Pumpkin Fettuccine Alfredo

Here's another fall pumpkin fix that comes in a comforting pasta dinner. When How Sweet It Is posted this recipe last year, I was immediately interested because of the mascarpone cheese. I love this ingredient in cream sauces. Even though this recipe uses a small amount, I recommend not skipping this creamy addition. We weren't fans of the fried sage leaves. I think in the future I would just add the ones that are baked with the pasta. I tend to be a little boring when it comes to certain herbs as a little often goes a long way for me.

You will need:
*1 pound whole wheat fettuccine
 (I used the usual box I find that is about 14oz)
*2 tablespoons unsalted butter
*
2 tablespoons flour

*2 garlic cloves, minced
*
4 cups low-fat milk
*
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese

*1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

*3/4 cups pumpkin puree
*
1 tablespoons freshly chopped sage leaves
*
1/4 teaspoon salt

*1/4 teaspoon pepper

*1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
*freshly grated fontina (optional)
*breadcrumbs (optional)
*extra sage leaves if desired
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray or oil.

2. Boil water and cook pasta according to the product directions. Leave about 1 minute off the cooking time since you will be baking the pasta with the sauce. Drain and keep aside until needed.

3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once sizzling, whisk in flour and stir continuously until bubbly and golden, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute.

4. Stir the milk into the roux you just created. You want to keep stirring and steadily raise the heat as needed, until the mixture bubbles and starts to thicken-about 5-7 minutes. Next, mix in the mascarpone, parmesan, pumpkin, sage, salt, pepper and pumpkin pie spice. Mix until all ingredients blend and the sauce is thickened.

5. Add pasta to the prepared baking dish. Pour sauce on top and toss well to coat. If desired, add some grated fontina and a sprinkling of bread crumbs. Bake for for about 20 minutes, or until it is bubbly. Serve pasta immediately and top with sage leaves-listed in step 6.

6. If you'd like the fried sage leaves topping,  heat olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add a few sage leaves at a time to the hot pan and fry for about 30 seconds. Remove and place on a paper towel.

Pumpkin Danish

This year is absolutely flying. I found myself shocked that it's October. The school year is in full swing, and we have a ton of apple and pumpkin treats to bake. I am trying to catch up because I love fall. It's always marked for me by the return of football and cool mornings. One thing I could do without is the loss of daylight, but I guess I can be too picky. This pumpkin danish is the perfect treat for a fall morning. I found this recipe on Lauren's Latest.

for the danish, you will need:
*1 tube crescent rolls
*
6 oz. softened cream cheese

*1/2 cup pumpkin
 puree
*1/2 cup granulated sugar

*1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
*
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
*
1 teaspoon vanilla

*2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

for the glaze, you will need:
*
2/3 cup powdered sugar

*4 tablespoons heavy cream or 1 tablespoon milk

*splash vanilla

1. 
Preheat oven to 375. Prepare a baking sheet with a silipat or foil lining.

2. Combine cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, spices, flour and vanilla in a small bowl.

3. 
Unroll crescents keeping them shaped as rectangles (not individual triangles) and they them width wise on the baing sheet. (This should cover almost the entire length of a half sheet pan) Press to seal any holes. Cut 1/2 inch diagonal strips up each side of the dough. Next, carefully spread cream cheese filling down the center of the dough so that it is about 2-3 inches wide. Fold 1/2 inch dough pieces you cut so they are up and over filling, alternating sides will give you the braided pattern. (Remove any excess dough)

4. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until filling is set and dough is golden in color. Cool on the baking sheet. Once danish has cooled, remove and add icing as listed below.

5. In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, vanilla, and cream/milk. You may need to add more cream/milk to get the desired consistency. Drizzle icing over danish. Cut into pieces and serve.

Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta

Happy Halloween!

I am not sure why, but I feel like I must eat pumpkin in my dinner on Halloween. It just feels right to enjoy a savory fall appropriate meal in between trick-or-treaters. Of course dessert is often an assortment of candy with a heavy hand on the Reeses cups! 

 

Here's a great seasonal dinner to enjoy any time this fall. I tend to make and post mostly weeknight recipes and this one is no exception. I found this recipe on Prevention RD and I just changed a few ingredients based on what we had in the house.

The night we enjoyed this recipe the ground started shaking. Really. That was the first earthquake either of us ever felt. I often have memories connected to foods and I think when I remake this dish I'll always think of that minor earthquake and our shock when the couch started moving.

You will need:
*8 oz dry whole wheat pasta

*1/2 lb Italian chicken sausage links, coin sliced (we used a bit more to finish a package)

*1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
*
1 medium onion, diced
*
4 garlic cloves, minced

*1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
*1 cup canned pumpkin

*1 teaspoon rubbed sage
*
1/4 teaspoon salt

*1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

*1/4 teaspoon pepper

*1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

*1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes

1. Boil water and cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain & set aside.

2. White pasta is cooking, lightly oil a large skillet and cook the sausage, onions, and mushrooms over medium heat until the sausage is fully cooked. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.

3. Stir in the broth, pumpkin, sage, garlic powder, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened.

4. Serve pasta topped with about 1/4 of the sauce. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon grated parmesan and a pinch of parsley flakes. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!

I hope that you enjoyed a day full of good food, family, and friends. We hosted another successful Thanksgiving dinner, and I look forward to sharing the new recipes within the coming weeks.

These pumpkin snickerdoodles would be the perfect addition to holiday baking. I brought them to a friend's birthday party and everyone raved about them. They are a light, airy cookie that's subtle on the pumpkin flavor. I can't make these unless I have somewhere to bring them because we couldn't stop eating them! I found this recipe on Sweet Pea's Kitchen.

You will need:
*2 3/4 cups flour
*2 teaspoons cream of tartar
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (I might increase this a bit next time)
*1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
*2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
*1 large egg
*3/4 cup pumpkin puree
*2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silipats.

2. Whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl.

3. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin puree and beat at medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Add the bowl of dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

4. Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a 1½-inch ball and roll into the sugar mixture; place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart.
(I needed to add more cinnamon and sugar than noted above. So I would keep extra on hand.)

5. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway. You wanted the edges set and just beginning to brown but the centers still soft and puffy. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets about 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack using a wide spatula. Cool at room temperature.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

This simple weeknight meal tasted like fall. On a cold rainy night, we enjoyed this soup with some Trader Joe's grain bread with pumpkin seeds. I am not feeling much motivation for cooking after work lately, so we are enjoying many recipes that are quick and complete with leftovers that reheat well. This recipe comes from Sweet Pea's Kitchen. I omitted the toppings on the original recipe simply because they were not ingredients I had on hand. I'm thinking we may repeat this dinner on Halloween while we wait for trick-or-treaters.

You will need:
*2 tablespoons unsalted butter
*1 medium onion, minced
*2 medium garlic cloves, minced
*1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
*1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
*1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
*3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (extra on hand if needed)
*2 cups water
*15 oz. can pure pumpkin purée
*1/4 cup maple syrup
*1/2 cup half-and-half
*salt and ground black pepper to taste
Topping suggestions: Bleu cheese crumbles, toasted walnuts, pumpkin seeds

1. Melt the better in a large Dutch oven over medium-heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, and nutmeg and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
 Stir in the broth, water, pumpkin, and maple syrup; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the flavors have melded.


2. Remove pot from heat and allow to cool slightly before pureeing the soup with an immersion blender, or carefully placing in the blender in two different batches. Stir in the half-and-half and additional broth if necessary.

3. Reheat the soup mixture gently over low heat until hot (do not boil). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add toppings if desired.

Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce

This is a recipe that screams fall. We enjoyed it back on Halloween while we were waiting for trick-or-treaters. I have only ever used my pumpkin puree for baking, so I liked the opportunity to use it in a main dish. The sauce was a little bland for me. If I was to make it again, I think I would add some more spices to it. The need for salt is noted in the recipe below, and you must be generous to help balance the flavors. Therefore, this is not a low sodium friendly recipe. It is something easy to throw together, and I recommend it if you are in need of a break from prepping and turkey this week. This recipe comes from Martha Stewart. The only change I made was to use cider vinegar instead of white wine vinegar.

*12 ounces short pasta, (I used whole wheat penne)
*Kosher salt
*2 tablespoons olive oil
*1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
*1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
*1 garlic clove, minced
*1/2 cup half-and-half
*1/3 cup grated Parmesan
*1 tablespoon cider vinegar
*1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for garnish

1, Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 2 cups pasta water; drain pasta and set aside.

2. In pasta pot, heat oil over medium. Add rosemary and fry, stirring, until starting to brown. This should take1 to 2 minutes.

3. Using a slotted spoon, transfer rosemary to a paper towel, leaving oil in pot.
Carefully (to avoid oil splatter) add pumpkin puree, garlic, Parmesan, vinegar, red-pepper flakes, 1 cup reserved pasta water, and half-and-half to pot. Stir sauce until heated through-About 3 minutes.

4. Add pasta to sauce, and toss to coat. If sauce is too thick, add some reserved pasta water. Season generously with salt.

5. Serve pasta sprinkled with fried rosemary and, if desired, more red-pepper flakes.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins-Easy and healthy

Tis the season to use up that canned pumpkin! Every year I stock up in ridiculous amounts once I spot Libby's pumpkin puree entering the supermarket. This is an old WW recipe that I make frequently. I've brought these to work, showers, and many other occasions. The recipe is simple, requires little ingredients, and these muffins are guilt free compared to high calorie alternatives. These can be made with a variety of mix-ins such as pecans, walnuts, chocolate chips, and so on. The possibilities are endless.

You will need:
*1 box of spice cake mix
*1 15oz. can pumpkin puree
*1 egg white
*splash of water

1. Preheat oven to temperature indicated on the spice cake directions. (Usually around 350)
2. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Beat on low until combined.
3. Line muffin pans. Pour batter into muffin cups until about 3/4 full.
*Note, I never do this neatly. If you want 'neat' tops to your muffin, make sure your batter is even on top before cooking.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick entered in the center comes out clean.

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

I made this to bring to dinner at my parent's last night. It was super easy to make and relatively low in fat. I have seen numerous Weight Watchers recipes that suggest mixing a can of pumpkin with spice cake or devils food cake mixes. This was delicious. I think I will add this to our Thanksgiving dessert menu. It tasted almost like a pumpkin bread more than a cake. I think that means you could enjoy this guilt free at any time of day!

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Apple Cider Glaze
From Splash of Gourmet

For the cake you need:
1 box spice cake mix
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1 egg white
1 tbsp vanilla
splash of water

and for the icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp apple cider

1)Preheat oven to 350. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2)In bowl, mix together cake mix, pumpkin, vanilla, egg white, and water. Pour into pan and bake for about 40 mins.

3) Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan. When cool, remove the cake from the pan.

4) In small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and apple cider. Pour/drizzle the glaze over the cake and serve.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

I have wanted to make these whoopie pies all fall. As soon at this yummy treat popped up in my google reader, I knew I would be trying to make them! There was a bit of a canned pumpkin shortage this season, and I had some difficulty finding pumpkin. Luckily the shortage seems to be over! The apartment smelled amazing as these were cooking. They seemed to be a hit at a birthday party that I brought them to. The cakes came out perfectly moist.
I have seen this recipe on many blogs recently; I followed the recipe I found at Lindsey's Kitchen.

Pumpkin Whoopie Cookies:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1⁄2 tsp ground fresh nutmeg
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup canola oil
3 cups chilled pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

-Preheat the oven to 350F.
-Prepare two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
-In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk two sugars and oil together. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk to combine thoroughly. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until combined. Sprinkle the flour mixture over the pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely combined.
-Use a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism to drop a heaping TBSP of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean. (I cooked them for close to 15 minutes)
-Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on the pan while you make the filling. They will probably look more like mini cakes than cookies.

Maple Syrup Cream Cheese Filling:
3 cups powdered sugar
1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

-In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth with no visible lumps.
-Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
-Add the powdered sugar, maple syrup and vanilla and beat until smooth.
(Be careful not to overbeat the filling)

To Assemble:
Turn half the cooled cookies upside down. Pipe filling (about a tbsp) onto that half. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top of the filling. Press down slightly so that the filling spread to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the cookies are used. Put the whoppie pies in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to firm before serving.

Pumpkin Crescents

So I had some pumpkin pie filling left from the recipe below. We were hungry and wanted a snack before we headed off to do the food shopping. I also had crescent rolls expiring soon, so I created this little treat. I only took a before picture, but I think you get the idea. They were a tasty treat!

You will need:
-crescent rolls
-pumpkin pie filling
-cream cheese

I just separated out the crescent rolls and dropped a dollop of the pumpkin pie filling on each. I then topped it off with a little bit of cream cheese. I cooked them about 10 minutes (as suggested from the crescent roll tube). Caution: filling is hot!

Pumpkin Pie Dip

We made this as a football appetizer yesterday. It was sweet and a bit different from the usual dips. We liked it and would make it again. I found this on A Year of Slow Cooking. Her blog is full of fabulous crockpot recipes!

You will need:
1 cup canned pumpkin pie mix
4 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
chopped walnuts, for topping if desired

I used my Little Dipper that came with my crockpot. You could put a smaller dish inside a larger crockpot and alter the cooking time.

Here's what I did:

Add the cream cheese to the bottom of the Little Dipper. Add the sour cream, and then pour in the pumpkin pie filling.

Cover and cook for about an hour, then stir well. If the cream cheese isn't fully melted, cook a bit longer. (I ended up cooking it for about an hour and a half)

We served this with pretzels, TJ's ginger cats, and apples.