Creamy pumpkin pasta packed with protein to make the most perfect one pan meal for any weeknight!
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Pasta Fridays!
Fridays in the fall have become a pasta night tradition in our house! Saturday morning cross country races being the reason! My 2 high schoolers can fill up on fuel for their race, and momma doesn’t have to think about what’s for dinner at the end of the week. Win-win! Spaghetti is always a hit anyway, (especially when you can nutrient load it like this one!), so it works.
One pan wonder
This week I decided we needed a bit of a spaghetti break, though. I also didn’t have a ton of time to spend fussing around with lots of steps and multiple pots or dishes. The dinner also needed to have some protein. So…a tall order, yes? Casserole dishes were made for nights like those!
Love the one pan idea, but….pumpkin?!
Fall squashes like butternut, pumpkin, and acorn add the best creamy and mildly sweet texture to any sauce. They also happen to be jam packed with minerals and vitamins. Minerals that active, busy, growing kids need. What a great way to end the week. And…a great way to get my 2 high schoolers ready for an early {early!} morning race. (And YES. Don’t worry! I am leaving instructions on how to make this dinner with canned pumpkin too if you won’t have the time to roast one!)
The method :: The pumpkin
A simple roasted pumpkin is all you need to get your cream sauce started. A can of pumpkin will work just fine too. I happened to be getting some other work done while at home on Friday morning, so it was the perfect time to pop a pumpkin in the oven to roast. You can roast the pumpkin days in advance. Slice it up and toss the slices with olive oil, sea salt, pepper, and cinnamon. (Don’t forget to save the pumpkin seeds to roast!)
The Method :: Make the Pumpkin Cream Sauce
The sauce couldn’t be easier. Remember – I didn’t have a lot of time to cook on this particular day. In fact, I didn’t want to even chop an onion. Build the sauce right in your blender with bone broth or or store bought broth, milk or milk alternative, and the roasted pumpkin. Then, added the seasonings, and blend. That’s it!
Bonus! Easy peasy veg add-in!
The chopped spinach in the pumpkin cream sauce is totally optional. If you can get away with the green pieces, go for it! The spinach wilts in and has zero flavor, so you can really load it up. If you’re crew won’t do green, you could add riced cauliflower which will blend right in! Add the chopped spinach to the sauce after you blend it so that the color doesn’t change.
The Method :: Build the chicken pumpkin pasta casserole pan
After making the cream sauce, put 3-4 chicken breasts to a 9×13 baking dish. I went with 4 large breasts to make sure my teen crew had enough protein. We had a small amount leftover too. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts, and then sprinkle your dried pasta over the whole casserole pan evenly. Pour the cream sauce over the pasta and chicken, and you’re ready to bake!
The Method :: Baking the chicken pumpkin pasta
You can bake the chicken pumpkin pasta at 425 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the pasta is tender. We like to add cheese to the top to broil for a few minutes at the end as well!
Serving the chicken pumpkin pasta
The beauty of a one pan dinner is the easy serving! No other sides necessary! Scoop and slice the chicken (with a healthy serving of pasta for your active kids!), and it’s time to eat! You can save leftovers for thermos lunches or next day meals too.
One Pan Baked Chicken Pumpkin Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 small/medium pie pumpkin sliced in half, seeds scooped out, and then sliced into quarters. OR you can use 1 can of pumpkin if you don't want to roast the pumpkin.
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tsp sea salt divided
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cups bone broth, meat stock, or store bought broth
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups milk or milk alternative
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast OR about 1 cup of shredded cheese of choice
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 3 cups baby spinach chopped
- 3-4 chicken breasts pat dry
- 12 oz dried pasta of choice I used Jovial GF pasta
- Optional 1-2 cups of cheese of choice for the top
Instructions
- If you are roasting the pumpkin versus using a can of pumpkin, start with roasting the pumpkin first. If you are using a can of pumpkin, skip to the next step. Rub olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp sea salt, pepper, and cinnamon over the slices of pumpkin. Roast in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes until fork tender. Let the pumpkin cool to touch before peeling the skin away.
- Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees for the baked chicken pumpkin pasta.
- Put the broth, milk, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, and roasted pumpkin into a blender, and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Place the chicken breasts in a 9×13 casserole pan, and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tsp sea salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle the dried pasta evenly in the casserole pan. It is ok if the pasta is on the chicken.
- Pour the blended pumpkin cream sauce over the chicken and pasta, and bake at 425 degrees for 40-45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, and the pasta is tender.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the chicken pumpkin pasta and place the casserole dish under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Genius! I’m excited to try this recipe. What size can of pumpkin do you suggest?
So delicious! I made it with homemade canned chicken and a can of pumpkin. Such a winner. My kids even really enjoyed it. Thank you for another great recipe!
Hi Heidi! That is fantastic! Homemade canned chicken – how cool! I’m really glad everyone loved it as much as we have been! Thanks for coming back to let us know!