Baked Penne with Pumpkin and Ricotta
Author: this little italian
Recipe type: Pasta
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8
Baked Penne with pumpkin and ricotta is a creamy, cheesy baked pasta that's delicious and filling!
Ingredients
- 16 oz Ricotta
- 8 oz Mascarpone
- 8 oz crème fraiche (you can substitute sour cream or plain Greek yogurt)
- 16 oz can of organic pumpkin
- 2 eggs
- ½ – 1 cup of milk (or heavy cream)
- 12 oz package of shredded Fontina (or substitute Mozarella)
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese
- ½ cup of bread crumbs for the top, if you want.
- Herbs & Spices
- ½ tbsp oregano (or Herbs de Provence)
- ½ tbsp dill
- ¼ tbsp rosemary
- ¼ tbsp ground sage
- ⅛ tbsp nutmeg
- salt & pepper
- 1 lb of Penne
- I put all my herbs and spices into a small bowl premix them, that way I can season as I go and don’t have to worry about keeping track of how much of everything I put in.
Instructions
- Butter or use some olive oil to coat a baking dish 9” x 13” x 3" deep
- Cook the pasta about 6-8 minutes. It won’t be done, it’ll be about ½ way there. I par-cook it so that it can cook through and absorb all the flavor from the cheese in the oven when it's baked. Drain it and pour it into the baking pan, set aside.
- In a large bowl combine Ricotta, Mascarpone, crème fraiche and pumpkin. Mix it up with a whisk and add the eggs. Stir together. Take half of your seasoning mixture and add it to the cheese mixture. Now add ½ to 1 cup of milk or cream. The mixture should be loose, kind of like cake batter. It’ll thicken up in the oven and absorb into the pasta.
- Pour the cheese mixture into the baking dish with the pasta and with a wooden spoon, mix it all together so the pasta is coated. Sprinkle the rest of your seasoning mixture over the top. Add the shredded cheese, mix it all together. Sprinkle the Parmesan and breadcrumbs over the top. Cover and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and cook it for about 10 more minutes. Make sure the cheese is bubbling, that’s how you’ll know it’s hot. Let it stand for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
