Spaghetti with Pumpkin-Chickpea sauce

Atleast once a week I make spaghetti at home, usually for our dinner. Today I made the sauce using roasted pumpkin and chickpeas. Few weeks ago I have made pumpkin-chickpea soup for my daughter she loved the flavour. Chickpeas makes the sauce very rich and creamy so I made it again for spaghetti.



Ingredients I used.

• 2 cups - chopped pumpkins ( and kind of winter squashs can be used)
• 1- medium onion
• 1 cup - Cooked chickpeas (soak about half cup overnight and cook in pressure cooker for 20 mins)
• 1 tsp- tomato paste
• 2-3- Red chillies
• 1tbsp- oilve oil
• 3 handful Spaghetti ( I used whole wheat thin spaghetti)
• Salt to taste

For garnish

• Handfull of chopped corriender/cilantro or parsley
• Few tablespoon of grated parmasen cheese
• Few tablespoon of toasted pumpkin seeds

1. Chop pumpkin and onion put them on a baking sheet and bake them for 30 mins in a 350 degree oven. Meanwhile, cook soaked chickpeas. When pumpkins and chickpeas are cool enough puree them along with tomato paste and chillies in mixie/blender to smooth sauce like consistancy.
2. Heat water in big pot when it comes to boil put spaghetti and cook till they are soft.
3. In another pan heat oilve oil, add blended sauce, add more water if required to deisred consistancy. Add salt to taste.
4. Once the spaghetti is done cooking, drain well and add this to sauce mix well.
5. Before serving, garnish with chopped herbs, pumpkin seeds and little cheese.

Very simple tasty and healthy, satisfying meal.

*Roasting pumpkin and cooking chickpes takes time, so if any one wants to make this dish in a hurry use store brought pumpkin puree and canned chickpeas.

I will be sending this dish to AFAM-Pumpkins hosted by Madhuram of Eggless cooking. Originally started by Maheswari of Beyond the usual.