A Little Punkin' Never Hurt Nobody

I am the Pumpkin King!!! (Uh-hem... I mean Queen)

I am quite fawned of pumpkin and always have been, it probably stems from loving been called pumpkin (actually pronounced "punkin') by my mother and father.

I even got one on my arm :) (it's upside-down)

A couple months back I purchased a copy of the Veganomicon, by Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero (suuuch a good book), anyway I came across a recipe pumpkin baked ziti. Pumpkin+pasta sounded like heaven. So the other night my family was coming over for dinner and I figured this would be the best time to try it out.

With rave reviews from both my mother and father and brother's girlfriend, I highly suggest you give this recipe a shot!

Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Caramelized Onions and Sage Bread Crumb Topping: (from the Veganomicon) serves 6 - 8

• 3/4 lbs uncooked ziti or penne pasta 
• 2 onions, sliced very thinly 
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 1 tbsp brown sugar 
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 
• white pepper and cayenne 
• 2 cups pureed pumpkin or 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) 
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth 

• Sage Bread Crumbs: 
• 2 1/2 cups bread crumbs, preferably fresh and homemade 
• 1/3 cup walnut pieced chopped in a food processor until resembling coarse crumbs 
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance 
• 2 tsp dried, rubbed sage 
• 1 tsp dried oregano leaves 
• 1/2 tsp ground paprika 
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Cashew Ricotta: 
• 1/2 cup raw cashew pieces (approx 4 oz) 
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 2 cloves fresh or roasted garlic 
• 1 lb firm tofu, drained and crumbled 
• 1 1/2 tsp dried basil 
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
  
  

  Directions

  To make the Cashew Ricotta: In a food processor, blend together the cashews, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic until a thick creamy paste forms. Add the crumbled tofu to the food processor, working in two or more batches in necessary, until the misture is thick and well blended. Blend in the basil and salt.
  
  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9 x 11-inch lasagne type baking pan with olive oil, or use two smaller pans.
  
  Prepare the ziti according to the package directions, about 10 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside.
  
  While the paste is cooking, make the caramelized onion: preheat a large heavy-bottomed pan, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Saute the onions in oil until some onion bits are very brown and caramelized, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside.
  
  Place the Cashew Ricotta in a large bowl and fold in the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, nutmeg, white pepper, cayenne, and vegetable broth and mix. Add the cooked ziti and caramelized onions, stirring to coat the pasta. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and press lightly with a rubber spatula to level it.
  
  Make the sage breadcrumbs:
  Melt the Earth Balance in large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Stir in the bread crumbs, walnuts, dried herbs and paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Stir constantly until the mixture is lightly coated, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and sprinkle evenly over the ziti.
  
  Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until the top of the ziti is golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
    

 And as promised, here's a little dessert :)
 

Pumpkin-Cranberry Scones: (from the Veganomicon)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour  
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar 
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup nonhydrogenated vegan margarine, cold
• 3/4 cup sold soy creamer or rice milk
• 4 teaspoons ground flaxseeds
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped coarsely 
• 3 tablespoons shelled pepitas for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl mix together flour through salt. Take your cold margarine and cut it into small chunks and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or fork, until the mixture looks crumbly.

In a medium sized bowl whisk together soy creamer through zest.

Make a flour well and begin to fold in the wet mixture to the dry. Fold in cranberries. Stir until a soft dough forms but be careful not to over mix.

Dived to into two place on separate baking sheets. Flatten each into a circle 1" thick. Run a Knive through each circle creating 6 - 8 wedges. (I just made mini circles) Brush with extra creamer and bake for 30-34 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean from the center. Let cool 10 minutes before re-slicing.

I made a maple dizzel for mine :)

This video is my newest love, it's amazing. So artfully shot <3