Bavette alla zucche con formaggio e noci

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 250 g pasta (e.g. bavette or linguini)
• 250 g pumpkin flesh, Hokkaido (cleaned, pitted)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 red chili pepper(s)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp sour cream, (alternatively creme fraiche)
• 2 tbsp cream, or Cremefine
• 50 g cheese, spicy, grated
• 1 pinch of ginger, grated
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 1 pinch of paprika powder, hot
• 2 tbsp pumpkin seed oil
• Salt and pepper, black, from the mill
• 1 handful of walnuts, chopped

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 20 minutes

Long noodles with pumpkin cheese sauce and walnuts

Cut the pumpkin into cubes. Place them in a small saucepan and add just enough water to cover the cubes. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes until soft. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente and drain in a sieve. Place the pumpkin cubes and the stock in a small bowl and set aside. Heat the olive oil in the pan. Finely chop the chili pepper and garlic clove and fry in the hot oil. Add the ginger, nutmeg, and paprika and fry briefly, then deglaze with the pumpkin cubes and the stock. Stir in the sour cream, cream, cheese, pumpkin seed oil, salt, and pepper. Once the cheese has completely melted, puree the sauce and season again with spices. Plate the pasta with the sauce and serve sprinkled with chopped walnuts. If you don’t like it too spicy, replace the chili pepper with half a finely chopped red bell pepper and replace the hot paprika with mild paprika. However, I’m not stingy with the spices in this dish, as the pumpkin flesh “swallows” a lot, as do the nuts.