Double Pumpkin Pasta Sauce. Beyond Pie - A series of my favorite pumpkin recipes.

I am an admitted pumpkin addict. The myriad varieties are fascinating to me, not only for beauty but for flavor. If you are only partaking in the PSL coffee craze, putting a few colors and shapes of pumpkins on your front porch and making a pie for Thanksgiving - you are missing the benefits of this fabulous Fall favorite. Pumpkins are Winter Squash. So are Butternut, Acorn, Winter Luxury, Hubbard (those big blue skinned beauties), Kabocha, LI Wheel of Cheese, Delicata and the list goes on seemingly to infinity. They are full of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, they're good for your heart, eyes, blood pressure, immune system and this list goes on seemingly to infinity. Get my point - pumpkins are superfood. Farmers markets are the best places to see varieties you've never seen before. Try as many as possible! Most of them can be cooked in similar ways and swapped out one for the other in recipes (with the exception of Spaghetti Squash). Even the mini white or orange pumpkins you buy for decoration are perfect for cooking. And the best part, in my opinion, is a little prep can go a long way. If you buy 2 medium sized pumpkins and roast/puree one and peel/dice the other, you'll have enough pumpkin to take you through three weeks of recipes. Making your own pumpkin puree is super easy and the flavor is superior compared to that in a can. Health wise and flavor wise - it is sooooo worth the effort. I include the simple roast and puree guidelines below the recipe.

I love using pumpkin in savory recipes as much as sweet. I created this Double Pumpkin Pasta Sauce recipe for LoRe Pasta and the Doylestown Farmers Market. I wanted to show you how versatile pumpkin can be and give you a delicious yet easy recipe using farmers market ingredients. Every great dish starts with the best ingredients and our local farmers and producers give us those ingredients. This recipe demonstrates that good food doesn't have to be complicated.

In the lead up to Thanksgiving, as we all plan our menus as hosts or what to bring as a guest, I'll share my favorite pumpkin recipes with you in hopes you'll step outside the pie dish and explore the delicious world of pumpkin with me. To your health! Cheers!

Double Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

Serves 4

1 1/2 to 2 cups diced pumpkin

1 ½ cups approx. pureed pumpkin* (see directions below on making your own)

1 bunch rainbow Swiss Chard, stems diced and leaves chiffonade

2 cloves garlic minced

1 onion, diced

Approx. ½ cup broth or milk of choice

Salt to taste

Olive oil for sauteeing

Shredded cheese (Parmesan or Romano) to taste

1 bag LoRe fresh pasta of choice (sauce works best with a larger shaped pasta)

Start a large pot of salted water to boil. Add diced pumpkin to boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes until just fork tender. Scoop out with slotted spoon and reserve on a plate. Reduce pot of water to a simmer until you are ready to cook the pasta. In a large saute pan, add olive oil and onions and cook until slightly browned over medium high heat. Add Swiss Chard. Using a large spoon, stir chard and onions so that the chard touches the bottom of the pan. When chard is wilted, clear a 2” spot in the pan, add a little more olive oil (a teaspoon or so) and add the garlic. Let it saute undisturbed for about 1 minute then stir it into the whole mixture. Add pumpkin puree and cooked, diced pumpkin and heat through, stirring to combine. Add salt to taste. Reduce to low and cover. Bring simmering pot of water back up to a boil. Add one large handful of fresh pasta and stir. Allow 30 seconds for water to recover – to come back up to a full boil. Add the remaining pasta and stir. Cook for 2 to 5 minutes until al dente, stirring occasionally so pasta doesn’t clump or stick together. Drain pasta, immediately return to large pot and immediately pour hot sauce over pasta. Stir to incorporate. Stir in cheese now or add on plate. Enjoy!

*Roasting and pureeing guidelines:

1. Wash your pumpkin with warm water and a little dish soap and pat dry. If your using a Winter Luxury variety of pumpkin (these have the cantaloupe like netting) be sure to wash with a scrub sponge to clean all of the grooves.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper.

3. Cut the stem off the pumpkin (carefully!) then cut the pumpkin in half vertically from the stem end. Scoop out the seeds (If you want roast the seeds, do not wash them, spread them in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet. Pick out the fibrous, stringy pieces. Sprinkle with salt to taste and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes until browned to your taste). Cut each half in half again and place quarters on baking sheet cut side down. Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, until fork tender (it's ok if they brown a little). Allow to cool until able to handle.

4. Set up a food processor (best method) or blender. With a large spoon, scoop out the pumpkin flesh away from the skin, or the skin may have puckered during the cooling process and you may be able to easily pull it away from the flesh by hand. If using Butternut, Acorn or other very thin skinned pumpkins, you can leave the skin on an puree with flesh. Place flesh in food processor with a little cold water (about 1 cup total per medium pumpkin). Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

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