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Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup pepitas
  • 2 pounds (about 2 wedges) or 1/2 cheese pumpkin, peeled and seeded (cheese pumpkins have light tan skin and orange flesh)
  • Cooking spray or a drizzle of oil, for coating pumpkin
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 small onion, grated or finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
  • Black pepper
  • A few grates (1/8 teaspoon) fresh nutmeg
  • About 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 sprigs rosemary, stemmed and finely chopped
  • 1 pound bucatini or pappardelle
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 16 leaves sage
  • A handful Tuscan kale, leaves stripped and very thinly sliced
  • Grated Pecorino cheese (tangy, salty) or Parmigiano-Reggiano (nutty), to serve

Yield

Serves: 4-6

Preparation

Toast the pepitas on a small sheet tray in a 350°F oven for 6-7 minutes or toast in a small skillet over moderate heat.
 
Preheat oven to 425°F.

 
Peel pumpkin and spray with cooking spray or drizzle with olive oil; season with salt. Roast to just tender but not brown, about 25 minutes; cool.
 
Shred pumpkin with the large side of a box grater or shred it with tines of 2 forks.
 
Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta.
 
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with EVOO, 2 turns of the pan. Add onions, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg, and sauté 5 minutes. Add stock and rosemary, and reduce heat to a low simmer. Stir in grated pumpkin and simmer 15 minutes.
 
In a small skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add sage and crisp leaves; remove to cool on a paper towel. Pour brown butter into pumpkin sauce and wilt in the shredded kale.
 
Salt boiling pasta water and drop pasta, cook to 1 minute less than suggested on package for al dente, reserving 1 cup water before draining. Add starchy water to pumpkin sauce.
 
Toss drained pasta with pumpkin sauce and a few handfuls of grated cheese. Garnish with pepitas and crispy sage leaves.

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