2 minute read
Fruit of the season
COOKING WITH FALL FLAVORS
By Meghan Savaglia, Contributing Writer Photographed by Paige Olson
Fall flavor offerings arrive into our minds and into our palettes as soon as bell tolls on September 1st. The overly sweet adaptations from Starbucks and your local grocery store might not be the taste for you, but in a pre-coronavirus world, fall markets were filled to the brim with fall fruits and vegetables. Out of these, pumpkin rightfully reigns supreme, and is abundantly found in American dining rooms during the later months of the year. If you’re not totally up to making grandma’s recipes from scratch, here are some college-kitchen friendly recipes to get you started.
Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
This flavorful sauce utilizes everyone’s favorite fall fruit, and can be poured over pasta or sauteed vegetables.
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ small onion, finely diced 3-4 cloves minced garlic 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 cup crushed canned tomatoes ½ tablespoon dried basil ¼ teaspoon chopped dried rosemary ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper Pinch of cinnamon ½ tablespoon honey 1 cup half & half Parmesan for topping, optional
Instructions: 1. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add onion and saute 4-5 minutes until translucent. 2. Pour pumpkin puree, tomatoes, basil, rosemary, salt, paper, cinnamon and honey into the pan. Reduce heat to medium and stir until well combined. 3. Once the sauce is bubbling, slowly stir in half & half. Cook for additional 5 minutes, until the sauce is heated through and bubbling. 4. Garnish with seasonings and parmesan if desired.
Sweet Pumpkin Empanadas
These hand-pies can be made with frozen or refrigerated pie crusts, and are a “mini” way to get your pumpkin pie fix. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 teaspoon cinnamon ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves 2 refrigerated pie crusts 1 beaten egg 1 tsp. water
Instructions: 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in brown sugar. Heat until brown sugar is dissolved into butter. 3. Stir in pumpkin puree and spices. Continue to stir for 3-5 minutes, or until the pumpkin starts to hold its shape. 4. Allow pumpkin mixture to cool completely in the fridge before assembling empanadas. 5. Unroll pie crust onto floured surface and roll out slightly. 6. Using a cookie cutter, knife, or glass, cut out 7-8 circles about four inches wide. Spoon two teaspoons of pumpkin mixture into the center of each round, leaving room around the edges to seal the empanada later. 7. Fold rounds over, and seal by crimping edges with a fork. Mix beaten egg and water together and with a brush cover edges and tops of empanada with egg and water mix. 8. Sprinkle with sugar if desired. 9. Cut 2-3 slits on the top of each empanada using a sharp knife. 10. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Let cool.
