Of all the holiday dishes I’ve eaten over the past few months, this dish stands out as one of the most delicious things I’ve eaten amongst the decadence of the holidays. This weeknight wonder is my new favorite pasta dish. I have a feeling I’ll be secretly making it long after pumpkin season.
If you’ve seen jars of pumpkin pasta sauce like they have a Trader Joe’s and Target and wondered how pumpkin, tomato, and pasta would really mix, trust me that they do! I was skeptical, but the flavors of this dish are irresistibly savory and delicious. Add spicy turkey and garlic kale and you’ve got a healthy, satisfying weeknight dinner. The leftovers from this meal are also worth looking forward too. Sometimes leftover gluten-free pasta is meh, but this dish stays just as delicious the next day!
This recipe is meant to be adapted to your allergy needs. Depending on how much dairy I’ve had recently, I usually use the cashew cream and then dust it with real manchego cheese. If you can eat dairy, use half & half in place of the simple cashew cream. If you can’t have any dairy at all – not to fear, one of the reasons I love this dish so much is because you don’t need any dairy for it to be satisfying and creamy. You can dust it with “vegan” parmesan (I use this recipe) instead. Enjoy!
Creamy Pumpkin Spaghetti with Spicy Turkey and Kale {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free}
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
- 1/2 an onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup canned tomato sauce or tomato puree
- 2-3 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried ground sage
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- tiny pinch red pepper flakes
- tiny pinch of cinnamon
- 1/4 cup raw unsalted cashews (to make a simple cashew cream or sub 1/2 cup half & half)
For the Pasta:
- 12 ounces gluten-free spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb. ground turkey I use 93/7
- 1/2 an onion thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Manchego or Parmesan cheese for topping optional
For the Garlic Kale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bunch kale stems removed, leaves chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Heat a pot over medium heat. Add the sun dried tomatoes and a few tablespoons of the oil they're packed in. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin, tomato sauce, 2 cups chicken stock, basil, sage, salt, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon. Bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, adding more stock if the sauce gets too thick.
- Meanwhile, place the cashews in a high-speed blender. Add 1/2 cup stock and blend until smooth. (Skip this step if using half & half.) Add the sauce to the blender (do this in batches if your blender is more than 2/3 full) and blend until completely smooth. Add more stock to thin if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the ground turkey an press into an even layer, swirling the skillet if necessary to get olive oil under all the turkey. Cook without moving for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the chili powder, garlic powder, and salt over the turkey. Break the turkey up into small chunks and stir in the spices. Continue to cook until cooked through.
- Meanwhile, boil the pasta according to the package instructions. Add the pasta and sauce to the turkey and toss to combine. Add some of the grated manchego or parmesan cheese.
- For the kale, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the kale and garlic and saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve the kale alongside the pasta. Dust everything with more cheese before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Recipe Source: Adapted from Pinch of Yum
Yet another win from this site! Husband, son and brother all give their seal of approval!
“Creamy” caught my eye & the recipe didn’t disappoint. ..great comfort food.
We made it with cashew cream using homemade veggie stock instead of chicken, otherwise as written. This made a perfect fall meal on a damp cool evening. The sautéed kale was a great way to include greens and a nice change from salad. Great idea! Thank you.. (It took the 2 of us about 1 3/4 hrs from start to finish. Two suggestions for the work order: list 1 onion & state up front one 1/2 will be diced, the other thinly sliced.; rework the directions for the turkey portion.- the sliced onion is not mentioned.)
Yum! Definitely saving this one! Thanks you. 🙂
This sounds amazing! I am definitely going to have to try making it sometime soon. Thanks for sharing it.