Vegetarian meals for the fall

I love everything about fall. I love the cooler weather (my hoodies are very dear to me) the opportunity for bonfires, college football, hockey, the leaves, the smell in the air, you get the idea.  But what I love most is the food – as many of you have probably guessed by now.  I love firing up the oven again after a long summer, the invasion of pumpkin flavoring into everything food manufacturers can come up with, apple cider, soups, hot tea…I could go on for days.

The meal I have for you this week is an example of pumpkin finding its way into an unexpected place. Admittedly, I don’t think I’ve ever had anything pumpkin flavored that wasn’t a dessert (pumpkin pie is the smell of a father’s love), so I was excited to try it in a savory recipe.  While this is not what I had planned on writing about this week, it was so good I can’t resist sharing.  On one plate we have the flavors of fall presenting themselves in all their deliciousness.

For my college readers, if you have a homecoming date who still wants anything to do with you, make this dish for dinner, serve it with a baguette, and you’ll probably get another date.  If you’re going to serve it with a baguette, warm it up before serving.  Not only does it give the impression of fresh home made bread, but serving cold bread with a meal this cozy is barbaric.

The entrée of the dish, essentially, is a grown-up mac and cheese.  This tortellini with pumpkin alfredo sauce is a warm comfort food taken to a new level.  The pumpkin is rather subtle in this dish, and it works beautifully.  This is also a good meal to make with kids because the skills to it are simple, keep the heat low, and keep stirring.

Tortellini with Pumpkin Alfredo Sauce

• Kosher salt
• 2 9-ounce packages cheese tortellini
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup canned pure pumpkin
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
• Freshly ground pepper
• Chopped fresh parsley, for topping (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the tortellini and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until slightly soft, about 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and nutmeg and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in the cream and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to medium low; simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese and cook until thick, about 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the tortellini to the skillet and toss with the sauce, adding some of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. Divide among bowls and top with more cheese and parsley.

The side dish to this meal is roasted squash and tomatoes.  This meal made me like squash, combined with the nutmeg, it brought out the natural sweetness of the tomato, onion, and garlic, and in some bites almost reminded me of cooked fruit.  In combination with the Paresean cheese (just a light sprinkle at the end), the sweetness of the roasted veggies and the sharpness of the cheese give a unique flavor I don’t normally think to put together. When I think of fruit and cheese, it just doesn’t sound appetizing to me, but maybe if I eat enough of this, it will change my tune.

The hardest part of making this is the chopping, but the heart of cooking it is effortless. The approach I found easiest peeling an acorn squash is to cut it into wedges, following with the natural grooves of it, then attacking each one with a vegetable peeler.  After that, this side is no sweat.

Roasted Squash and Tomatoes

• 1 small acorn squash
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 sliced small red onion
• 2 smashed garlic cloves
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper

Halve, seed and thinly slice squash; cut tomatoes into wedges. Toss the squash and tomatoes with red onion, garlic cloves, rosemary, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. Arrange in a baking dish and roast at 425 degrees, stirring once, until tender, 40 minutes. Toss with parmesan.

Tip of the Week: Hate buying jars of spices for recipes you don’t make very often? Yeah, me too.  Pumpkin pie spice makes autumn even more awesome, but – as with most spices – I’m not a fan of paying five bucks for an ounce or two of something, especially when I’ve already got the ingredients to make it at home.  So if you have a well stocked spice rack, here’s my recently discovered recipe for Pumpkin Pie Spice:

• 1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1 tsp. Ginger
• ½ tsp. Cloves

Sally Michaelis

Sally is a wife and domestic diva in Maryland. She approaches life with gusto, humor, and a passion that is unmatched. She is a classic woman, with a modern twist and is the kind of woman who will throw back a beer and watch Star Trek with her husband, and entertain the church croquette group with homemade cheese cake. Sally offers something for everyone, and is always experimenting and cooking up a storm in her kitchen.