- Merrill
A few weeks ago, my husband and I spent a night in Providence, Rhode Island. Since he'd never been before, I wanted to take him to Al Forno, notorious for their rich, creamy baked pastas and their epic wait times. After an hour and a half (some of which we spent wandering around the neighborhood), we were seated, both a little weak with hunger and anticipation. Luckily, dinner did not disappoint.
Jonathan had a steak, but I couldn't resist ordering a baked pasta, especially since they were featuring a seasonal version of their original 5-cheese wonder that also incorporated pumpkin and pancetta. Rich, lightly sweet but also tangy from the blend of different cheeses, the pasta was tinted a rich orange throughout -- although there were little chunks of pumpkin among the baked shells, I guessed that there had been some pumpkin pureed into the cream sauce as well.
When I got home, I consulted the original recipe for the 5-cheese version, from Cucina Simpatica, and did my best to recreate what I'd had at the restaurant, adding roast pumpkin, pancetta and a little thyme. The most important part of the technique? You boil the pasta for barely 5 minutes, allowing the final blast in a flaming hot oven to cook it through to al dente and tinge the edges of the shells a lovely rich brown.
Pasta Al Forno with Pumpkin and Pancetta
Serves 6 to 8 (it may not seem like enough for 8, but this pasta is incredibly rich)
One 3-4 pound cheese pumpkin or butternut squash
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
¼ pound pancetta, diced
1 pound conchiglie rigate (shells)
2 cups heavy cream
¼ pound shredded fresh mozzarella
½ cup grated Pecorino Romano
½ cup fontina, coarsely grated
¼ cup crumbled gorgonzola
2 tablespoons ricotta
2 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves
1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Halve the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Cut the pumpkin into 8 equal wedges and arrange on two baking sheets lined with foil. Sprinkle the wedges with salt and pepper and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Bake for about an hour, until the pumpkin is caramelized and tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Remove from the oven and let cool until you can handle the pumpkin without burning yourself.
2. In the meantime, crisp the pancetta in a medium saucepan over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels, discarding the fat.
3. Turn the oven up to 500 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta for exactly 5 minutes, drain and run cool water over it for about 10 seconds. Set aside in the colander.
4. Scoop enough of the cooked pumpkin from the rind to make 2 cups. Combine this with the cream in a blender and puree just until smooth (be careful not to overblend, or you’ll whip the cream). Scoop out some more of the pumpkin (you probably won’t need the whole thing) and chop roughly to make about a cup and a half.
5. Combine the pumpkin and cream puree with the cheeses, salt, thyme and pancetta in a large bowl and stir gently to combine. Add the pasta and the chopped pumpkin and fold together just until combined.
6. Spread the pasta evenly in a casserole or baking dish. Bake uncovered for 7 to 10 minutes, until the top is browned and the bottom layer of pasta is just tender.
65 Comments on Pasta Al Forno with Pumpkin and Pancetta:
Making this tonight (w/o pancetta, sadly): just tasted the pumpkin-cream mixture, and it dawns on me that this would make an awesome base for custard....yum.
I am making this tonight!!! I have been so excited about this recipe since it first popped up on the site and now I get to eat it!!!
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoLet me know how it turns out!
I'm sorry: Are the thyme leaves fresh or dried?
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoFresh!
A very good friend (and avid Food52-er) tried out this recipe for my birthday this past week. She used acorn squash instead, as no one (in the Chicago stores she shops) knew what a cheese pumpkin meant.
Quite fantastic anyway! She regularly uses canned pumpkin as a fiber source for her recipes but wanted to go the fresh route this time.
She also added something that put the already flavorful dish completely over the top...a small bowl of crushed red pepper flakes to spoon over the dish. A quick dusting of the flakes brought out the thyme spice and with her selected bottle of Chilean Sauvignon blanc, the pasta sang from beginning to end.
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoWhat a great idea! I may try this again with red pepper flakes tomorrow.
I'm new to Food52, but this looks like such a fabulous and fun website that I will come to frequent! This recipe just looks amazing! (I'm also not *too* experienced of a cook, but love to experiment and have fun) Would the cooking time change too much if you cooked this in ramekins instead? Thanks!
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoWelcome to food52! I think the cooking time should be about the same if you did it in ramekins -- maybe check it after 5 minutes?
I made this tonight! Incredible!!!!! Thanks Merrill......
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoYou're welcome!
Merrill - We made this this evening - a home run with everyone (adults and kids). From what I hear, its presence is demanded on the Thanksgiving table.
I got the same response!!!! :)
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoYay! So glad.
What about using half and half instead of cream or even soy milk or almond milk? Always trying to keep the calories and cholesterol under control yet maintain quality.
eat less and enjoy the real taste is the only answer
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoYou could probably use half-and-half, but I wouldn't recommend soy or almond milk. You can also just use less cream if you'd like.
Is there any substitution for the heavy cream that you would recommend?
I use whole milk in mac & cheese all the time and I actually prefer it. I substitute it cup for cup.
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoI think using whole milk wouldn't be quite the same here. You could use less cream (1 cup) or maybe try half-and-half.
I went to RISD and it was fabulous then. Went back last year and it was just as incredible as I'd remembered. Am in culinary school now, would love to trail there for a day...
Oh my! I need to have a dinner party because if I made this just for myself, I would surely eat it ALL!
no wait on week nights!
Here's my question--and I hope I don't get too much flack for asking--but can I use canned pumpkin puree instead to make this recipe a little easier? Sometimes I have the time to roast pumpkin, sometimes I don't. Thanks!
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoHm -- hadn't thought about that. You won't get the little pieces of roasted pumpkin nestled among the shells, obviously, but if you're in a rush, canned pumpkin (I'd use organic) should work fine.
1st time poster and new to your web-site So far, it looks great. I'm a big fan of Amanda Hesser and her book "Cooking for Mr. Latte" and her husband writings in the New Yorker. Living in the Northeast, I've known about Al Forno for years, but have never been there. Someday soon, I hope. If you haven't already done so, you should research the old Julia Child show, Cooking with Julia, where she had one of the owners of Al Forno, the wife (I can't remember her name), on as her guest cook. It was absolutely charming.
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoThanks for your nice comment, and welcome to food52! Will definitely look up that episode.
Al Forno postdates my tenure as an undergraduate in Providence. I really look forward to returning to have dinner there one of these days. Meanwhile, thanks for giving us this creamy pumpkin delight!
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoYou're welcome! Let me know if you make it Al Forno.
I've got daughters at school in Providence...it's been three years now and we've never been to Al Forno because we don't have the patience. One daughter tells me you CAN make a res., if you are six or more, but that means assembling six people desperate for pasta.
Maybe before they graduate we'll get there, but meanwhile I'm SO making this recipe, which looks like it would take less time to make than the wait at Al Forno!...
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoI bet it would be pretty easy to round up 6 hungry college students... :)
Made this tonight - in the oven right now! I can't wait - this looks like another great one Merrill. Thanks!
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoYou're welcome! Hope you enjoyed it.
Hi Merrill,
I need a veggie option for dinner this evening. Would skipping the pancetta change this dish too much?
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoSo sorry, somehow I missed your comment the other day -- did you end up making it without the pancetta? I think it should still be pretty tasty!
No one does baked pasta better than Al Forno! I hope you had the chance to sit at the bar and chat with the wonderful Kyle.
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoIt was so crowded that it was nearly three deep at the bar the whole time we were waiting. Next time, we'll definitely make a point of finding Kyle -- thanks for the tip!
Yay! Cheese pumpkins are my fav- so much so that I grew some of my own this year ;)
This looks ridiculously rich and delicious...can't wait to make it.
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoLucky (and smart) you!
So fab! I love pumpkin and pancetta together, now I can't wait to try this awesome dish. You've also made me curious about Al Forno... road trip!
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoTotally worth a road trip.
Cheese pumpkin. . .no wonder it's so rich: Those things are worth their weight in gold! If you find a farm that sells them, they're already gone. Are they plentiful by you?
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoThey're pretty easy to find in NYC right now -- guess we're just lucky!
I see a new opportunity to become "famous" again among my friends for an amazing dish. I WILL be making this for a dinner party this weekend .... so glad it is potluck!! Then the phone will ring out the hook with requests for the recipe .... or more with the times: emails and FB requests galore!! Thank you.
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoWow, I really hope this doesn't disappoint! Let me know how it turns out.
This is one of my favorite times of the year because of pumpkin and squash recipes. Thanks for such a delicious recipe, Merrill! YUM!
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoMe too! Can't wait to make my first butternut squash risotto of the year...
This has everything in it I iove! Can't wait to try it. This is true comfort food!
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoHope you like it!
Mmmmm, cheese pumpkin...
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoYou said it.
Oh...you are evil.
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoI'll take that as a compliment!
It was meant as a compliment!
I have been buying up tiny pie pumpkins (which we also call sugar pumpkins here in Maine) for weeks now in anticipation of making healthy winter recipes. Thanks so much for this one! I'm making it tomorrow for guests. Can't wait!
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoYou're welcome. Let me know how it goes!
Can you believe we've lived here nearly three years now and *still* haven't made it over to Al Forno? We'll have to remedy that soon - this looks amazing.
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoIt's SO worth the wait.
Wow! That really looks divine...but, who is Jonathan??
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoMy husband!
whoops! For a few moments had you confused with Amanda!
That looks unreal. Thanks, Merrill!
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoMy pleasure -- literally!
Yum! Yes, the key word is "rich"!! We should call this "Millionaire's Mac n Cheese." Thanks for the recipe, Merrill!
Merrill is a co-founder of food52.
added about 1 year agoIndeed. And you're welcome!
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