This Butternut Pumpkin and Pine Nut Pasta is a really yummy and comforting vegetable pasta dish, but of course there is the option to add protein too 😊. It’s perfect for whole family dinners and for your toddler to practice their self-feeding skills. This is a healthier, cost-effective option for a creamy sauce served over your favourite pasta, that the whole family is sure to enjoy.
Ingredients you need for this pasta recipe
This family-friendly recipe has the following simple ingredients:
Butternut pumpkin – Which is not a pumpkin, but a squash. Why we Aussies and Kiwis call it a pumpkin I’m not sure, but no matter your location I’m sure we can all agree it’s delicious! Sweet and a little nutty, it’s perfect for a healthier, creamy pasta sauce. High in fibre and packed with nutrients including Vitamin A and Vitamin C, it’s a great vegetable [1] to include in the whole family’s diet.
Onion and garlic – For added flavour!
Tomato paste – You can opt for salt-reduced if you like, especially if making for a baby under 12 months.
Pine nuts – For added flavour in the sauce, and for sprinkling on top. Adjust the amount for sprinkling as you like.
Chicken stock – The chicken stock/chicken broth adds a richer flavour, but if you’d like this to be a vegetarian dish then use vegetable stock/vegetable broth. Opt for salt-reduced if making for a toddler, or salt-free for a baby under 12 months.
Milk – I use full-cream. I haven’t tested this recipe with dairy-free alternatives, but if you do then please let me know how it goes in the comments below!
Parmesan cheese – This seasons the sauce. Babies can have a small amount of parmesan [2], but the choice is yours 😊. You can always reserve their portion before adding the parmesan for the rest of the family.
Olive oil, salt and black pepper to taste.
Pasta – Whatever variety is your favorite pasta (not pictured below).
How to make this easy recipe
Thermomixer? Make the pumpkin pasta sauce in your thermo cooker by chopping and sautéing the vegetables. What your machine can’t do is toast the pine nuts for you 😉; you’ll need to do this on the stovetop. Add half the toasted pine nuts and liquids to the vegetables, cook and then blend. Stir through the parmesan cheese, and then serve the creamy sauce over your preferred pasta. Sprinkle with reserved pine nuts.
I admit that with Thermomix pasta recipes, I always cook pasta on the stovetop and not in my Thermomix as an all-in-one meal. I find it much easier to portion and store sauces separately, as we normally have leftovers with baby not eating a full adult serve of pasta. It’s also a lot easier to control the cooking of the pasta to al dente.
Conventional cook? This is a really easy butternut squash pasta recipe to make, with or without a Thermomix. If using the conventional method, first sauté the vegetables and toast the pine nuts. Add half the toasted pine nuts and liquids to the pumpkin mixture. Let simmer, and finally blend with a stick blender or in a food processor before stirring through the parmesan cheese. Cook and drain the pasta as per packet instructions, and serve the creamy sauce over it. Sprinkle with reserved pine nuts. You can have this made and served on the dinner table in under 20 minutes!
See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and detailed steps for both thermo cooker and conventional methods.
How to serve Butternut Pumpkin and Pine Nut Pasta
Serve this butternut pumpkin sauce over whatever type of pasta you like. I normally choose a spiral variety, because the sauce sticks really well to it and is much easier for Baby LJ to eat with his hands. He isn’t a master of cutlery yet! This is a fantastic dish for young families, for everyone to share.
For a non-vegetarian family meal, you can stir cooked shredded or diced chicken through the butternut squash sauce before serving. On days where I need to make dinner ahead of time, I do this and turn it into a pasta bake, ready for reheating later. With grated tasty cheese on top for extra comfort! 😁
For another family main suitable for baby, try my Prawn and Pea Risotto – like this recipe, it’s easily adapted for babies under 12 months, so that you don’t have to cook separate meals!
If you try this Butternut Pumpkin and Pine Nut Pasta, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest too for more delicious recipes.
Happy cooking,
Chloe x
Butternut Pumpkin and Pine Nut Pasta
Category: Family MainsTap or hover to scale
Ingredients
- 50 g parmesan (Thermomixers: cut into 2cm cubes)
- 500 g butternut pumpkin peeled and roughly chopped
- 150 g / 1 brown/yellow onion peeled and chopped into quarters
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 20 g / 1 1/2 tbs olive oil
- 30 g / 2 tbs tomato paste
- 45 g pine nuts
- 100 g salt-free or salt-reduced chicken stock (Note 1)
- 450 g pasta of choice
- 75 g milk
- salt and pepper to taste for family over 12 months
Thermo Cooker Instructions
- Put the parmesan into the mixing bowl. Mill for 8 seconds, speed 9, MC on. Set aside in a small bowl.
- Add the onion, garlic and pumpkin to the mixing bowl. Chop for 5 seconds, speed 7, MC on. Scrape down the mixing bowl and repeat if large chunks of pumpkin remain.
- Scrape down the mixing bowl. Add the oil. Cook for 5 minutes, 100°C, speed 1, MC off. While cooking, lightly toast the pine nuts in a frypan on the stove until golden brown.
- Scrape down the mixing bowl. Add the tomato paste, stock and half of the pine nuts to the mixing bowl. Cook for 12 minutes, 100°C, speed 1, MC off. Put the simmering basket on the lid to prevent splatter. At the same time, cook pasta as per packet instructions on stovetop.
- Gradually increase speed to blend sauce for 45 seconds, speed 9, MC on.
- Add milk. Cook for 2 minutes, 100°C, speed 1, MC off. Put the simmering basket on the lid to prevent splatter.
- Stir through the parmesan. Serve over cooked pasta, and sprinkle with remaining pine nuts.
Conventional Instructions
- Grate parmesan and set aside in a small bowl.
- Using a food processor, finely the chop onion, garlic and pumpkin.
- Transfer vegetables to a saucepan with the olive oil. Sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
- Lightly toast the pine nuts in a frypan on the stove until golden brown.
- Add the tomato paste, stock and half of the pine nuts. Simmer for 12 minutes. At the same time, cook pasta according to packet instructions.
- To the pasta sauce, add milk and stir, simmering for a further 2 minutes.
- Remove sauce from the heat, and blend in the food processor or with a hand blender, being careful not to splash hot liquid.
- Stir through the parmesan. Serve over cooked pasta, and sprinkle with remaining pine nuts.
One Response
Great recipe! My 7 month old loved it.
I made a larger batch to freeze as well.