• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cooking My Dreams
  • Recipes
  • Online Cooking Classes
  • Work with me
    • Portfolio
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • Online Cooking Classes
  • Work with me
  • Subscribe!
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Pasta » Pasta with Pumpkin and 'Nduja Sauce

    Pasta with Pumpkin and 'Nduja Sauce

    Published: Nov 24, 2019 · Modified: May 6, 2021 by Jessica Montanelli · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Sharing is caring!

    105 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • WhatsApp
    • Yummly
    • Email
    Total time to make this recipe: 30 minutes
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    white bowl with pumpkin 'nduja pasta

    Sweet and spicy. Bold and unforgettable. This creamy pumpkin sauce with the spiciness and smokiness of Italian 'nduja will bring pasta to the next level. This is a perfect dish for all the pumpkin lovers.

    I'm Italian, born and raised. But there are still so many Italian ingredients and dishes that I still have to try. There are so many!

    'Nduja is one of those. I am aware of its existence but that's it. Our local supermarkets don't sell it or if they do, I wouldn't notice it. Because it's an ingredient from the southern Italian region of Calabria and we never use it in Tuscan cooking.

    That's how it goes, every region has its own cooking traditions and range of traditional ingredients that most of the time cannot be found in the rest of Italy. That's the beautiful thing about Italy. You go on holiday to another region and it's like going to a different country, except they speak the same language (more or less). Culture, food, landscape, traditions, everything is different in every region of Italy.

    white bowl with pumpkin 'nduja pasta
    white bowl with pumpkin 'nduja pasta

    What is 'Nduja

    'Nduja is a spicy (very spicy) spread made with pork, roasted chili peppers, and spices. It's stuffed in pork intestine casings and smoked. The flavor is of smoked spicy sausage.

    The name 'Nduja comes from the French Andouille (it also has a very similar pronunciation), which is a name for many different types of smoked sausages, depending on the region. The Creole Andouille is also very similar. The Italian 'Nduja has only a few things in common with Andouille. They're both smoky pork sausages, but the Italian one is far spicier and you cannot slice it because it has a spreading consistency.

    'Nduja was born in Spilinga, a small city in Calabria, in the "toe" region of Italy. Calabria is famous for its very spicy chili peppers and its population is famous for loving spicy dishes, contrary to the rest of Italy. 'Nduja is usually spread on grilled bread and accompanied with cheese. But it's also very common in pasta sauces or as topping on pizza, frittata, and more.

    Another dish in which 'Nduja would work great is this Butternut Squash and Sausage Lasagna or you can add it as a topping on this Sweet Potato Soup.

    white bowl with pumpkin 'nduja pasta
    white bowl with pumpkin 'nduja pasta

    The Recipe

    white bowl with pumpkin 'nduja pasta

    Pasta with Pumpkin and 'Nduja Sauce

    The sweetness of the pumpkin complemented by the smoky and spicy 'Nduja sausage. This dish is a perfect Fall comfort food, great for any occasion and ready in just half hour.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Author: Jessica Montanelli

    Ingredients

    • 7 oz Pasta
    • ½ Hokkaido Pumpkin
    • Olive Oil
    • Salt
    • Black Pepper
    • Oregano
    • Thyme
    • 3 teaspoon Cream
    • 2-3 teaspoon ‘Nduja

    Instructions

    • Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
    • Peel and chop the pumpkin into small cubes. Drizzle some olive oil in a pan and add the pumpkin. Add the salt, black pepper, pinch of oregano and thyme and sauté for about 5 minutes.
    • Add a splash of water, turn down the heat and cover with a lid. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft.
    • Halfway through the cooking of the sauce, toss the pasta in the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions.
    • Use a potato masher to purée half of the pumpkin. Add the cream and the ‘Nduja. Mix well and let it cook at low heat for a few more minutes.
    • Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. The ‘Nduja should be completely melted and mixed in the pumpkin sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 526 kcal | Carbohydrates: 104 g | Protein: 17 g | Fat: 6 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Cholesterol: 14 mg | Sodium: 67 mg | Potassium: 1411 mg | Fiber: 8 g | Sugar: 10 g | Vitamin A: 4758 IU

    Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Have you tried this recipe?Snap a photo and tag @jess.cookingmydreams or use the hashtag #cookingmydreams!

    If you like this recipe, you can leave a comment and a star rating to support me. ★★★★★
    Thank you so much!

    I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program design to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This means that if you click on a product link, I may receive compensation. This compensation comes at no additional cost to you, and as always I only recommend products I trust!

    « Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon and Gorgonzola
    14 Christmas Gift Ideas for Pasta Lovers »

    Sharing is caring!

    105 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • WhatsApp
    • Yummly
    • Email

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm an Italian who moved to the Netherlands with a true passion for food, travel, and everything handmade. I love to experiment, learn new skills, and share my knowledge about everything I do!

    This blog is my perfect escape to search for my path towards happiness. :)

    More about me →

    • jess.cookingmydreams
    • Cooking my Dreams
    • jess.cookingmydreams

    Popular Recipes

    • Ricotta and Smoked Salmon Ravioli
    • Pici Cacio e Pepe (Tuscan Pasta with Creamy Cheese and Black Pepper Sauce)
    • Classic Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni
    • Classic Tuscan Lasagna
    • Soffritto (Mirepoix): What it is, how to use and how to freeze
    • Pasta with Easy Creamy Eggplant Sauce

    Subscribe and get a Free E-Cookbook

    ebook page that says 10 classic tuscan recipes.

    As Seen In

    Spring Recipes

    • Soft Raspberry Ricotta Cake with Chocolate Chunks
    • Smoked Salmon and Avocado Tartare
    • Wild Mushroom Ravioli (with Creamy Garlic Parmesan Sauce)
    • Raspberry Chocolate mini Bundt Cakes

    Follow me

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with me
    • Portfolio
    • Cooking Classes

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
    I refuse.
    SettingsAccept
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    105 shares