Savour the fresh sweetness of pumpkin and carrots with this simple pasta dish; serve for a weekend gathering or a quick weeknight meal.
The Pumpkin and Carrot Pasta (with Prawns) is a tribute to fall’s vibrant colours, the hues of orange and red, speckled with blacks and crisp.
The recipe is also a humble attempt at rediscovering the goodness of vegetables that have always held a place of pride in my mother’s meal plans, plans that made me wrinkle the nose in despair. As a meat lover, the vegetables on my plate would always be pushed to the corner. And like every child, I too would sneak the errant cucumber or pumpkin sabji into my father’s plate, euphoric about pulling one on the parents and tragically unaware that THEY ALWAYS KNEW!
But today, I take pride and joy (the grown-up kind) in rediscovering the goodness of vegetables – their taste, texture, colour and various manners they are eaten. A whole lot of credit to this new joy goes to the need to eat better (if not in the late 30s, then when!) and pitching in as a content writer to a nutritionist.
The Pumpkin and Carrot Pasta (with Prawns) is a celebration of the exquisite natural flavours of both these vegetables. If seafood is not your thing, replace it with meat of choice or vegetables like broccoli florets, fresh green peas, green bell peppers, etc.
TIPS FOR THE PUMPKIN & CARROT PASTA
- You can switch the garlic flakes with fresh garlic.
- If using garlic flakes, allow them to splutter for a few seconds before moving to the next step. Garlic flakes tend to burn quickly and can leave a bitter aftertaste.
- For a creamier version of this pasta sauce, use milk instead of pasta water.
- To save time, you can boil the pumpkin and carrots well in advance and blitz it (check recipe) when putting together the pasta.
- You can make this sauce and store it in an air-tight bottle for later use. I’d recommend not keeping it longer than a week though I doubt it’ll last longer than two days!
Do let me know if you try this recipe! Leave a comment and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram at from.the.corner.table and hashtag it #fromthecornertable. I’d love to see it ❤️
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- 150 grams Orange pumpkin
- 150 grams Carrots
- 150 grams Spaghetti
- 200 grams Prawns deshelled, deveined
- 2 tsp Piri Piri spice mix
- 1 tsp Garlic flakes
- Salt to taste
- Olive oil as needed
- Cook the spaghetti as per package instructions, toss in olive oil and set aside. Retain the pasta water for the sauce.
- Clean, cube and boil pumpkin and carrots.
- Toss the clean prawns in a pinch of salt and 1 tsp Piri Piri spice mix. Cover and let it rest for at least 15 minutes.
- Blitz the boiled pumpkin and carrots into a fine paste. Add some pasta water if required. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a pan.
- Stir fry the prawns in the oil till cooked. Transfer into a separate bowl.
- In the sauté pan, add the garlic flakes (or fresh garlic) and cook till fragrant. DO NOT let the flakes burn.
- Add the pumpkin and carrot mash along with 1 teaspoon Piri Piri spice mix. Stir well and allow it to cook till the sauce begins to bubble.
- Add 1/2 cup of pasta water or warm water. Season with salt and Piri Piri spice mix to suit your taste. Whisk well till you have a smooth sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss to combine. Add the reserved pasta water or warm water to adjust consistency.
- Serve hot.
