendly version: Pumpkin Fettuccine Alfredo

Israeli Couscous with Spiced Sweet Onions

If I were a good blogger, I would be sharing an amazing recipe with you all for pumpkin pie. Or pecan pie. Or brined turkey. I mean, it’s Thanksgiving week! However, I’ve never claimed to be a ‘good blogger.’ In fact, I only recently became comfortable with even using the word ‘blogger’ in reference to myself.

It’s been rough, folks. And exciting. And weird. And wonderful. There may be no going back.

Anyway, I came across this recipe for Israeli Couscous on The Novice Chef Blog, and let me tell you–it was love at first sight. She calls it ‘Warm Couscous Salad,’ but for some reason I can’t bring myself to think of it as a salad. Thus, I renamed it, made a few modifications, served it hot, and I bring it to you today.

It is delightful. Delicious. Delectable. Devilish.

Except not devilish at all, because it’s very healthy–Wikipedia tells me that couscous is “among the healthiest grain-based products,” beating out pasta hands down.

Devilish? Healthy? I love making a statement and immediately contradicting it. It keeps everyone on their toes.

I love this as a side dish, and served it with salmon. I also love this as a main dish, topped with a couple hard boiled eggs or some fried tofu. And if you’re of the meat-needing persuasion (Dave, I’m talking to you), toss in some cubed leftover Thanksgiving turkey or ham. Hah! I totally just redeemed myself by working in the holiday at hand.

Whether main dish or side dish, I would pretty much love this concoction under any circumstance, whatever its name, and however ugly its past was. I’m an all embracing person, and I embrace this couscous dish.

Ingredients

(Serves 6)

2 cups Israeli couscous

2 TBS olive oil

3 large sweet onions

1/2 tsp salt

1 TBS brown sugar

1 TBS balsamic vinegar

1 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

cilantro, to garnish

First, slice up your onions.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high, and when hot, add the onions and 1/2 tsp of salt.

Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the onions are starting to get translucent.

In the meantime, get some salted water boiling in preparation for the couscous.

Once it boils, add the couscous and cook for about 7 minutes.

You want the couscous to feel like al dente pasta in your mouth–as soon as that happens, drain it and rinse with some cool water.

Back to the onions!

Once the onions are translucent, add the brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and a few more pinches of salt. I apologize for the disturbing picture. If you scroll down quickly you won’t have to look at it long.

Thankfully, no one ever said that pretty = delicious. This butt ugly sauce will soon make your taste buds sing a small anthem, and you’ll forget all about its brown gloopiness.

Stir it around and continue to cook on low heat for another 10 minutes.

See? No more brown ugly sauce. It’s magically transformed itself, and is now golden and gorgeous.

Don’t forget to add generous amounts of black pepper!

While the onions are making your house smell like a spiced paradise, quarter or halve the cherry tomatoes.

After the onions have cooked for those 10 minutes, add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 5 more minutes or until the tomatoes are heated through, but still retaining their shape.

Then ask your Nikon D5000, “why do you freak out when intense reds are in the picture? Do you really have to wig out like you do? Can’t you just balance the dang colors for me? I don’t have time for this!” Then the Nikon reminds you of all the amazing pictures not involving reds it has allowed you to take, and you make up with tears, hugs, and promises to never fight again.

I love my camera, and I can’t let our relationship stay on the rocks for more than two minutes at a time.

Adjust the seasoning to your taste.

It may seem like a lot of onions for not a lot of couscous–but don’t worry. When it comes together and you take that first bite, it will all make sense.

Combine the couscous with the onion/tomato mixture, and top it all with some cilantro.

Serve!

I resurrected this clear bowl that I had originally bought to float some candles in.

Then I didn’t touch it for 4 years, and it languished beneath my popcorn bowl, ignored and weepy.

I think this bowl has now found its purpose in life.

Let’s have a bite, shall we?

Click here for printer-friendly version: Israeli Couscous with Spiced Sweet Onions