Just like last year, I’m still not the Pinterest loving, paper-crafting, holiday-decorating millennial my grandmother wishes I would be. I’m just not. I’ve gotten away with wearing an animal onesie for the last few Halloween’s (this year’s rendition is a llama) and my pals have since refrained from lamenting about my lack of creativity and excitement surrounding such days.
Again, just like last year, all the festive fun I’ve held in my fun-bank savings have been reserved for the kids in my life. With none of my own, the littles of the Caputo clan are my go-to gals for holiday baking and festive, spooky treats of both the sweet and savory sorts. While Matt and Yelena were out of town, I borrowed their cuties for a lunch date filled with pasta, cookies, and festive decorations. It was carb-laden, delicious, and my favorite way to celebrate.
Our pals at Ritrovo are the source for our favorite Halloween time pasta, tagliolini colored with squid ink, and also the inspiration behind lunch. Baked sugar pumpkins are the perfect vessel for serving pasta. The roasted inside is easy to scoop out while attacking the pasta, and an easy way to trick your kids into eating some semblance of vegetable along with their promised pasta treats. With such a fun presentation and high quality ingredients, there’s no need to heap on loads of sauce here. Instead, we opted for browned butter with fried sage leaves. The sage pairs so well with the pumpkin and the nutty complexity of browned butter compliments both noodle and vegetable perfectly. This was the perfect meal to fill us up before an afternoon of cookie decorating…and eating.
Roasted Pumpkin with Squid Ink Tagliolini
Recipe from our friends at Ritrovo
Yield: 4 Servings
- 1 package Ritrovo Squid Ink Tagliolini
- 4 small sugar pumpkins
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- A handful or so fresh sage leaves
- Grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- Salt & pepper – to taste
Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Wash the pumpkins, cut the top stems off, and scoop all the seeds and pith out (keep the seeds to make roasted pumpkin seeds). Brush the inside of the pumpkins with around four tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper, then place face down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for an hour or until the meat of the pumpkin is fork tender
While the pumpkins are baking boil a large pot of salted water on the stove top. Once the water has reached a rolling boil add the Ritrovo Squid Ink Tagliolini and cook for 8 – 10 minutes until pasta is al dente, Add the butter to a skillet and heat to medium high, stirring frequently. When you begin to smell a nutty aroma and the solids become colored dark gold, add the sage leaves. Stir until the sage starts to crisp and remove from heat.
Using tongs remove the pasta from the water into the skillet with the olive oil and sage. Add the Parmigiano to the skillet with the pasta, butter, and sage. Mix and distribute among each of the pumpkin “bowls” and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy by digging into the sides of the pumpkin bowl to eat with the Tagliolini.
