Casarecce with Pumpkin and Orange Pesto

Method13 steps · about 1 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: Heat the oven to 180°C. Put the peeled pumpkin (400 g) cubes on a lined baking tray, drizzle with a little of the olive oil and roast for about 30 minutes, until softening and browned.

   Roast pumpkin · 30 minUses 400 g pumpkin, peeled, cleaned, and cut into large cubes · A little of the 3–5 tbsp oil supply for roasting

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Remove the roasted pumpkin from the oven, let it cool enough to handle, and cut it into smaller pieces.

   Uses All roasted pumpkin

3. 3

   Step 3: In the meantime put water on to boil for the pasta. When it starts to boil add salt and bring to the boil again

   Uses water, as needed to boil pasta · salt for pasta and to taste

4. 4

   Step 4: Zest both oranges and squeeze the juice from one. Blend the chopped garlic clove (1), all ½ cup walnuts, zest from both oranges and juice from one with 2 tablespoons of the measured olive oil (2 tbsp) until quite fine.

   Uses 1 garlic clove, chopped · 1/2 cup shelled walnuts, chopped · Zest from both oranges and juice from one · 2 tbsp oil for blending

5. 5

   Step 5: Add the cheese and pulse 2-3 times again. If the mixture is too dry add a little more olive oil between pulses.

   Uses All blended orange-walnut base · 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or pecorino · A little more oil from the remaining supply, only if too dry

6. 6

   Step 6: Add the pumpkin to the blender. Pulse 2-3 times more. You don’t want the pumpkin to be too smooth so it is better to add it last.

   Uses All roasted pumpkin pieces · All cheese-walnut-orange mixture

7. 7

   Step 7: Stir in salt and pepper as required. The pesto is now ready

   Uses All blended pumpkin pesto · Salt to taste · black pepper, to taste

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Heat a little olive oil in a medium sized frying pan.

   Uses a little olive oil for the pan; amount unspecified

9. 9

   Step 9: Add all 100 g pitted Taggiasca olives to the oil heated in step 8 and cook briefly.

   Uses The olive oil heated in the pan in step 8 · 100 g Taggiasca olives, pitted

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Add the pesto sauce to the frying pan and mix it well with the olives.

    Uses prepared pumpkin-orange pesto · briefly cooked pitted Taggiasca olives

11. 11

    Step 11: Cook the pasta al dente in the boiling salted water according to its packet. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water before draining. Add the drained pasta to the pesto-olive sauce; loosen it with only a little of the reserved water if needed.

    Uses 400 g casarecce pasta · Boiling salted pasta water · All prepared pesto and olive sauce

    
12. 12

    Step 12: Mix the cooked pasta thoroughly with the pumpkin pesto and olives until evenly coated.

    Uses All pasta with pesto and olives

13. 13

    Step 13: Divide the mixed pasta into 4 portions and serve with the extra chopped walnuts, chopped parsley and grated Parmesan as desired.

    Uses All pasta mixed in step 12 · A few extra chopped walnuts, optional garnish · 1/2 handful parsley, chopped for serving · Extra grated Parmesan, optional garnish