A bowl of pasta with creamy sauce, spicy spinach, and nutty-flavored pumpkin proves: sometimes it takes very little to make pasta lovers happy.
Ingredients (for 4 servings):
400 g pasta, for example, small shells.
300 g frozen or fresh leaf spinach
pumpkin, about 700 g
100 g full-fat creamy curd cheese or cream cheese
salt
pepper
sugar
1 onion
4 sprigs of thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
50 g butter
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove
Preparation
1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the package instructions until al dente. About 3 minutes before the end of cooking, add the spinach.
3. Meanwhile, wash the pumpkin, remove seeds if necessary, and cut into small cubes. Peel and finely chop the onion. Wash the thyme.
4. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the pumpkin and onion, cook for about 7 minutes. Add the thyme. Season with salt, pepper, and 2 tsp sugar, let it caramelize lightly.
5. Add the butter and heat briefly until foamy. Pour in the balsamic vinegar and about 100 ml of pasta cooking water, bring to a brief boil.
6. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Mix it with the cream cheese and about 4 tbsp of pasta cooking water until a smooth sauce forms.
7. Drain the pasta with spinach and return to the pot. Stir in the pumpkin mixture. Serve with the cream cheese sauce.
