It’s officially autumn! The change of seasons can mean only one thing—it’s time to fill up on pumpkin-flavored everything. Whether you are a fan of pumpkin spice (and everything nice) or can kindly pass on the flavorful squash; one thing is for certain, the internet is crazy for pumpkin. It’s okay to hate the pumpkin spice latte (on the down-low) but still want to enjoy a festival of pumpkin flavors this time of year. Naturally, we have a few pumpkin recipes that will make even the hardest PSL critics wanting more.
3 pumpkin recipes to win over PSL haters
© 2018 by Masha Davydova
Pumpkin recipes: Bukhara Farro Pilaf
From Simply Vibrant by Anya Kassoff © 2018 by Anya Kassoff. Reprinted in arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Try to imagine this scene: It’s a chilly Friday evening and you’re heading out to the big football game. Before venturing into the autumn evening, fill your bowl (and belly) with a warm serving bukhara farro pilaf—a seasonal blend of pumpkin, turmeric, onions, and raisins steamed with farro (or rice). Serves six.
Recipe:
-1 ½ cups farro or rice-soaked for 8-12 hours in 4 cups of purified water
-3 tablespoons neutral coconut oil or ghee, or a mix of both
-1 tablespoon cumin seeds
-3 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
-Large pinch plus ¾ tablespoon sea salt, divided
-1 tablespoon turmeric
-Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-3 medium carrots, thinly julienned
-½ cup raisins
-Small handful barberries (optional)
-Small pinch of saffron (optional)
-1 small pumpkin or other winter squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ½-inch cubes
-1 tablespoon sea salt
1. Warm the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (cast iron Dutch oven is ideal) over medium heat. Add cumin and stir around for a minute, until fragrant.
2. Add onions, large pinch of salt and turmeric black pepper and sauté until slightly golden, for 7-10 minutes. Pour 1 cup filtered water over the onions. Add the carrots, scattering them in a single layer. Bring water to a simmer, lower heat to low, and cook, covered, for about 7 minutes or until carrots are soft. Meanwhile, boil 2 cups of watering a small pot or tea pot and keep hot for the next step.
3. Increase the heat to medium. Scatter raisins, barberries and saffron (if using) in an even layer over the carrots in the pot, followed by pumpkin. Top with farro, arranging it in an even layer. Pouring boiling water over the farro carefully, taking care not to disturb the layer. Add ¾ tablespoon of salt and bring to a simmer. Cover with lid, bring the heat back to low and cook undisturbed for 30 minutes.
4. Open the lid, place kitchen towel over the pot and place the lid on top of it. Turn off the heat and leave pilaf undisturbed for 15 more minutes. Gently toss to mix the layers and serve hot.
Elizabeth Cecil
Pumpkin recipes: Creamy Pumpkin Fettucine
From Feeding a Family: A Real-Life Plan for Making Dinner Work by Sarah Waldman, © 2016 by Sarah Waldman. Reprinted by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO.
It’s a cozy Sunday super alternative, creamy pumpkin fettuccine. Forget the crocket pot. Instead, get the kids involved in creating a quick yet delicious pasta dish of fettuccine stirred with a rich creamy pumpkin sauce and pumpkin seed pesto—yummy! Serves four to six.
Recipe:
-½ pound dried fettuccine
-½ pound dried spinach fettuccine
5 ounces grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
3 tablespoons heavy cream
-1 large egg
-⅔ cup puréed cooked or canned pumpkin (or any winter squash)
-1 teaspoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
-½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
-Pumpkin Seed Pesto (recipe follows)
1. Bring a big pot of salted water to boil over high heat. When the water comes to a rolling boil, cook the pastas together per the package instructions, shaving 1 minute off the suggested cooking time. Just before draining the pasta, scoop ½-cup of hot pasta water from the pot and reserve it for the sauce. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
2. While the pasta cooks, whisk together the Parmesan cheese, cream, egg, puréed pumpkin, arrowroot powder, olive oil, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Whisk in the reserved pasta water. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
3. Return your pasta pot to medium-high heat and pour in the sauce. Bring the pumpkin sauce to a boil, then turn down the heat to a simmer. Cook the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes, just until it has thickened, then add the pasta to the pot.Toss the pasta and sauce together and serve it with dollops of Pumpkin Seed Pesto (recipe follows).
Pumpkin Seed Pesto Recipe (Makes about 1½ cups)
-1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
-1½ cups baby spinach
-Zest and juice of 1 lemon
-1 garlic clove
-½ teaspoon kosher salt
-¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Simply whizz everything together in a food processor. Extra pesto can be stored in an airtight glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Pumpkin recipes: Pumpkin Pancakes
From Sweet Sugar, Sultry Spice by Malika Ameen, © 2016 by Malika Ameen. Reprinted by arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO.
It’s Saturday morning. The kids are anxiously awaiting their morning cartoons; you have a fresh pot of coffee perking on the counter. The only thing missing is the Saturday morning breakfast. Insert perfect pumpkin pancakes (here) or rather on your breakfast table. Serve with warm maple syrup and sliced bananas to make this a picture-perfect Saturday morning. Serves four.
Recipe:
-1 cup all-purpose flour
-¼ cup whole wheat flour
-2 tablespoons granulated sugar
-1½ teaspoons baking powder
-½ teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon ground Vietnamese cinnamon
-¾ teaspoon ground ginger
-¼ teaspoon ground cloves
-¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
-¼ teaspoon kosher salt
-1¼ cups buttermilk, at room temperature, divided
-2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
-4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-¾ cup pure canned pumpkin
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the buttermilk and the eggs, butter and vanilla. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until barely combined. In another medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin and the remaining ¼ cup of buttermilk. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the pumpkin mixture into the batter. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly grease the skillet and cook the pancakes in batches. Spoon about ¼ cup batter onto the pan per pancake. Cook until golden brown on the bottom and slightly dry looking and bubbly on the top, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a metal spatula to flip each pancake and cook on the second side until cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer pancakes from the skillet to a baking tray, cover with aluminum foil, and keep warm in the oven while you cook more.
