If you want a crowd-pleaser that reads cozy but not heavy, make this: casarecce pasta with pumpkin and feta. It is warm, a little sweet from the squash, a little salty from the cheese, and the pasta’s curvy shape grabs onto the sauce like it was designed for this exact moment. Pumpkin brings vitamins A and C to the party, feta adds a clean, briny bite, and the whole thing feels light yet satisfying.
What you need
- Casarecce pasta — 250 g
- Pumpkin, peeled — 300 g
- Feta — 120 g
- Garlic — 2 cloves
- Olive oil — 2 tbsp
- Fresh rosemary — 1 to 2 sprigs
- Salt
- Ground black pepper — a pinch
- Grated Parmesan — 30 g (for serving)
- Pumpkin seeds — 1 tbsp (for garnish)
How to make it
1. Prep first: peel and deseed the pumpkin, then cut it into small cubes about 1 to 1.5 cm. Mince the garlic. Strip the rosemary needles from the sprigs.
2. In a deep skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pumpkin cubes, garlic, and rosemary. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes until the pumpkin turns tender and the edges lightly caramelize.
3. Crumble in the feta, fold it through gently, and take the skillet off the heat.
4. While that’s happening, boil the casarecce in well-salted water according to the package until al dente — usually 9 to 11 minutes. Drain, but hold back a little of the pasta water.
5. Move the hot pasta into the skillet with the pumpkin and feta. Toss, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water to create a light, glossy sauce that clings to the casarecce. Season with salt and a pinch of black pepper.
6. Plate it up, shower with grated Parmesan, and finish with pumpkin seeds. Serve hot while the feta is just starting to melt and the rosemary aroma is doing its best work.
Why it works
The sweetness of pumpkin plays perfectly against feta’s salty tang, and casarecce’s twisty shape holds onto every bit of that silky sauce. The result: a dinner that feels generous without the food coma — plus a quiet boost of vitamins A and C from the pumpkin. Simple, pretty, and weeknight-friendly.