Autumn Pasta Carbonara

• 1 1/2 cup pumpkin - 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 lb penne
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3oz Parmesan cheese
• pinch rosemary and thyme
• 1tsp red pepper flakes   **

Toss pumpkin in a little olive oil. Spread on baking sheet and roast at 300 to 350 for 25-30 minutes, until tender.
Cook penne as directed.
Heat 1tbsp olice oil in a skillet. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook 3-5 minutes. Add spinach and cook while stirring, until leaves wilt (about 3 minutes) Add remaining olive oil and milk. Stir. Add pumpkin and cheese. Toss and lower heat to simmer. Season with rosemary, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
Toss with cooked pasta.

** OPTIONAL:  I used half a tsp because I knew Sophia would not eat it with the heat (I'm not the biggest fan of hot spicy foods either). I should have left it out completely. The flavor was good for me, but I wound up having to feed Soph a peanut butter sandwich.



As I started cutting the fresh pumpkin up, Sophia came into the kitchen and got all excited. "ARE YOU MAKING PUMPKIN PIE!!!" Ummm, no. Pumpkin pasta. Note to me: plan on making pumpkin pie and let her help. The pumpkin was a pain in the rear to cut up into 1/2 pieces when it was raw, but that may be because my knife collection is seriously lacking.

I have a system. I keep a marble copybook, where I compile all the recipes I am interested in cooking. Whenever I find one I write it in the book that instant (or I do not close the browser until I get a minute to jot it down). If the recipe was found in a magazine or any other sort of paper source, I tend to rip it out and shove it in the pages until I get a chance to write it in permanently. When I make the recipe, I note any opinions or changes I may have in the margins.  It may seem archaic, the old "pen and paper" method, but it works! I am then able to bring the book into the kitchen to work. I definitely would not feel comfortable bringing my laptop into the kitchen with me. Things get messy! I like my system. It works for me. Most of the time. Then there are times that instructions are not so clear. Like today, my first instruction of this recipe is "Toss pumpkin in a little olive oil. Spread on baking sheet and roast 25-30 minutes until tender." OK, simple enough. Except how hot would you heat the oven to? Stupid question? I never did claim to be a chef. I am just a simple mom who likes to cook. I need this stuff spelled out to me! Sooo, I picked my fall back oven temperature of 350. Everything I cook in the oven without a recipe to follow gets shoved in at 350.

I think I will definitely make this recipe again. I will completely omit the red pepper flakes, but the fresh pumpkin was very tasty. I have never had fresh pumpkin. It is very close to a butternut squash flavor. I guess that should not come as a surprise since it is in the squash family. It was hard to cut up the pumpkin raw and I am not a fan of cleaning out the guts. My sister is hosting a pumpkin carving party closer to the end of the month. I think I will collect the eyes, noses, and teeth to use and make this recipe again or possibly another that includes fresh pumpkin. Let the others at the party do the cutting for me!!