My favorite easy weeknight dinner that I go to in the fall and winter is my One pot creamy pumpkin pasta that I began making when we were vegan. I have since adapted it many times for whatever I have on hand and less sodium for our aging bodies. I made one with Butternut squash recently too that was super yummy!
I found this heart shaped pasta at target and knew I wanted to make it with this one pot dinner. I used 2 bags so we could have lots of leftovers for the week too.
My husband makes us shrimp on the regular because it’s pretty inexpensive and on sale a lot at Target, specifically the wild caught shrimp, which is what we use because it has significantly less sodium than other frozen shrimps. I asked him for his quick recipe so I’ll share it here for you too in case you want to add it to your one pot pasta dish. It paired super well!
He said…
Shrimps – 1 lb wild caught shrimps, 2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp each of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, celery seed – preheat 1 tbsp olive oil low heat cast iron – add shrimp & seasonings, stir, 6 minutes or until internal temperature of shrimp reaches 145°F using a meat thermometer
Ok now on to the pumpkin pasta…start by adding onions to olive oil in a large pot
I like this because it makes the pasta more hearty, you get some extra fiber and potassium but then also it gives it a more depth of creaminess almost that is reminiscent of mac and cheese but lighter and not as heavy, so it doesn’t weigh you down as much, and then you save on fats and sodium.
I use low sodium vegetable broth but feel free to use chicken.
I used full fat cream cheese and unsalted butter but you can use 1/3 less fat, you can use plant based, I’m almost used an onion and chive cream cheese, I feel like that would be really good too. I’ve also added a cup of shredded cheese before too but I don’t like it as much that way unless I’m putting it into a 13×9 with breadcrumbs for a casserole vibe.
I did some grated Parmesan this time because I had some leftover that was going to go bad. So really, just use what you have.
Oh yeah and chicken pairs super well with this one pot dinner too.
The hearts are so cute!
Ingredients:
- 1 onion, chopped
- 15oz can pumpkin purée
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tsp black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder (can add salt if you want)
- 16oz pasta
- 2-3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 8oz cream cheese
- 2-3 tbsp grated Parmesan
- Optional: hot sauce, specifically a garlic forward one like sriracha
Directions:
- Sauté an onion in a large pot, then add pumpkin, broth, pasta and seasonings and bring to a boil then turn down heat
- Let simmer for about 10 minutes or until al dente (this can depend on what type of pasta you’re using) and then add butter, cream cheese and Parmesan and once melted and thickened, you’re done!
- Enjoy!
An easy romantic dinner for you and/or your partner
Amazon Products used in this recipe:
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