Guilt-Free Fettuccine with Radicchio and Pumpkin Recipe

Recipe by Rosalba Gioffre, author of Vegano Italiano

With fall on the horizon, soon you’ll be craving pasta dishes and heartier fare. But that doesn’t have to mean heavy, never-ending pasta bowls. While this fettuccine recipe might look and sound fancy, it actually takes little time to prepare. Plus, because it’s packed with veggies, you’ll get plenty of nutrients in, and avoid that too-stuffed-to-move feeling you usually get after eating pasta. Simply do as Italians do: Pace yourself and enjoy a small portion.

Note: This classic Italian recipe incorporates radicchio from Treviso, which has long, tapered leaves. But if you can’t get a hold of Trevisano radicchio, consider red radicchio. “They’re not as delicate and are slightly more bitter,” Gioffre says.

RELATED: 11 Delicious Veggie Pasta Recipes for Zoodle Lovers

Radicchio and Pumpkin Fettuccine Recipe

Makes 4 servings 

Ingredients

1 pound pumpkin or winter squash
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large heads Trevisano or red radicchio
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup whole-wheat fettuccine pasta
Leaves from 1 sprig flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Peel the pumpkin and cut the flesh into slices, making sure that they’re not too thin or uneven.
2. Heat a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a medium skillet. Cook the pumpkin slices in the oil over high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon for about 15 minutes. You’ll see some of the pumpkin will remain intact and caramelized, while thinner parts will crumble a little.
3. Clean the radicchio and cut it at the roots so that the leaves come apart. You can also cut the radicchio into pieces. Heat a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet. Cook the radicchio in the oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook over high heat, stirring every so often until the radicchio has browned but is still crunchy. This should take around 15 minutes.
4. Add the cooked pumpkin with the radicchio and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another few minutes to blend the flavors.
5. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine al dente (be sure to reserve the pasta water). Remove the pasta with a skimmer and put it into the pan of vegetables.
6. Cook the pasta and vegetables together under high heat for a few minutes, and then add a little pasta water, if necessary.
7. Top the pasta and vegetables with a few parsley leaves and pepper.
8. If you like, add half of a sweet red onion, sliced, to the pan along with the radicchio. Late-season radicchio is also excellent raw, dressed in a salad with white beans.

Need ideas on how to dress up your pasta? Check out these easy pasta sauce recipes.

This recipe is from Vegano Italiano by Rosalba Gioffre. Copyright 2017 by Rosalba Gioffre. Reprinted by permission of The Countryman Press, a division of W.W. Norton & Company.