Pasta with Pumpkin Pesto and Speck

Pasta with pumpkin pesto and speck is an autumn dish that combines the sweet flavors of pumpkin with the smoky taste of speck. Here’s how to prepare this dish.

Ingredients

• 350 g of pasta (penne or fusilli work well)
• 400 g of cleaned pumpkin
• 100 g of sliced speck
• 50 g of walnuts
• 1 clove of garlic
• 50 g of grated Parmesan
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A few basil leaves (optional)

Preparation

1. Start by cleaning the pumpkin: remove the skin and seeds and cut it into cubes. Cook the pumpkin steamed or in the oven until it becomes tender.
2. Meanwhile, toast the walnuts in a pan for a few minutes until they become lightly golden.
3. Prepare the pesto by putting the cooked pumpkin, toasted walnuts, garlic, Parmesan, a pinch of salt and pepper in the blender and blend everything, adding olive oil in a stream until you get a smooth and homogeneous cream.
4. Cut the speck into strips and fry it in a pan until it becomes crispy.
5. Cook the pasta in plenty of salted water following the instructions to achieve al dente cooking, then drain it reserving a bit of cooking water.
6. Add the pasta to the pumpkin pesto in a large bowl, adding a bit of the reserved cooking water to mix everything well. If necessary, adjust salt and pepper.
7. Serve the pasta on plates and garnish it with the crispy speck. If desired, you can add fresh basil leaves as decoration.

Fun Facts

Although it is the addition of speck that makes this dish special, pumpkin has been a fundamental ingredient in Italian cuisine for centuries, particularly in regions like Veneto and Lombardy, where it is grown abundantly and used in many traditional recipes, both sweet and savory.

I wish you enjoyable cooking and a delicious meal!