Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce

Ingredients:

Penne Pasta - 2 cups

Pumpkin ( yellow) - 2 cups, cubed

Red Bell Pepper - 1 medium size, roughly chopped

Garlic - 6 cloves + 4 cloves(chopped finely)

Black Pepper Corns - 5

Milk - 1/2 cup

Broccoli Florets - 1 cup

Salt & Pepper

Italian Herbs - 1 tsp

Basil Leaves or Dried Basil - 1 tsp

Cream Cheese - 1 tbspn(optional)

Parmesan Cheese - 1 or 2 tbspns for garnishing

Olive Oil - 4 tbspns

Method:

Cook pasta in the boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until al dente. Strain and keep it aside.

Heat 2 tbspns of olive oil in a pan. Add 6 cloves of garlic and saute for a minute. Add the pumpkin cubes and saute until it turns soft. Add the chopped red bell pepper and pepper corns and saute for few minutes. Let it cool completely. Now add these ingredients in a blender with half a cup of milk and grind them into a paste. Keep it separate.

Again heat 2 tbspns of oil in the same pan. Add the chopped garlic and saute for a minute. Now add the broccoli florets and saute until the veggi turns crispy. Add the cooked pasta, salt and pepper, italian herbs and some basil. Saute well. 

Now add the pumpkin paste and mix it well. Let it boil for a minute. Add the cream cheese (if you are using) and mix it well until the cream cheese melts. Let it cook for a minute.

Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Inspired from Chef Venkatesh Bhat