Autumn Pumpkin & Spinach Spaghetti
·Sauté the onion and garlic
Sauté finely chopped onion in oil, and after about three minutes add the chopped garlic.
Stir it together
Dice the pumpkin (any variety you like will work). Add it to the pan with the onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. I also added some dried herbs and 'Scottish meadow' flowers. Stir and fry for about five minutes.
Braise the pumpkin
Pour in a little water (roughly 150 ml) and cover with a lid. Braise until tender – this will take longer for larger pumpkin cubes and less time for smaller ones, so check on it now and then to make sure it doesn't overcook.
Braise the mixture
Done? Is the pumpkin soft? Add the spinach to the pot, cover with the lid again for just two to three minutes. The spinach leaves will wilt down. Stir, taste, and add more salt if needed.
Toast the seeds
Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat. You'll know they're ready when they start popping and crackling.
Combine everything
Add the drained spaghetti to the pumpkin mixture. Set aside a bit of the pasta water in a cup beforehand – you can use it later to make the spaghetti creamier and silkier. Add as much as you need, depending on how much liquid is left from braising the pumpkin.
Serve
Toss the spaghetti with the pumpkin mixture and plate up. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and finish with a drizzle of good pumpkin seed oil.
