I have one last apple post up my sleeve for tomorrow, but I thought I would introduce another one of my fall favorites: pumpkin. That’s right, pumpkins aren’t just for cleverly displaying on your windowsill.

I like just about anything pumpkin. While oddly, pumpkin pie isn’t my favorite, there is nothing better than pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake, pumpkin bread pudding, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin cream cheese…you get the idea. Tonight I discovered a new way to eat pumpkin: in pasta.

This was one of those “throw together whatever you have in the house” dinners and it turned out really well. I’d also been craving pasta, so this definitely hit the spot.

Spinach Pumpkin Linguine

Ingredients:

2 oz. whole wheat linguine

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup baby spinach

1 ounce pine nuts

1/2 (heaping) cup pumpkin puree (I used canned but you could also use fresh)

1/4 cup low-sodium FF chicken broth

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Fresh ground pepper (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare pasta according to directions on package.

2. Coat a skillet with olive oil or PAM spray. Sautee onions and garlic over medium-high heat until onions are tender and garlic is fragrant. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Lower heat, add pumpkin and pine nuts and stir, combining.

3. Add chicken broth to skillet, stirring to form a thick sauce. I didn’t really measure, but about 1/4 cup of liquid should do the trick. Add linguine to skillet during the last minute of cooking. Serve topped with parmesan cheese and fresh ground pepper.

(This recipe makes enough for one serving but the recipe could easily be doubled, quadrupled, etc)