This creamy pumpkin pasta, made without cream or cheese, is the perfect fall comfort meal. It's high in protein and packed with fiber, with a rich texture from pumpkin, tomatoes, paneer, and garlic.

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.