Food Adventures {Pumpkin Alfredo}

 

{Irish, Polish, Vietnamese, and Vegetarian Yogi}

This morning on Regis and Kelly, Maggie Q made an appearance to promote her show Nikita.  She was absolutely stunning and so toned and fit that I'm as positive as I am that I could stand to lose 10lbs that there is not one ounce of fat on her hot little body. Kelly (you know I'm a huge fan!), who is such a fitness freak herself, of course asked how she stays so fit.  Maggie replied, "yoga." That's it?! What the hell kind of yoga is she doing?! Please let me in on it. I had to google her since I had never heard of the actress and sure enough she's not only a yogi, but a vegetarian. Go figure.  I instantly decided I was going to clean up my diet and start doing more yoga.  And then...I saw this...

{Vegetarian, yes.  But with the recipe calling for 1 cup each of heavy cream and parm, I can kiss Maggie Q's toosh goodbye.}

...Pumpkin Alfredo looking even more divine than Maggie Q's lean physique. As I'm currently obsessed with all things pumpkin and eating is high on my list of favorites, (aye, aye, aye, I'm such a fatty), I will definitely be making this savory looking dish before week's end, perhaps, after a session of Bikram yoga. 

{Pumpkin Alfredo}

Yields 4 large servings

1 pound fettuccine pasta (I used spinach noodles)
4 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 cup pumpkin puree (or canned pumpkin)
Pumpkin seeds (for garnish), optional
Salt and pepper, optional

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.  In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, red pepper, and mushrooms and sauté until the onions and mushrooms have softened. Turn the heat down to medium and add the cream, stirring to combine. Allow the cream to simmer for a few minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken. Now add the cheese and stir until the cheese has completely melted and incorporated itself into the sauce. Stir in the pumpkin puree and continue cooking for a few more minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add more cream (or milk) to thin it out to the desired consistency.

To serve, spoon the sauce on top of the cooked pasta and garnish with pumpkin seeds. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy! 

{Via Chocolate and Tea}