Pumpkin Mascarpone Pasta Sauce

This post is not about ravioli.

Ok, this post is tangentially about ravioli.

Let's try again. This post is about how I followed a recipe for ravioli that totally flopped, but ad-libbed a pumpkin mascarpone sauce that was awesome. 

It took me and Jeff two days to make these terrible ravioli. We began on a Sunday afternoon, following a recipe from Cooking Light: Way to Cook Vegetarian. (This is usually a pretty solid cookbook - not sure what happened here.) After spending well over an hour working on the pasta dough - kneading it, letting it rest, realizing it was too sticky, adding flour, kneading again, letting it rest, putting it through the pasta roller, still too sticky, etc. - we gave up. I can't remember ever just giving up on a recipe before. We actually reached the stage of frustration where we tossed the dough and ordered some Indian food.

Meanwhile, I had roasted an entire pumpkin, made puree and began making it into a sauce. I ended up taking the entire pot off the stove and shoving it into the refrigerator where it waited patiently overnight.

The next evening, we tried again using another dough recipe. This one came together the way it was supposed to. When the ravioli were filled and cooked, I stole a taste: not good. We tried to push on, serving them over the pumpkin sauce. The filling was increasingly disgusting to me as I ate - I tried to squeeze it out of the pasta, then just eat around it, and ended up tossing my ravioli in the garbage. Jeff, who pushed on and ate all of his, ended up sick the next day. We have no idea what went wrong (filling undercooked? filling didn't like sitting in the fridge overnight? eggs were bad to begin with?).

The pumpkin sauce is what saved the day. That's basically all I ate for dinner that night. I took the pot out of the fridge, reheated it and finished it off with a little milk and mascarpone cheese. It was delicious. And I invented it. The sauce was inspired by a pumpkin puree we had at Triumph in New Hope on Valentine's Day. Jeff and I asked the waitress what was in it, and she came back with directions from the chef about how to make it ourselves. We didn't try to recreate it exactly, but used the idea as a springboard for the sauce we did create.

It's a beautiful, creamy, thick sauce that was as good on its own as it was with some whole wheat fettucine and peas. I wish I could say it was good with the ravioli - that was the ravioli's fault.

Pumpkin Mascarpone Pasta Sauce

8-10 lb pumpkin (I used a 9 lb cheese pumpkin - any good puree pumpkin will do. You could also sub in 3-4 c pre-made pumpkin puree.)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp fresh thyme
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
2-4 tbsp milk
1/2 c mascarpone cheese

First, make your pumpkin puree. Preheat oven to 400° F. Cut the top off and scoop out the seeds and stringy bits (just like you're preparing to carve a jack o'lantern). Drizzle olive oil inside and rub it over the pumpkin flesh. Put the lid back on, place the entire pumpkin in a large baking dish and bake for about an hour, until softened and browning in spots. Remove the lid (carefully - there will be steam!) and set aside to cool.

When the pumpkin is cool, separate the skin from the flesh and discard (it should peel off very easily). Put the pumpkin flesh in a food processor and process until smooth (you'll probably need to divide it into two or three batches). Remove the pumpkin puree to a strainer placed over a large bowl. Set aside for 20-30 min, letting some of the excess liquid drain off.

When you're ready to make the sauce, put the pumpkin puree in a covered medium saucepan over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, until heated (keep a close eye on it - it could bubble up and splatter). Stir in salt, pepper, thyme and Parmesan until cheese begins to melt. Add milk to thin out the sauce slightly (you want it thick enough to coat your pasta well, but not quite as thick as the original puree). Finally, stir in mascarpone until melted and well combined. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is heated through, about 3-4 minutes. Serve with pasta.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

I hope you don't think I've been ignoring you guys. I've just been having some technical difficulties. While I was working on my desktop one day last week, I returned from a half hour break to find it unresponsive. Upon restarting, it asked me for a boot disk. It no longer thinks it has a hard drive.

Fortunately, I was prepared for this sort of disaster on the dissertation front. I use Dropbox for all my files - not only does that make it easier to work on the same files on multiple computers, but it also means that all my stuff is backed up online. I didn't lose a word of the work I had been doing. The files that are potentially lost (though I've been told there is a possibility that they might be recovered at some point) are all my pictures. I also lost access to my photo editor, Adobe Lightroom.

After a week or so of inactivity (one day I'll give in and take the computer over to Best Buy), I decided that I need to move on. I loaded Lightroom onto my laptop and uploaded the contents of my camera (gotta love memory cards - those pictures go back to October!). In addition to recovering some great family photos, I found five blog posts' worth of shots waiting to be prettied up. You'll be hearing more frequently from me in the coming days.

I'm sure you're wondering why I'm giving you a pumpkin recipe in March. Well, as I mentioned in my last post, we've been working on clearing out our pantry and freezer, trying to feed ourselves using what we already have on hand. That includes multiple pumpkins that have been sitting down in the basement since the fall. I've been impressed at just how well these babies store - the last two have been hanging out down there for four months! I've primarily been using them for pumpkin puree, which I freeze and use in baked goods, but I set aside some whole chunks for this recipe.

This is a good one - warm, hearty and healthy. It's fairly similar to the New World Chili I posted back in October, but without the meat. The pumpkin is less sweet than most winter squash, so the soup gets a bit more depth.

Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup
Slightly adapted from The Rolling Prairie Cookbook.

3 tbsp olive oil
3 c pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4" chunks
1 onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 quart whole tomatoes, roughly chopped (I just slide a knife around in the jar to chop them a little, then break them up with a spoon once they're in the soup)
4 c vegetable broth
4 c cooked black beans
2 c frozen corn kernels
Greek yogurt and cilantro for garnish

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pumpkin and saute 8-10 minutes, until browned.

Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute 4-5 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the cumin, cinnamon, cloves, chili powder and salt and stir to combine. Add the pumpkin to the onion mixture, then pour in the whole jar of tomatoes and the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Add the beans and corn and simmer for another 20 minutes. Serve topped with Greek yogurt and cilantro.

Pumpkin-Apple Granola Bars with Chocolate Chips

I'm currently sitting on a train through the lovely snow-covered Hudson Valley, headed to Toronto for a weekend conference. One of my big worries leading up to this trip has been about food. This is the first traveling I've done since instituting my low cholesterol diet. To top it off, I'm not eating meat right now either. While a twelve-hour train ride is otherwise a rather enjoyable way to travel, I worried that the cafe car offerings would not work for me.

My solution was to bring a cooler bag full of food. I packed myself a chickpea and spinach salad for lunch. I brought a large chunk of the tasty focaccia I made the other day. I made some buttermilk ranch popcorn and a batch of these awesome granola bars. I was going to pack some clementines, and then I remembered the last time I took this trip, when customs officials confiscated the orange of the man sitting in front of me (don't try to bring citrus fruits across the border - it's not worth it). Now I sit on the train in comfort, worry-free. I will buy a cafe car salad for lunch, while they're still stocked (last time they ran out of substantial food by dinnertime), then eat the rest of my stash in comfort as the day goes on. Tricky diet + travel = no problem.

The granola bars are definitely the most important item in my cooler bag. Not only are they healthy and filling, but they keep really well. Most of my food won't last past today (the popcorn could, but it tends to get stale quickly), but these granola bars will keep me happy all weekend long. Besides binding things together, the applesauce keeps them nice and chewy. I think my homemade applesauce is really the key to these. I canned a big batch using tart Stayman Winesap apples from Terhune Orchards in October. The tartness and the fresh apple flavor are shine through more strongly than the pumpkin in these bars (my homemade pumpkin puree is also a bit weak). I don't think store-bought applesauce would pack the same punch.

I don't mean to deter you, of course, from trying this recipe with store-bought ingredients! I have made these with store-bought pumpkin as well and gotten a stronger pumpkiny flavor. They will be a delicious snack whatever your ingredients - I just get the added bonus of autumn memories with mine!

Now that we've passed through Albany and are heading down the Erie Canal, I think it's high time for my snack. Excuse me while I enjoy a chewy, spicy, appley, chocolatey granola bar and enjoy the view.

Pumpkin-Apple Granola Bars with Chocolate Chips
Slightly adapted from Comfort of Cooking.

3 1/4 c rolled oats
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c light brown sugar
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
1/4 c honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8 x 8 baking pan with baking spray.

Whisk oats, spices and salt together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl (or Pyrex measuring cup), combine the sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey and vanilla. Pour over oat mixture and stir well until all the oats are coated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Spread the mixture in the prepared pan. (If your 8 x 8 pan is in use, like mine was, you can use a portion of a larger pan. The mixture stays where you put it.) Press the granola together firmly, or it will crumble when you try to cut it later! (I actually liked using a big pan for this very reason - it allowed me to pack everything together more tightly. I still had some bars fall apart as I cut them, but not as many as last time.)

Bake for 30-35 minutes(around 40 if you use a glass baking dish), until golden brown and set. Let cool completely before cutting.

Pumpkin Cookies

I have a love-hate relationship with the fall. I hate it when the weather turns colder. Every few days I think I'm getting sick, because I interpret my constant chilliness as fevered chills.

On the other hand, I love the fall harvest and the food that comes with it. I love winter squash and sweet potatoes, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. I love desserts based on apples and pumpkin. I am ready for warming comfort food.

Last week, I cracked open a big can of pumpkin I had leftover from my pumpkin craze last year. The problem with canned pumpkin is that, unless you're making two pumpkin pies, you're not going to use the whole can. I've had to make five or six different pumpkin recipes, including these cookies, since then in order to use it up. I love to use pumpkin, but it's annoying to have to use it in a short span of time. I think the solution is to stop buying canned pumpkin - I'm going to get myself a nice cheese pumpkin or two at the farmers market, make my own puree and freeze it in half-cup increments. Much more convenient. And local!

Speaking of local, Jeff and I went to Terhune Orchards yesterday to get some apples for a new batch of applesauce. I'd never been to their orchard on Van Kirk Road - only the main farm. It was nice to see another side of one of my favorite local farms. We came home with almost twenty-five pounds of apples - a whole sink-full! I know my sink is shallow, but this is still a lot of apples. I'm currently brainstorming about how to use them up!

So. About these pumpkin cookies. This is the recipe that my mom's been making for as long as I can remember. These are not pumpkin spice cookies - think of them as a cakey chocolate chip cookie packed with vitamins. The pumpkin adds texture, moisture and color, but only a touch of flavor. Depending on the moisture level of your puree, you might want to add a little more flour (I think I should have - my dough was a bit too batter-like). Since they're nice and orange, they would be a good Halloween treat!

Pumpkin Cookies

My mom's recipe.

1 c flour

1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c sugar

1/2 c butter, softened

1/2 c pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 c chocolate chips (or more, to taste!)

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder.

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the pumpkin, vanilla and egg and beat until combined.

Add the flour mixture to the stand mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Refrigerate the dough for an hour or so, until chilled. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease baking sheets with baking spray. Scoop out tablespoon-sized balls of dough and place on the baking sheets.

Bake for about 15 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. One batch makes about two dozen cookies.



Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

I have a confession to make. I got way too excited about pumpkin in the fall. Seriously. You may remember this post, where I raved about the tasty pumpkin-flavored things I was going to make. Well, most of them didn't happen. Oh, I made a loaf of pumpkin bread or two, and a pie for Thanksgiving, but the crazy pumpkin supply I accumulated is still mostly here. And since many of my recipes don't even use a whole can, it becomes difficult to use up.

This is why I decided that late February would be the perfect time for a pumpkin recipe. Those cans were staring me down from the back of my pantry, so I figured I'd put a dent in the supply, at least. And that is how I came to use a whole 15 oz can of pumpkin for a recipe that called for a cup. I was in using-up mode - I didn't even notice until I was copying down the recipe later. But there are certain advantages to this.

These pumpkin squares positively explode with pumpkiny flavor. What may have been a subtle note and texture in the original product has expanded into an Alleluia chorus. The large amount of pumpkin makes them incredibly moist - in fact, I think I ought to have baked them a bit longer to reduce the moisture. The amount of chocolate is what really puts them over the top, though. This recipe is very generous with the chocolate chips, and the dark, bittersweet notes really play off the pumpkin nicely. These make a really nice snack, fall or not.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares

Adapted from Slow Like Honey.

2 c flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 c butter, softened

1 1/4 c sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

15 oz can pumpkin puree

12 oz bittersweet chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli 60% cacao)

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on each side (this will help you lift them out neatly later). In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. Then beat in the pumpkin puree (the batter may appear curdled - don't be alarmed). Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the pan and even out with a spatula (try to pour it fairly evenly - it is quite thick and won't spread nicely on its own). Bake until the edges begin to pull away from the pan and the center is set, about 35 minutes (it might even need 40, but definitely keep an eye on it for the last five). Cool completely in the pan. Then, using the parchment overhang, lift the squares from the pan, cut into squares, and enjoy!

Thanksgiving Pie Adventures 2

This post is going to be a bit light on the pictures - I decided not to put the whipped cream on the pie until just before serving, so it is still unfinished. But here's the post about it, at least, for your holiday enjoyment!

. . . . . . .

The other pie I made for this Thanksgiving is a pumpkin cream pie. Like I said in a previous post, I've been baking pumpkin pies for my family's Thanksgiving since middle school. What I didn't say is that my grandmother usually bakes one too. I like my pies better - she's a bit too light on the spices for my taste (though she makes a mean crust! - until recently, I'd always used the frozen ones). So since Grandma is making a normal pumpkin pie anyway, I thought I'd try out a recipe for pumpkin cream pie. I think the lightness of the cream will be a good counterpoint to the over-eating at dinner.

The recipe is pretty simple and the elements I tried were pretty tasty. I was a bit skeptical about the cream. It does call for 1/4 c cornstarch. That's a cup - not a tablespoon or teaspoon. I don't think I've ever encountered a recipe that called for more than a tablespoon of cornstarch! I definitely see the benefit, though - when I started cooking it on the stovetop, it went from a liquid to a solid in just a few whisks. It was like watching instant pudding set as you frantically try to ladle it out in equal measures. It took a thin, milky mixture and converted it into a thick cream. It still needs to set in the refrigerator for several hours, but you get a clear sense of the final product at that point. It was tasty, too. I look forward to tasting the pie in its entirety at Thanksgiving dinner!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Pumpkin Cream Pie
From Martha Stewart Living, November 2010.

Gingersnap crust:
1 1/4 c ground gingersnap cookies (~25 cookies)
2 tbsp sugar
pinch salt
4 tbsp butter, melted and slightly cooled

Pumpkin Cream filling:
2 c whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch cloves
1/2 c sugar
pinch salt
4 egg yolks
1/4 c cornstarch
1 1/4 c pumpkin puree (or one 15 oz can)
1 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 1/4 c heavy cream (to whip for topping the pie)
pinch nutmeg (for garnish)

Make the crust:
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine gingersnaps, sugar and pinch of salt in a bowl (I found that the gingersnaps didn't grind as finely as graham crackers might, but were still small enough for a proper crust). Stir in melted butter. Press mixture into the bottom and sides of a 9" pie plate. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. Bake until the crust is golden brown - about 15 minutes (I don't know about golden brown - gingersnaps are dark brown already. It's pretty hard to tell). Set aside to cool.

Make the filling:

Add the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, 1/4 c sugar, and salt to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch and 1/4 c sugar in a medium bowl. Once it has simmered, gradually mix 1/2 c of the milk mixture into the yolk mixture, then gradually whisk in the remaining milk mixture. Return the whole mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes, whisking constantly (this is where, after a minute or so, it suddenly converted from a liquid to a semi-solid). Remove from heat. Immediately whisk in pumpkin, then butter.

Strain the filling through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. (I could not do this - I poured it all into my mesh strainer and nothing happened. Not sure what kind of strainer the recipe means - it does say "fine," which is what mine is.) Pour filling into gingersnap crust, smoothing with a spatula. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours. When ready to serve, top with whipped cream and garnish with a sprinkling of nutmeg.

Farmers Market Day and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

The farmers market is one of my favorite places in the whole world, and we have a particularly good one here in Trenton. I get giddy with excitement every time I go. Even though I go every week. In fact, I often have to restrain myself from going more than once a week. We can only eat so many vegetables in seven days.

This season is particularly exciting because most of my favorite vegetables are out in full force: broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, winter squash. Here's a look at this week's haul:

Some truly fine vegetables there. The cauliflower is bigger than my head. Hiding in the middle is the tiniest spaghetti squash I'd ever seen (which was my dinner tonight, since Jeff's not home). There's a lovely assortment of apples and cider from Terhune Orchards, my personal fav. And yes, on the left are some Brussels sprouts on the stalk! This is the first time I've gotten them this way. Most of them are tiny, but I'm expecting them to be deliciously tender. But that's for Sunday dinner . . .

My topic today is the pumpkin seeds I just roasted. These were also of farmers market origin - Jeff and I picked up some large carving pumpkins a week or so ago. This was actually our second go at pumpkin carving this year. Our first attempt was a few weeks ago. (Yeah, we jumped the gun a bit, but we were excited!) After a paltry four days, both pumpkins were filled with mold. I guess carving three weeks before Halloween and displaying your pumpkins in full sunlight in a 68 degree living room is a bad idea. So now I know.

So last night was our second attempt. That means it was also the second go-around for pumpkin seeds! And these pumpkins produced a ton. So many that the recipe I used was a bit inadequate. The seasonings definitely needed to be doubled. They also took forever to roast, since I overloaded one pan instead of spreading them out evenly in two. That meant that after fifteen minutes of unsuccessful roasting, I had to remove half and do them in smaller batches. This worked fine, in about the amount of time the recipe suggested. Despite these setbacks, they're still pretty tasty. So tasty, in fact, that I should put this bowl a bit farther from me . . .

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Adapted from the savory recipe here.

pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

salt (to taste)

When carving your pumpkin, the seeds should be separated from the flesh and put in a colander. Wash them well to get any remaining fleshy bits off. Let air dry for 30 minutes or so (this time I left mine overnight, since we finished carving late). If they're still a bit wet, spread them out onto paper towels to finish drying (the annoying part is getting them off - they will want to stick to the paper towels a bit).

Preheat oven to 275°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Combine the seeds with butter and seasonings and stir thoroughly to combine. Spread them out evenly on the baking sheet.

Roast the seeds 10-20 minutes until golden brown. Watch them carefully, stirring every 5 minutes. (Like I said above, mine took much longer because I overloaded the pan. Make sure they're spread in a single layer for optimal roasting.)

When they're done you can adjust the seasoning if necessary. I would say this recipe suits the seeds from one large pumpkin. Since I used the seeds from two, the seasoning was a bit on the light side.

The Flavor of Fall

When fall rolls around, I want to bake with pumpkin. Usually that means pumpkin pies - I have been in charge of baking the pumpkin pies for my family's Thanksgivings since I was in middle school. But lately I've been branching out. This year, as my food blog obsession has grown, I have saved dozens of recipes involving pumpkin. So far this season, I've tried a few new ones:

Pumpkin Brownies - Imagine a brownie where pumpkin replaces chocolate. This is it. It's not a pumpkin pie bar - it has the moist, chewy consistency of a brownie. This was exactly what I wanted for my fall kickoff a few weeks ago. However, these were desserty enough that it was hard to justify having them for breakfast (and I like pumpkiny baked goods for breakfast!), so the next recipe I made was more breakfasty.

Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins - I also tried to bump up the health factor. I had just watched a Good Eats episode ("Oat Cuisine"), where Alton Brown expounded upon the manifold health benefits of oatmeal. And pumpkin, as you may know, is a superfood. I thought the combination would be unstoppable, and tasty, too! The end result, however, was far more healthy than tasty. I took my first bite and said, "Wow, these MUST be healthy." I think it was the whole wheat flour. A little dry and just too wholesome-tasting for my book. (I also forgot to put in the chocolate chips (horror of horrors!), so this may have been my own doing.) I don't need a baked good that's a sugar bomb, but I prefer a little more flavor than these had to offer.

Voyages into the unknown are risky. Even when they are successful, they don't always hit the mark. In the end, I was running back to the recipe that has been a fall staple for the past few years: Pumpkin Bread. I have tried a few different pumpkin bread recipes, but this one steals the show. I think the kicker is its use of olive oil instead of butter or some other fat. The result is moist and tender every time, and the spices pack the perfect flavor punch. And it's perfect for breakfast :)

Pumpkin Bread

From Simply Recipes.

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 c sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 c pumpkin puree

1/2 c olive oil

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 c water

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 c chopped nuts or chocolate chips (it is great with nuts, but I prefer it with chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk together flour, salt, sugar, baking soda and spices. In another bowl, mix pumpkin, oil, eggs and water. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients - do not overmix! Stir in nuts or chocolate chips. Pour into a greased loaf pan. (This time I forgot about the greased part. It still came out in one piece, but I think my success was primarily due to my pan.)

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until tester comes out clean. (This also depends on the pan. I keep insisting on using this ceramic pan, and it is not finished baking at 60 minutes. It looks fine, the tester comes out clean, but it is just a little squishy in the top center. When cut, this area is clearly not fully baked. I tried baking it 5-10 minutes longer this time, but the top was browning so much that I took it out. The gooey spot is still there, although smaller than last time. Next time I'll do this in a metal pan and see if the results are any different. And if they're not . . . that gooey spot is pretty tasty!) Cool on rack for at least 15 minutes before eating.