Pumpkin-Peanut Curry Pasta

When the weather gets colder and the cans of pumpkin show up on store shelves, this is my go-to recipe. It's a slightly random mix of delicious ingredients that makes a hearty pasta dinner. I have been making it for a couple years, so I almost laughed out loud when I had to google the recipe for this post. The picture for Rachael Ray's Pumpkin-Peanut Curry Noodles with Five-Spice Seared Scallops and Shrimp recipe looked nothing like mine! I had forgotten the original featured scallops and shrimp. Oh well. And before you discount the recipe because it's from Rachael Ray, it's a very un-Rachael Ray recipe. It's not Italian or sandwich-based, and the finishing touch isn't a pound of cheese grated on top. Trust me on this one.

First in the pan is lots of garlic and ginger (grated from frozen), followed by bell peppers (I had both red and green for colour) and red pepper flakes. I usually throw in carrots as well. Then I push the vegetables to one side and start on the sauce: a couple of large spoonfuls of (natural) peanut butter melted, then whisked with tamari/soy sauce, pumpkin puree and curry paste. Seems Rachael Ray uses Patak's Indian curry paste - I've been using thai red curry paste this whole time. I'm sure it's good with both! And when she says it will be thick, it is:

Luckily by this time there should be a pot of whole wheat pasta boiling away on your stovetop, so it's easy to ladle in some starchy pasta water to thin it out. Hmmm, seems she also strangely uses spaghetti. I've always used penne or rotini - much better for thick, chunky pasta sauces.

The resulting meal is really good - peanut and curry are fabulous together and the pumpkin just pulls everything together in a nice thick sauce. Usually when I'm cooking with thai curry paste it's for soup, or actual thai curry, so this pasta dish is something a little different. And other than buying the can of pumpkin, I usually have everything else in the house. Try it with the seafood toppers if you want, but I don't think there's a need.