Simple, practical, and full of everyday flavour, Creamy Pumpkin Pasta (with Indian Cottage Cheese) is a vegetarian American, Indian main course made with penne pasta, water, and salt in about 25 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 1
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: American, Indian

Ingredients

To Cook Pasta in Pressure Cooker

  • 1 cup penne pasta
  • 1 cup water ((or as needed))
  • salt (to taste)

For the Sauce

  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 3/4-1 cup pumpkin (diced thinly)
  • 1 small tomato ((about 1/2 cup), diced)
  • 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds (optional)
  • 1/4 cup paneer ((or tofu, cottage cheese))
  • 1 cup water ((divided))
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
  • salt, pepper (to taste)
  • 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
  • 2 tablespoons parsley ((or basil))

Method

  1. Cook 1 cup of dried pasta al dente according to package instructions and reserve some pasta water (about ½ cup) for later use. I cooked 1 cup of penne pasta with 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt for 1 whistle in a stovetop pressure cooker. Then, I let it rest for 5 minutes before quickly releasing the remaining pressure. You can also use an Instant Pot to boil the pasta. Pressure Cook (high pressure) for 4 minutes for al dente pasta. When the instant pot beeps, wait for 5 minutes and Quick Release the remaining pressure manually.
  2. Then, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a pan on medium flame and then add 3 garlic cloves along with 1 cup of thinly diced pumpkin, ½ cup diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds, and salt. Sauté for a minute.
  3. Add ½ cup of water (or vegetable broth), cover, and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is soft and mushy.
  4. Once it cools down, add it to the blender along with ¼ cup of paneer (or cottage cheese, or tofu), ½ cup of water (or coconut milk, dairy milk). Blend to a smooth paste. Keep it aside.
  5. Heat the pan, add the pumpkin pasta sauce, ¼ cup of reserved pasta water (or as needed), seasonings like 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or oregano), ½ teaspoon of red chili flakes, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix everything well, then reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for a minute.
  6. Then add 1.5 cups of cooked penne pasta, toss everything well, and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Garnish with parsley or basil leaves. Serve the pumpkin pasta hot.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.