Curried Pumpkin Pasta with Chicken Peas and Toasted Walnuts

You may have noticed a pumpkin pasta dish on my menu a couple of times recently. I said I would give a review of it, and I did, but now I need to review my new version with the changes I made and share the recipe! The main difference is the spices I used. Adding the chicken and cheese also made Marshall happy! This version that I am sharing suits our taste much better : )

 Curried Pumpkin Pasta with Chicken, Peas, and Toasted Walnuts

Total time: 45 minutes          Serves: 3-4

 6 oz. dry pasta (about 2 cups – farfalle and penne work well)

 1 tbsp. butter

 1 cup of milk

 2 tbsp. flour

1/2-3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh sage (I’ve used parsley)

1/2 tsp. salt

        2 tsp. curry powder

 1 tsp. cumin

 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

 1/8 tsp. nutmeg

 1 cup frozen peas

 1 chicken breast, cooked and cubed

 ½ - 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and ground

Instructions

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

-In a medium pot bring salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until almost cooked through.

-While pasta is cooking melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour to make a rue.

-Add the milk and whisk until combined with the rue.

-Toast walnuts in a small pan over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until fragrant and browned. Once the walnuts are toasted, pulse in a food processor until they resemble breadcrumbs. This can also be done ahead of time.

-Add the pumpkin, herbs, and spices to the milk. Stir well and heat through.

-Strain pasta once it is almost cooked and add it to your sauce pot along with the chicken and peas. Stir to combine and pour into a casserole dish.

-Top evenly with cheese and toasted walnut crumbs.

-Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

If you are looking for something new to do with pumpkin this is a good place to start. My mind automatically goes to sweet when I think of pumpkin but it doesn't have to be that way.

Try savory pumpkin dishes before the pumpkins are gone!