Pumpkin-Ricotta Stuffed Shells

November 16, 2011 jennifer All Things Pumpkin, Main Dishes

I saw this recipe on page 124 of the October 2011 issue of Country Living magazine and have had it sitting on my kitchen counter ever since. One of my favorite things to do every fall is try new pumpkin recipes (as well as make old favorites) so this was a great opportunity. I also love finding ways to use pumpkin in savory ways as well as sweet.

And so, last week I served this pasta to my family for dinner. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what they would think, especially my husband, but they all raved about it and were relieved I had made two pans full. I guess that means it’s a keeper!

So here is the recipe, in case you don’t have the magazine. My family recommends that you try it!

Pumpkin-Ricotta Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

24 jumbo pasta shells 1 Tb. olive oil 22 ounces fat-free ricotta cheese (2 1/2 cups) 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree *make sure you don’t get pumpkin flavored for pumpkin pie!
3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces) grated Romano cheese 1 large egg white (I just used a whole egg) 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup fresh basil, chopped (you can certainly cut back on this if you don’t love basil) 1 Tb. fresh sage, finely chopped (I used dried) 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground pepper 1 (26 ounce) jar store-bought tomato sauce (I used spaghetti sauce) Preparation:

Cook pasta shells according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a baking sheet (or piece of aluminum foil) and drizzle with oil. Let cool.

In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, pumpkin, 3/4 cup Romano, egg, garlic, basil, sage, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Spread spaghetti sauce in bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan. Fill each pasta shell with about three tablespoons pumpkin-ricotta mixture. Arrange shells in pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 15 minutes more. Serve and enjoy!

Note: I prepared this dish the day before, stuffed the shells and stored them between layers of plastic in an airtight container overnight. On the day I served them, my only prep was to pour the spaghetti sauce in the pan, arrange the pasta and bake! They tasted delicious, and the few we had left were delicious the next day as well.

This was a delicious recipe. It’s meatless and relatively low in fat, considering that it’s mostly “cheesy”. According to the nutrition information provided by Country Living, one serving contains 321 calories, 22 grams protein, only 9 grams fat, 39 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams fiber, 977 milligrams sodium and 19 milligrams cholesterol.

I hope you’ll try it!

Hopeful Homemaker

Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake

November 14, 2011 jennifer All Things Pumpkin, Desserts

This cake is one I’ve been making for years. Shared by a friend, it combines the familiar flavor of pumpkin with the unexpected taste of butterscotch. The butterscotch is mild enough that it doesn’t overwhelm the cake, and even people who usually dislike butterscotch give it compliments.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups butterscotch morsels, divided 2 cups flour 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar 1 Tb. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla 1/2 cup undiluted evaporated milk Preparation:

Microwave 1 cup butterscotch morsels for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Stir, microwave for another 20 seconds until smooth. Stir together melted butterscotch, pumpkin, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl with wire whisk. Stir in combined dry ingredients. Spray a 10 inch bundt pan with non-stick spray and spoon batter in.

Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare butterscotch sauce, heat evaporated milk over medium heat and bring to boil. Remove from heat and add remaining 1 cup butterscotch morsels. Stir until smooth. Return to heat and bring to boil. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Spoon small amount of sauce over entire cake, reserving at least half the sauce to spoon over individual slices.

Enjoy!
HH

Pumpkin Biscuits

October 28, 2011 jennifer All Things Pumpkin, Breads and Rolls

The temperature has dropped this week, and right now I sit curled up in one of my favorite fall quilts. That’s a good thing, because it means I made it to the basement to unpack some Fall and Halloween decorations for my children. The little ones have switched costumes at least fifty times in the last 24 hours and I look around at the disarray with a smile. I’m so grateful they get to do this, and I’m grateful it will end in a few days. Halloween is just around the corner.

Several weeks ago I purchased this publication . At the time I wondered a little at my decision, but now I’m thrilled to have it. I’ve tried more than half a dozen recipes from it and they’ve all been delicious. It’s full of bookmarks, a spill, and tattered corners. One of the things I love about it is having a picture of every recipe included. I highly recommend it.

One of the first recipes I tried was this recipe for pumpkin biscuits. Our whole family enjoyed them and one son in particular begs everyone else for their biscuit while the rest of us enjoy dinner.

Pumpkin Biscuits (recipe from Taste of Home Fall Baking publication) Ingredients:
1- 3/4 cups flour 1/4 cup packed brown sugar 2- 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup cold butter 3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree 1/3 cup buttermilk Preparation:
In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Cut in 1/2 cup water until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine pumpkin and buttermilk, stir into crumb mixture just until moistened. *Note: I’ve made these twice now and both times I had to add a couple of tablespoons more milk.

Turn onto lightly floured surface, knead 8-10 times. Roll out to 1 inch thickness; cut with a 2 or 2-1/2 inch biscuit cutter. Place 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet (or just use parchment paper).

Bake at 425 for 18 minutes or until golden brown. **Another note: the recipe calls for 1-1/2 tsp. melted butter to be brushed over the biscuits, but I haven’t added it. It seems to me there’s already plenty of butter in them.

According to the recipe, one batch makes 6 biscuits if cut with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter. The first time we made them, we cut them into 1 1/2 inch circles for taste testing and it made two dozen. Last night I used a 2 inch cutter and squeezed 10 biscuits out of a batch. Next time I make them, I’ll double it for my family.

I hope you enjoy this pumpkin recipe.
Jennifer