What’s Cooking? | Skillet Pasta

On this episode of our “What’s Cooking?” Chef Riley makes pumpkin a skillet pasta. Growing up with an Italian mother, I had pasta of all sorts all time. It got to the point that I became a little sick of it. For the longest time I didn’t want to have any sort of pasta, but then decided to give this recipe a try.

Something about this specific combination of ingredients made me love it. Now this dish is on my regular rotation and is made quite frequently. It also goes well with some garlic bread, for the sauce you don’t eat with the pasta.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon – Olive oil
• 6 medium garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/4 teaspoon – Red pepper flakes
• 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 3 3/4 cups – Penne or ziti
• 1/2 cup – Heavy cream
• 1 cup  – Mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup – Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup – Basil leaves, minced

Note: You can optionally add in some Pepperoni at the end, which is something I do all the time.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until hot.
2. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, & 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Sauté for about 1 minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, pasta, water, & 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine.
4. Cover & cook, stirring often & maintaining a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is almost tender, 15-18 minutes.
5. Add cream, cheeses, & basil then stir to combine. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
6. Add optional pepperoni, & sprinkle additional mozzarella evenly over the pasta.
   • Optionally, if the skillet is oven-safe, you can put everything in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese on top. Recommended to put under a broiler on low for 2-3 minutes.
7. Wait a few minutes, then serve.