Description
This pasta bake blends velvety pumpkin sauce with creamy ricotta and melty mozzarella, topped with crisp breadcrumbs and Parmesan for a golden crust that crackles with every bite.
Ingredients
- 12 ounce penne pasta
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 clove garlic minced
- 15 ounce canned pumpkin puree
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 15 ounce ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoon breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Cook pasta in salted boiling water until just al dente, drain and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté onion until translucent, then add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Stir in pumpkin puree, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, simmer for 5 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened.
- In a large bowl combine cooked pasta, pumpkin sauce, ricotta cheese, and beaten egg, mixing until evenly coated.
- Transfer pasta mixture to prepared baking dish and smooth the top.
- Sprinkle mozzarella, Parmesan, and breadcrumbs evenly over the pasta.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden brown.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- For extra flavor add crumbled cooked sausage or bacon.
- Substitute spinach for a green twist by stirring in fresh baby spinach before baking.
- To make it lighter use low-fat ricotta and milk instead of heavy cream.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven.