Ditalini cooked in roasted squash and broth then finished with parmesan and mozzarella for a deliciously glossy sauce that couldn't be more comforting.
As a Canadian-Italian, there's nothing quite as comforting as Italian Penicillin soup—also known as Nonna's pastina. But as a chronically online person, the Trader Joe's butternut squash mac'n'cheese is a close second. Unfortunately for me, the later is not available in this country, so we have to pivot. Enter this cheese-y squash pastina—the love child of the above.
Spices bloom in butter, then get covered in broth and pumpkin purée (more on this choice later!) and whisked into a soup-y delicious base for cooking my pastina of choice, ditalini. The starch from the pasta releases, creating a glossy and rich sauce that we finish with parmesan and mozzarella for a very comforting and cheesy bite.
I'll be using my homemade stock for this recipe but store-bought will always work. My recipe uses kitchen scraps and a no-fuss process to make stock that you can easily store in the freezer and use whenever you need it.
Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make my cheese-y squash pastina at home:
- broth or stock
- small pasta, like ditalini
- pumpkin purée
- garlic powder
- paprika
- onion powder
- butter
- parmesan
- mozzarella
- cracked black pepper
- Kosher salt
See recipe card below for exact measurements and quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1: Cook down butter, spices and pumpkin purée until slightly toasted.
- Step 2: Add broth and bring to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente.
- Step 3: Finish with cheese and season to taste.
- Step 4: Serve hot with more parmesan.
Hint: Season your broth generously with salt to flavour the pasta from within and amp up the flavour throughout. I'm using ½ teaspoon of Diamond Crystal Kosher salt, but every brand is different, so start small and taste as you go to make sure it's perfect.
Substitutions
I tested this recipe two ways: first with roasted butternut squash and second with canned pumpkin purée. Both worked well, but using the canned pumpkin was a lot easier and drastically cut down on the number of dishes used, which made it the obvious choice for the final version. That said, if you have some butternut squash sitting on the counter this is a great reason to use it up!
Just cut the squash in half lengthwise, then transfer to a baking sheet and coat lightly in oil and salt. Leave the skin on and the seeds in, then roast at 400°F for 1 hour, or until completely soft. Once cooked, scoop out and discard the seeds, then transfer the remaining flesh to a blender, leaving the skin on the tray. Finally blend with a splash of broth (just enough to help the blender along) until smooth.
Equipment
I'm using E.D Smith brand Pure Pumpkin—not to be mistaken for pumpkin pie filling. They look similar on the shelf but couldn't be more different in taste and function. Pure pumpkin (or pumpkin purée) is a mix of cooked squash with no added sugar or spices. Pie filling, on the other hand, is pumpkin purée mixed with sugars, spices and additives to get that sweet, custard-like texture of pumpkin pie.
For the pasta it-self, I like using my enamelled cast iron dutch oven or my stainless steel pasta pot.
Storage
This pasta is best enjoyed in the moment, but if you are reheating leftovers add a splash of water to help loosen the sauce.
Ingredients
Method
- Add 2 tablespoon butter to a large pot and heat on medium. Once foaming add 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder and ½ teaspoon paprika. Give it a good stir and let toast until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup pumpkin purée and mix until combined. Cook until the pumpkin is a shade darker and slightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in 4 cups broth until smooth then season with ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil.
- Once the broth is boiling, add 2 cups pastina and stir vigorously, then reduce to a simmer. Cook like this, continuously stirring, until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 cup parmesan and ½ cup mozzarella, continue mixing until the cheese is melted. Taste and adjust seasoning.
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