Roasted Pumpkin Pasta with Arugula and Garlic

This vegan roasted pumpkin pasta with arugula and garlic is a simple seasonal recipe that’s easy to prepare, healthy and absolutely delicious!

Roasted pumpkin pasta

This roasted pumpkin pasta with arugula and garlic requires very little preparation and a handful of ingredients.  It’s super nutritious, full of flavour and texture.  Roasted golden pumpkin chunks are combines with roasted garlic and fresh arugula, stirred into a hot bowl of pasta and topped with toasted crunchy pine nuts.  What I also love about this dish is its lovely yellow orangey colour.  A little bowl of sunshine to cheer you up on a grey wet autumn day, which we have so many of!  Pumpkin is my happy food at this time of year:)

There are many ways of preparing pumpkin depending on the dish and the amount of time you want to spend making it.

For my healthy pumpkin cake I used raw, grated pumpkin.  To make soft, healthy pumpkin cookies as well as easy pumpkin cake I roasted, then pureed the pumpkin (the latter gives easy instructions for making your own pumpkin puree).

For this vegan pumpkin recipe I peeled, chopped and then roasted the pumpkin with some seasoning in a bit of oil. This preparation really brings out the lovely nutty, sweetish flavour of the pumpkin, which tastes delicious with a bit of garlic and pasta.

Equipment you’ll need

• Kitchen scale
• Large baking sheet, parchment paper and spatula
• Large bowl and spoon
• Pot and strainer for boiling the pasta
• Pan for frying the garlic and arugula

How to make roasted pumpkin pasta with garlic and arugula: step-by-step

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F/220 C/ gas mark 7.  Cut the pumpkin into thick wedges, place each wedge on its side and cut the peel off slicing downwards.  Chop the pumpkin into similar size pieces.

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2. Place the pumpkin chunks in a large bowl, season and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil.

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3. Stir thoroughly and spread on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer.  Do not overcrowd the baking sheet.

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4. Roast on the upper oven shelf for 30-40 minutes or until the pumpkin is golden brown and tender, turning twice.

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4. 10 minutes before the pumpkin is ready boil the pasta.  When both the pasta and pumpkin are ready to serve in a pan heat up 3 tablespoons of oil and briefly fry the garlic slices until golden stirring all the time (this will take seconds). Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon.

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5. Place 2 spoonfuls of the roasted pumpkin in the pan. Mash with a fork and add some of the water from cooking the pasta to make a little sauce.  Sprinkle the onion granules and stir.

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6. Add the pasta, pumpkin, arugula and stir.  Add the garlic slices, scatter the pine nuts, stir thoroughly, adjust seasoning if needed, drizzle with a little oil and serve!

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Pumpkin pasta with garlic and arugula

In this pumpkin pasta recipe I used plenty of garlic, lightly fried, as well as a fair amount of arugula (also called rucola or rocket leaves).  Arugula has a peppery nutty flavour, perfect with both the pumpkin as well as the garlic.  Fry the arugula quickly (for about 20 seconds) in the oil used to fry the garlic in to get a deeper, more intense garlic flavour throughout the dish. (Don’t worry, it won’t be too garlicky).

If you like this pumpkin pasta recipe with arugula you might also like this Pasta with Butternut Squash and Arugula.

I enjoyed this pumpkin pasta recipe with a bit of parmesan cheese but you can omit this step if you want this dish to be vegan.  Do use plenty of freshly ground pepper though (not forgetting the salt), scatter over a handful of lightly toasted pine nuts and enjoy!

Top tips

• Use sugar/culinary pumpkin, NOT carving pumpkin.
• You can peel and chop the pumpkin in advance and refrigerate in a plastic bag overnight.
• Roast the pumpkin on the upper oven shelf but take care not to let it burn – turn over twice. Do NOT overcrowd the baking sheet.
• Unused fresh pumpkin can be refrigerated in a plastic bag for up to 4 days.
• Use pasta of your choice.
• Start boiling the pasta 10 minutes before your pumpkin comes out of the oven.
• Prepare the garlic and arugula (this takes seconds) once both the pasta and pumpkin are ready to serve.
• Take care not to brown the garlic too much – fry for a few seconds only stirring all the time.
• Best served immediately.
• Not suitable for freezing.

More easy vegetarian pasta recipes

• Skinny Fennel Bean Tomato Pasta Bake
• Asparagus Tomato Pasta with Oregano Hazelnut Pesto
• Roasted Pepper Oregano Pasta

Check out also this collection of over 12 healthy vegetarian pasta meals.

KEEP IN TOUCH!

If you make this easy pumpkin pasta I’d love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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Roasted Pumpkin Pasta with Arugula and Garlic

This vegan roasted pumpkin pasta with arugula and garlic is a simple seasonal recipe that's easy to prepare, light, healthy and ready in about 20 minutes!

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Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main

Cuisine: International

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4 portions

Calories: 487kcal

Author: Monika Dabrowski

Ingredients

• 300 g uncooked fusilli pasta (10.58 oz) penne or farfalle will be fine too
• 650 g pumpkin (22.93 oz) peeled, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves thinly sliced
• 100 g arugula (3.53 oz)
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp onion granules optional
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup water from cooking the pasta 6-8 tablespoons or more
• Lightly toasted pine nuts and grated parmesan for serving, optional

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425 F/ 220 C/ gas mark 7. Cut the pumpkin into thick wedges, place each on its side on a cutting board and slice the peel off downwards. Chop the pumpkin into similar size pieces and place in a large bowl. Season and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil, then spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer. Roast on the upper oven shelf for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and tender. Turn twice.
• 10 minutes before your pumpkin is ready boil the pasta al dente with the bay leaf in salted water. Strain, reserving approximately 1/3 cup of the water from cooking. Set aside.
• When both the pumpkin and pasta are ready in a frying pan heat up the remaining oil, add the garlic and fry over a medium heat for a few seconds until golden (don't let it brown too much as it will be bitter), stirring all the time. Lift the garlic out of the pan with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Set aside.
• Add about 2 spoonfuls of the pumpkin into the pan. Mash with a fork, add some of the water from cooking the pasta, onion granules and stir. Add the pasta and roasted pumpkin, stir and adjust seasoning if needed, scatter over the garlic, pine nuts and parmesan (if using) and serve.

Notes

• Use sugar/culinary pumpkin, NOT carving pumpkin.
• You can peel and chop the pumpkin in advance and refrigerate in a plastic bag overnight.
• Roast the pumpkin on the upper oven shelf but take care not to let it burn - turn over twice. Do NOT overcrowd the baking sheet.
• Unused fresh pumpkin can be refrigerated in a plastic bag for up to 4 days.
• Use pasta of your choice.
• Start boiling the pasta 10 minutes before your pumpkin comes out of the oven.
• Prepare the garlic and arugula (this takes seconds) once both the pasta and pumpkin are ready to serve.
• Take care not to brown the garlic too much - fry for a few seconds only stirring all the time.
• Best served immediately.
• Not suitable for freezing.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 487kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 824mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 14427IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 3mg

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