Pumpkin Pesto

Ingredients

• 400 g Hokkaido pumpkin flesh
• 50 g Pumpkin seeds
• 400 g Whole Wheat Spaghetti
• Salt
• 1 small chili pepper
• 50 g Parmesan (30% fat in the cheese)
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• Pepper
• 0.5 bunch Parsley (10 g)
• 4 tsp pumpkin seed oil

Instructions

1. 1.

   Cut the Hokkaido pumpkin flesh into cubes. Combine with 50 ml water in a pot, cover, and simmer over medium heat for about 10–12 minutes until tender. Let cool slightly. Meanwhile, toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes until fragrant.

2. 2.

   Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted water according to package instructions for about 9 minutes until al dente. Drain into a colander, reserving about 50 ml of pasta cooking water. Clean and halve the chili pepper, remove seeds, and slice into strips.

3. 3.

   Chop 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds and set aside. Grate the Parmesan. In a tall bowl combine the cooked pumpkin with the remaining pumpkin seeds, olive oil, chili strips, and grated Parmesan. Blend with an immersion blender, gradually adding reserved pasta water until a fine, creamy consistency forms. Season with salt and pepper. Wash, dry, and roughly chop the parsley.

4. 4.

   Toss the spaghetti thoroughly with the pumpkin pesto and serve on plates. Sprinkle with remaining pumpkin seeds and parsley, then drizzle with pumpkin seed oil.