Pasta & “Pasta” Pairings for Pumpkin Sauce

Ok, I promise — this is my last pumpkin recipe, but does it really count as new if I’ve previously posted this recipe? I love this Creamy Pumpkin Sauce; it’s quite easy to make and sure to impress. Maybe you’ve already exhausted that original spaghetti squash pairing idea or maybe you just have no idea what to do with the sauce in general or with its leftovers. Not a fan of spaghetti squash? Try these tortellini pairings below. Love spaghetti squash? Make the below recipes swapping tortellini for spaghetti squash. (Discover an easy way to cook spaghetti squash here.) Not a pasta fan? Just use sautéed kale and/or spinach as a substitute for anything pasta. No matter the way you choose to prepare this, you honestly can’t mess up because any combination is delicious. As a possible contender for holiday dishes or entertaining, here’s two options to transform any meal (pasta or not) using the creamy pumpkin sauce:

Creamy Pumpkin Sauce Tortellini with Tuscan Kale, Browned Chicken & Roasted Purple Cauliflower
Creamy Pumpkin Sauce Tortellini with Rosemary, Delicata Squash, Baby Spinach & Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients (serves 4-6).

Creamy pumpkin sauce (directions to make found here)
1 package whole-wheat tortellini or pasta of choice
1 package spinach tortellini
1 head purple cauliflower, washed and cut into 1″ pieces
1 T light olive oil
2 c tuscan kale, loosely packed and chopped (how to easily remove the spine here)
2 extra-thin chicken breasts, cut into about 1″ pieces
Freshly grated parmesan (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a plastic bag, toss the cauliflower with 1 and 1/2 T olive oil. Place cauliflower on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 15-20 min or until cauliflower is cooked and tender.
Cook tortellini according to package directions. Add kale directly into the water with the pasta. Carefully drain water once pasta is done. Some kale may be lost in the process. You can also sauté the kale separately. Set aside pasta and kale.
Over medium heat, cook the chicken breasts in remaining olive oil until slightly browned and fully cooked through. Set aside.
In a large bowl, plate the tortellini and kale and top with roasted cauliflower and chicken.
Generously spoon warmed pumpkin sauce over the top.
Top with freshly grated parmesan (optional).
Serve and enjoy!

Creamy Pumpkin Sauce Tortellini with Tuscan Kale, Browned Chicken & Roasted Purple Cauliflower.

Another Variation: Creamy Pumpkin Sauce Tortellini with Rosemary, Delicata Squash, Baby Spinach & Cherry Tomatoes. Whoops! So good, I already began to dig in.

Follow the basic directions for the above recipe to prepare this meatless pumpkin sauce variation. For more detailed directions on how to cook delicata squash, you can find those here. Cook tortellini or pasta of choice according to package directions. Sauté baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, and fresh rosemary in garlic and olive oil. Add in cooked delicata squash to warm. Serve over cooked tortellini, spoon over generous amounts of the pumpkin sauce and top with parmesan (optional). Enjoy!