When Life Gives You Pumpkin Make Alfredo

Spiced Chorizo Pumpkin Alfredo


A couple weeks ago I saw a tweet where a young sir dragged the entire timeline for the overall lack of creativity when making pasta. Chicken Alfredo wasn't spared. In fact, Chicken Alfredo got all the smoke. While I don't love Chicken Alfredo, I just felt like I needed to represent the Alfredo "family" by switching things up a bit.

 It was time to come up with a nontraditional pasta so I could be exempt from the  Alfredo drag. 

I went to the supermarket the other day and took up copious amounts of pumpkin without having any real recipes in mind. So, after I saw the tweet and noticed the pumpkin sitting in the fridge, I thought that I should definitely create something different. 

 I really liked this dish because I didn't use every single ingredient in the fridge, it was quick & easy to make and of course, it was suuuuper delicious! 

 Young sir, I did this one with you in mind! 

xoxo Danzii 


Total Prep Time: 60 mins 
Serves: 4-5 

Ingredients 

1.3 lbs of pumpkin, cored, peeled and cubed
1.5 lbs of chorizo
1 cup evaporated milk                        
3 strips of bacon 
4-5 cloves of garlic
2 tsp rosemary
3 tsp parsley 
2 tsp oregano 
1 tsp cinnamon 
1/2 tsp of cayenne
Salt
1 nutmeg 
1/4 cup Gouda 
1/4 Parmesan 
400g or 1 pack of Fettuccine 
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup cow's milk


The Purée

  • Ensure that you core (remove the seeds) and peel the skin off the pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin in about 1/2 inch cubes. 
  • Add salt and about 3-4 cups of water to a pot and bring to a boil on high heat. Once the water starts boiling add the pumpkin and let it cook for about 10-15 minutes. 
  • Test the tenderness of the pumpkin by sticking a fork through it. Once the fork goes through easily, strain the excess water from the pot and transfer the cooked pumpkin to a blender jar. 
  • Add cow's milk, cinnamon, salt (to taste) and cayenne to the blender jar, cover then fasten it on to the blender base and hit the 'puree' button for about 1-2 minutes. 
  • The purée should be smooth without any lumps. 




The Chorizo
  • Remove the casing from the chorizo, and cut them in 1/4 inch pieces. 
  • In a hot pan, on medium heat, add 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and add the chorizo. 
  • Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Stir constantly so the chorizo doesn't stick the pan or gets crispy.
  • Remove from the pan and set aside. 



The Bacon
  • Ensure that the bacon strips are cut in small pieces. 
  • Add these to the pan and fry until the fat from the bacon is completely rendered and the bacon bits get crispy. 
  • Remove from heat, add to a paper towel so the excess oil can drain.

The Pasta

  • In a large pot, add water (follow the guidance on the pasta label) and salt and bring to a boil. Be careful to add enough salt to your taste, otherwise you'll end up with bland tasting pasta. For this recipe, you can add about 2-3 tsp of salt. 
  • Add the fettuccine to the pot of boiling water. Do not break the uncooked pasta! 
  • As the pasta begins to cook gradually push the uncooked pieces down into a pot using a wooden spoon. 
  • Cook the pasta until it's al dente. This should take about 7-10 minutes. 




The Not So Traditional Pumpkin Alfredo

  • Chop fresh garlic, oregano, rosemary and parsley very finely. 
  • In a large skillet, on medium heat add 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and sweat the chopped herbs for about 2 minutes. 
  • Add the pumpkin purée to the pan and let it cook for a minute. 
  • Add the evaporated milk and stir well until it is full incorporated in the pumpkin purée. 
  • Grate the nutmeg in the pumpkin purée and add a tsp of salt. 
  • Add the the chorizo and let this cook for another 3 minutes. 
  • Add the grated Gouda and Parmesan to the pan and stir well and remove from heat. 
  • Strain the pasta and add it to the pan and mix well so that it is coated with the pumpkin Alfredo sauce. You can add about 1 tablespoon of pasta water to help coat the pasta. Grate more nutmeg (to taste). 
  • Add 1 tsp of chopped parsley and the bacon bits to garnish. Serve hot.
 

      

Danzii's Tips 

As usual, here are my little tips to help you navigate the varying kitchen seas: 
  • You don't necessarily have to make your own purée, if you have canned pumpkin purée you can use that too. 
  • Here is a Pro-tip: If you wanna maximize on flavor, after you core the pumpkin, drizzle with olive oil, salt and black pepper and bake in the oven for about 45-60 minutes. You will know it's done once you are able to pierce the outer skin with a fork. If  unable to do so, bake for an additional 15 minutes. Once this is done, you can add the baked pumpkin to the blender with just milk and a pinch of cinnamon to make your purée. 
  • If you don't have a blender, you can use a food processor. 
  • You don't need to get the chorizo too crispy because you'll already have that textural element from the bacon that has that crunch. You want to have a smooth bite when eating the Alfredo and the bacon bits should act as little surprises throughout. 
  • You can use heavy cream as opposed to evaporated milk and if you have none of these, coconut milk is a good substitute. 
  • The Gouda cheese has a mild sweetness to it, and if you don't have it, that's fine. Parmesan, however, is a must. 
  • Fun Fact: My favorite spice in the world is nutmeg. So, I was super heavy handed with it, you can taper the amount you use. However, with the fresh herbs and flavor from the chorizo it won't overpower your dish. 
  • Can I use dried oregano? I mean you can but you won't be able to sauté it and extract as much flavor as you would with fresh oregano. If you are using dried oregano and rosemary add it to the pumpkin purée as it cooks. 

Your dish should look something like this: 



As far as tradition goes, this is definitely not a traditional Good Friday Jamaican dish, but my mood knows no bounds. I was a little nervous not cooking with my traditional flavor power houses like thyme and onion; some dishes require delicate herbs which in turn has the potential to give you explosive flavors. This is a quick, after-work pick me up or it can be a date night main course, you choose! To the young sir, I hope I was innovative enough with my Alfredo! From my kitchen to yours, "Bone Apple Teeth!" 











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