Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Name: Creamy Pumpkin Pasta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: ⅔ cup cashews; 400g pumpkin, cut into 1cm cubes; 200g cauliflower, cut into small florets; ½ small onion, cut into fours; 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice or Mixed Spice; 1 teaspoon of dried thyme; Olive oil, as needed; 1 clove of garlic, skin on; 1½ - 2 cups unsweetened plant-based milk or regular milk*, more as needed; ¼ cup nutritional yeast or plant-based cheese or ½ cup grated tasty cheese*; ¼ - ½ cup parmesan cheese*; Chilli flakes - optional; ¼ cup sour cream* or thickened cream* or plant-based equivalents - I use Nakula plant-based products; 200g pasta - rigatoni, penne, risoni etc; Plant-based milks for dairy milk; Nutritional yeast and vegan parmesan cheese for dairy cheese; Plant-based sour cream or plant-based thickened cream for dairy creams

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There is nothing quite like pasta when you are lacking of energy or have loss of appetite. And this one is so adaptable! This recipe is great if you have a dry mouth or throat because it has a lovely creamy sauce. If you have difficulty swallowing or difficulty chewing, use a tiny pasta like Stelline to make it easier to go down.

Creamy Pumpkin Pasta

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Servings

2

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

40 minutes

Author

Centre For Cancer Nutrition

There is nothing quite like pasta when you have a lack of energy or loss of appetite. And this one is so adaptable! This recipe is great if you have a dry mouth or throat because it has a lovely creamy sauce. If you have difficulty swallowing or difficulty chewing, use a tiny pasta like Stelline to make it easier to go down.

Ingredients

⅔ cup cashews
400g pumpkin, cut into 1cm cubes
200g cauliflower, cut into small florets
½ small onion, cut into fours
1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice or Mixed Spice
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
Olive oil, as needed
1 clove of garlic, skin on
1½ - 2 cups unsweetened plant-based milk or regular milk*, more as needed
¼ cup nutritional yeast or plant-based cheese or ½ cup grated tasty cheese*
¼ - ½ cup parmesan cheese*
Chilli flakes - optional
¼ cup sour cream* or thickened cream* or plant-based equivalents - I use Nakula plant-based products
200g pasta - rigatoni, penne, risoni etc

Vegan Substitutions

Plant-based milks for dairy milk
Nutritional yeast and vegan parmesan cheese for dairy cheese
Plant-based sour cream or plant-based thickened cream for dairy creams

Directions

Preheat an oven to 180ºC. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Add the cashews to a bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Place pumpkin, cauliflower and onion into a bowl. Sprinkle over Pumpkin Pie Spice blend and thyme and pour in enough olive oil to coat well. Pour ingredients onto the lined baking tray and place in the oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, place the clove of garlic on the tray and bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and cool.
Once cooled, peel the garlic clove and place all ingredients from the baking tray into a food processor or blender. Add the drained cashews and milk and chilli flakes if using. Blend until a smooth creamy pourable consistency is reached. You may need to add more milk along the way to think out the mixture. Add the cheeses and blend again. Pour into a pan to warm through.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to packet instructions. Once cook, drain reserving the cooking water.
Add the pasta to the sauce and stir gently to combine well. Add more of the pasta cooking water or milk to bring the sauce to your desired consistency. Stir through the sour cream or cream. Serve hot.

Recipe Note

For difficulty swallowing & difficulty chewing: Ensure all ingredients are blended to a completely smooth consistency. Use small sized pasta such as risoni or stelline.
For dry mouth & throat: Add extra liquid to produce more sauce and moisture. Add crème fraîche on top for serving.

For bland taste: Add extra Parmesan cheese.