Pumpkin and Seitan Pasta
This pumpkin and seitan pasta is incredibly cozy and perfectly captures the essence of fall. Roasted pumpkin with olive oil and rosemary creates a thick cream, while the seitan adds texture to the dish. This vegan pasta recipe draws inspiration from Bolognese ragù, but the squash replaces the tomato sauce for a more unique flavor.
Jump to RecipeFor me, pasta is the ultimate comfort food, and this recipe is perfect for cozy, crisp fall evenings. The creamy pumpkin sauce wraps around the tortiglioni and combines with sautéed seitan, creating a delicious sweet and savory dish. This vegan meal is extremely easy to prepare and doesn’t take much time. Nevertheless, pumpkin and seitan pasta is what you need to surprise both yourself and your guests with new flavors.
For the recipe, I drew inspiration from the pumpkin and sausage pasta, a staple in Italian gastronomy, particularly in the northern regions of Emilia-Romagna and Veneto. Traditional cuisine combines the sweetness of pumpkin with the savory and spicy flavor of the meat. However, I replaced the sausage with seitan, which, when sautéed with an aromatic base, achieves a similar taste.
Seitan has the ability to absorb aromas, and its chewy texture closely resembles the consistency of meat. As a vegetarian, I don’t always seek the perfect substitute for meat in terms of appearance and taste. However, it can be a great alternative to please those who don’t follow this diet or who find it difficult to give up animal products.
Ingredients for vegan pumpkin pasta
- Pumpkin: I could have boiled the pumpkin in water, but I wanted to enhance the flavor to the already sweet vegetable. When baked in the oven with olive oil, salt and rosemary, pumpkin releases a rich and caramelized taste. The Delica pumpkin is, in my opinion, the best variety for savory recipes because of its chestnut flavor. However, for this Pumpkin and Seitan Pasta, I couldn’t find this type, so I replaced it with another variety, and by adding some aromatic ingredients, I achieved a pleasant essence.
- Seitan: this plant-based protein has a dense and chewy texture that resembles that of meat, making it a great to substitute in ragù. Seitan, with its neutral flavor, is able to absorb aromas and retain moisture, maintaining a juicy texture while simmering in the pumpkin sauce.
- Tortiglioni: of course you’re free to choose whatever type of pasta you like, but for me, tortiglioni are the best. This is because they capture and hold onto creamy pumpkin sauce. Additionally, tortiglioni are thicker, don’t become mushy while cooking, and can easily be combined with heavier sauces.
- Carrots: this is one of the essential ingredients for soffritto, which is a sautéed base used in many Italian dishes. Carrots add natural sweetness, balancing the savory flavors of shallot and celery. This vegetable is packed with vitamin A, minerals, and antioxidants, making the soffritto nutritious as well.
- Celery: finely chopped celery adds a crunch to the soffritto, providing texture that contrasts with the softer ingredients like shallots and carrots. Celery is low in calories but rich in vitamins such as K and C, as well as potassium.
- Shallot: when sautéed, shallots caramelize and release a natural sweetness that balances with the savory notes from celery. Shallots have a milder and sweeter flavor compared to regular onions, which have a stronger and more pungent taste.
- White wine: when used to deglaze the seitan ragù, white wine adds acidity and introduces fruity notes that complement the other savory ingredients. Additionally, it balances the richness of the ragù and the creaminess of the pumpkin sauce, preventing the dish from becoming too heavy.
- Rosemary: the essential oils in rosemary release a fragrant aroma when heated, filling the pumpkin with a warm and inviting scent. Fresh rosemary also adds visual interest to the dish, contributing a vibrant green color that contrasts beautifully with the orange pumpkin.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to prepare the seitan pasta
Cut the pumpkin into cubes, place them on a lined baking dish and season with olive oil, salt and rosemary. Bake in the oven at 200°C for about 20-25 minutes.
In a sauce pan heat olive oil, then add chopped shallot, carrot and celery. When soft, stir in the finely chopped seitan. Let it cook for some minutes and then deglaze with wine.
Once fully cooked the pumpkin, place it in a mixer and blend to obtain a creamy sauce. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in hot boiling water.
Add the pumpkin cream to the seitan, combine and add the pasta. Sauté for some minutes at low heat.
My tips for a creamy pasta
- You can sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top of the Pumpkin and Seitan Pasta to add a cheesy and nutty flavor. Alternatively, if you’re not interested in a vegan option, you can incorporate Parmesan cheese for a salty taste.
- Once you add the pumpkin sauce to the saucepan with the seitan, cook over low heat and add a ladle of boiling pasta water to combine and create a more homogeneous texture. This will help achieve a rich and velvety sauce for the tortiglioni.
Did you try this recipe? Don’t forget to share it with me tagging @nutritiouslysofia on Instagram!
Pumpkin and Seitan Pasta
Course: MainCuisine: Vegetarian, Vegan4
servings20
minutes40
minutesIngredients
Pumpkin 500gr (2-2.5 cup)
Pasta 300gr (2-5-3 cup)
Seitan 250gr (1.5-2 cup)
Olive oil
Carrot 1
Celery 1 stalk
Shallot 1
White wine 1/4 cup
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary
Directions
- Cut the pumpkin into cubes, place them on a lined baking dish and season with olive oil, salt and rosemary. Bake in the oven at 200°C for about 20-25 minutes.
- In a sauce pan heat olive oil, then add chopped shallot, carrot and celery. When soft, stir in the finely chopped seitan. Let it cook for some minutes and then deglaze with wine.
- Once fully cooked the pumpkin, place it in a mixer and blend to obtain a creamy sauce.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in hot boiling water.
- Add the pumpkin cream to the seitan, combine and add the pasta. Sauté for some minutes at low heat.
Notes
- You can sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top of the Pumpkin and Seitan Pasta to add a cheesy and nutty flavor. Alternatively, if you’re not interested in a vegan option, you can incorporate Parmesan cheese for a salty taste.
- Once you add the pumpkin sauce to the saucepan with the seitan, cook over low heat and add a ladle of boiling pasta water to combine and create a more homogeneous texture. This will help achieve a rich and velvety sauce for the tortiglioni.
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