Baked Ziti with Pumpkin and Kale

All I can think to write for this one is that there’s a pumpkin shortage where I live and I only got to make this once!!! But fear not, it’s been tested and approved by secret sources in New York where they still somehow have pumpkin. Anyways, this is a delicious way to enjoy your most basic of all basic flavors of fall; pumpkin!! But to me, it’s anything but basic, especially paired with creamy cheese, crunchy panko and savory garlic and shallot. Please, enjoy and happy fall.

Recipe by Tierney Larson

Servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

1 lb dried ziti pasta

kosher salt

5 tbl olive oil, divided

1 large shallot, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

2 15oz cans of pumpkin puree

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup pasta water

a pinch of sugar

1 bunch kale, washed, dried and sliced into ribbons

1 8 oz package of shredded white cheddar

1 4 oz package of goat cheese

1/2 cup of Panko bread crumbs

ok so…

Preheat your oven to 375F. Bring 4 quarts of generously salted water to a boil. Put a measuring cup and a ladle next to the pot so you don’t forget to save some pasta water! Cook the ziti to a little more al dente than you usually would- look at the package and put a timer on for about 1 minute before it says it will be al dente. Take out 1 cup of pasta water with your ladle and set aside, drain the ziti and set that aside as well.

Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Then add 2 tbl of olive oil. Add the shallot and a pinch of kosher salt. Stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn, let it cook until tender-about 3 minutes. Then, add the garlic, the bay leaf and another pinch of salt. Stir and cook for about 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant. Add the pumpkin puree, heavy cream and the cup of the pasta water along with another pinch of salt, and a pinch of sugar. Bring to a simmer and taste. If it tastes bland, add some more salt and then turn off the heat.

In a large bowl, toss the cooked ziti with 1/2 cup of the pumpkin sauce, then set aside. In a small bowl toss the panko bread crumbs with 3 tbl of olive oil and set that aside as well.

To assemble: Spoon a thin layer of the pumpkin sauce on the bottom of a 3qt, or 9x13 inch baking dish. Then, scatter 1/3 of the pasta on top followed by another layer of sauce. Then, top with the kale followed by a layer of cheddar cheese and dot with the goat cheese. Repeat the layers (pasta, sauce, kale, cheese), making sure your top layer is pasta covered with sauce. Then, top the sauce with the remaining cheese and then panko. Place in the oven and bake until the pasta is cooked through, everything is bubbling, and the panko is brown and toasty,- about 25- 30 minutes.

Enjoy!!!