I’ve been wanting to try something like this for ages, and I’m thoroughly surprised with the result.

I first saw this pumpkin pasta sauce on Deliciously Ella’s Instagram feed. This recipe however doesn’t contain full fat cheese. If you’re Vegan, you could use vegan cream cheese in this recipe and enjoy it with any pasta of your choosing. If you’re gluten-intolerant, this pasta sauce is gut healthy and you can use chickpea pasta in your dish, like I have.

Did you know: Pumpkin is a starch, but it has far less calories than butternut. This fleshy, orange vegetable is devoid of fat, cholesterol and sodium. It’s also high in magnesium (good for the muscles) and fiber - one cup contains 3 g fiber and roughly 49 calories. Fiber also keeps hunger pangs at bay and a regular dose of pumpkin following a rough workout is hugely beneficial, because it contains a high dose of potassium. Higher than what’s in banana’s as a matter of fact. Potassium will help your muscles recover quicker.

Ingredients

2 cups steamed pumpkin

2 heaped spoonfuls of medium fat cream cheese

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp chili flakes (can omit)

1 tsp salt

A couple of cracks of black pepper

Method

1. In a food processor, blend all of the above ingredients until it’s smooth and creamy.

2. Add pasta to your sauce and serve with fresh thyme or whatever herbs you have.