Main Dishes

One-Pot Pumpkin Pasta

The pumpkins! They have arrived! They’re cropping up in front of the grocery stores, the pie-baking displays are up, and a certain coffee chain is selling its infamous seasonal spiced beverage.

A little pumpkin seemed just right for the kitchen this weekend, and this pasta recipe did not disappoint.

One pot, a few pantry basics, some spices, and twenty minutes later, dinner is on the table.

I accidentally used an entire 13 oz. package of pasta, which made the sauce super-thick. Next time, I will make sure to measure.

One-Pot Pumpkin Pasta
Adapted slightly from kitchentreaty.com

8 ounces (uncooked) linguine (I used whole grain)
4 cups vegetable broth (I used reduced sodium)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup petite diced yellow onion (about 1/4 of a large onion)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
4 oz. goat cheese
Fresh parsley, chopped, if desired

In a large, heavy pot, combine all ingredients except goat cheese and parsley. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Cook for 9 minutes, stirring and tossing with tongs. As the mixture begins to thicken, stir constantly, scraping the bottom to prevent sticking (you may wish to switch from tongs to a wooden spatula or spoon). Test the pasta; cook an additional minute if needed.

Remove from heat. Crumble goat cheese into the pasta. Stir gently until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes. Stir and taste; season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Divide between bowls and sprinkle with parsley.

Mushroom, Shallot and Goat Cheese Quiche

Fall is in the air — or at least, football is — and I’m more willing to turn on my oven.

Around this time of year, I also start wanting something savory and more substantial for breakfast than just yogurt. Good fuel before an early kickoff on Saturdays, and a bit more filling on a weeknight.

Enter the quiche. Versatile, simple, hearty, and portable. All you need is a couple eggs, cream (don’t substitute milk or half-n-half), and whatever vegetables, cheese, meat, and herbs you have hanging around. (Here’s one for spinach and bacon quiche).

Have a great weekend, and happy cooking!

Mushroom, Shallot and Goat Cheese Quiche

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 pkg (8-10 oz) crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh minced thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons goat cheese, crumbled (or substitute your favorite cheese)
3 eggs
2/3 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper

In a large pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add shallots. Season with salt and pepper; saute until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms; season again with salt and pepper. Increase heat to high; sauté until browned and softened, 5-8 minutes. (Be sure the liquid absorbed into the mushrooms, released, and then evaporated.) Add thyme; sauté for an additional 30 seconds. Pour mushrooms into a bowl to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread mushrooms across a 9-inch pie plate, discarding any liquid. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine cream, eggs, and additional salt and pepper; beat lightly to combine. Pour over pie plate. Carefully transfer plate to oven. Bake for 35 minutes, until center has puffed up uniformly and top is lightly golden-brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Let sit at least 15 minutes before slicing. Serve slightly warm or room temperature.

Turkey Meatloaf Cups

Meatloaf: the ugly workhorse of the comfort food family. It certainly doesn’t look beautiful, but it gets the job done.

Meatloaf freezes fairly well, but if you freeze all the slices together, it’s not very convenient to remove a single serving later. I adapted my regular meatloaf recipe slightly to make individual servings in meatloaf cups, which I can then reheat as many as I want at a time. Use ground turkey or beef that’s higher in fat content, or it can get really dry.

They’re not going to look beautiful coming out of the oven, but I promise, you’ll like them.

Turkey Meatloaf Cups

Serves 6

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup beef stock (or more)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 pounds ground turkey (80-85% lean) (or substitute ground beef)
2/3 cup dry breadcrumbs (or more)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or spray 12 muffin cups.

In a small saute pan, cook onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme over medium-low heat until translucent, about 12-15 minutes. Add Worcestershire, stock, and tomato paste. Mix well. Let cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine meat, bread crumbs, eggs and onion. Mix well. Add more broth or breadcrumbs as needed. Divide into 12 portions and place in muffin tins. Top with ketchup (1-2 teaspoons per meatloaf cup, or as desired).

Place muffin tin on a large baking sheet and put in the center of the oven. Bake until internal temperature reads 160 degrees, about 40 minutes.

Let cool for 10 minutes before removing from tins. Serve with additional ketchup, if desired.