For less than three euros for two people, you can prepare one of those dishes that seem made for cool days. This Neapolitan-style pumpkin pasta, our pasta e cocozza, is creamy, slightly sweet, and has that smoky touch of scamorza that makes it even more comforting. The kind that literally gives you a hug.
Índice
And since pumpkin arrives in our kitchen just in time for Halloween, this year we are celebrating it Neapolitan-style. The beauty here is not in preparing a separate sauce, but in cooking the pasta directly with the pumpkin so that it absorbs its flavor while some of the cubes break down and create that characteristic creamy texture.
Additionally, we are going to use mixed pasta, which is the most traditional option. In the past, leftovers of different pasta shapes remaining in the house were used; today we can find it already prepared in packages. If you can’t find it, some small pasta shapes or even broken spaghetti will work perfectly for us.
Watch the video with all the steps
Below you can see the video with all the recipe steps to prepare Neapolitan-style pumpkin pasta with smoked scamorza in the easiest way.
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Main ingredients
For 2 people
⏱ Preparation time: 10 min
⏱ Cooking time: 25-30 min, depending on the pasta
⏱ Total time: 35-40 min
🔥 Approximate calories per serving: 465 kcal
- 300 g cleaned pumpkin
- 100 g pasta
- 80 g smoked scamorza or provola
- 15 g grated parmesan
- 1 garlic clove
- Fresh parsley, with its stems
- Cayenne pepper optional
- Virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Hot water
Remember: At the end of the article, you will find the complete recipe card with detailed cooking and preparation times.
How to prepare Neapolitan-style pumpkin pasta
Prepare the pumpkin, the scamorza, and the parsley
Cut the cleaned pumpkin into small cubes. You don’t need to obsess over them being exactly the same size, but the smaller they are, the faster they will cook and the more surface area they will have to brown and add flavor.
Also cut the smoked scamorza into small cubes. Separate the parsley leaves from the stems and chop the leaves. Don’t throw away the stems because we are going to use them to flavor the oil from the beginning.
Flavor the oil and brown the pumpkin
Put a good splash of virgin olive oil in a pot and add the garlic clove and the parsley stems.
Let them brown gently so they flavor the oil. When they are golden brown, remove them and add the pumpkin.
Sauté the cubes for a few minutes. When they start to take on color, add a little salt and, if you like that spicy touch that contrasts with the sweetness of the pumpkin, also add the cayenne pepper.
Stir a couple of times before continuing.
Cook the pumpkin first
Cover the pumpkin with a little water and let it cook gently.
We are not looking to turn it into a puree immediately. The idea is for it to be cooked and tender, but for there to still be recognizable cubes when we add the pasta.
During the subsequent cooking, some pieces will break down and others will remain more whole. That is precisely one of the charms of this recipe.
Cook the pasta directly with the pumpkin
When the pumpkin has cooked sufficiently, add the pasta directly into the same pot.
Here begins the most important part of this pumpkin pasta: the pasta is cooked together with the pumpkin, stirring frequently and gradually absorbing its flavor.
It is possible that during cooking you may need to add a little more water. Do it little by little and always use hot water. We don’t need a huge amount of liquid all at once.
While we stir, part of the pumpkin will break down and form a cream around the pasta. At the same time, the starch released by the pasta itself helps to bind everything together.
Keep tasting to control both the cooking point and the salt.
The secret to a creamy pumpkin pasta
You can adapt the final consistency to your liking. It can be a bit more soupy or more concentrated, but in our case, we are looking for a creamy, bound pasta without excess water.
That is why it is advisable to add the liquid little by little. We are always in time to add a little more, but if we add too much water at once, it will be much more difficult to achieve that enveloping texture we are looking for.
The pumpkin will do a good part of the work: some cubes will remain whole and others will practically turn into cream while the pasta finishes cooking.
Add the scamorza off the heat
When the pasta is just right and has the consistency you like, turn off the heat.
Remove the parsley stems if there are any left in the pot and immediately add the smoked scamorza, the grated parmesan, and a little chopped fresh parsley.
Mix well so that the residual heat melts the cheeses and integrates them with the pumpkin cream.
And now, serve immediately.
Tips and advice for pumpkin pasta
Cut the pumpkin small if you want to speed up cooking
Small cubes cook faster and offer more surface area to brown. That slight initial browning adds more flavor to the final result.
Do not add all the water at once
During the pasta cooking, add hot water only when necessary. This way you can control the consistency much better and decide if you want a slightly soupier or creamier pasta.
Let part of the pumpkin break down
It doesn’t matter if some cubes completely lose their shape. On the contrary, that pumpkin that breaks down during cooking is what helps form the cream that coats the pasta.
The pasta is cooked inside the pumpkin
Do not cook the pasta separately. In this recipe, the point is precisely to cook it together with the pumpkin so that it is impregnated with its sweetness while releasing the starch that helps to bind the dish.
Scamorza and parmesan always off the heat
When the pasta is already cooked, turn off the heat before adding the cheeses. The heat remaining in the pot is enough to melt the scamorza and mix it with the parmesan without the need to continue cooking them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What pasta can I use for Neapolitan-style pumpkin pasta?
Mixed pasta is a very traditional option and the one we use in this recipe. If you can’t find it, you can use small pasta shapes or other short pasta, and even broken spaghetti.
Why is the pasta cooked directly with the pumpkin?
Because this way the pasta absorbs the flavor of the pumpkin during cooking. In addition, part of the pumpkin breaks down and the starch from the pasta helps to create a creamy and well-bound texture.
Do I have to add a lot of water during cooking?
No. It is better to add hot water little by little and only when necessary. This way you can control the cooking and decide if you prefer a soupier or creamier pasta.
When is the smoked scamorza added?
The scamorza is added off the heat, when the pasta is already cooked. It is incorporated along with the parmesan and chopped parsley and mixed using the residual heat of the pot.
Is it mandatory to add cayenne pepper?
No. The cayenne pepper is completely optional. You can add it if you like a slight spicy touch or leave it out without changing the recipe procedure.
Related recipes you will love
If you are craving more comforting dishes for the cool months, here are other recipes from the blog that you might like:
- Chicken with pumpkin and mushrooms: another way to use pumpkin in an autumnal dish, this time accompanied by chicken and mushrooms.
- Pasta e ceci Roman-style: another traditional recipe in which pasta and seasoning are cooked together until a creamy and comforting texture is achieved.
- Pasta with mushrooms and ham: a creamy and easy pasta, perfect when you want a hot dish without too much complication.
Enjoy your Neapolitan-style pumpkin pasta!
Few ingredients, a single pot, and a way of cooking pasta that does practically all the work. The pumpkin provides sweetness and creaminess, the scamorza that smoky and melting touch, and the parmesan finishes binding everything together.
And yes, besides being delicious, this pasta e cocozza proves that you don’t need to spend a lot to prepare something truly comforting.
If you prepare this pumpkin pasta, tell me in the comments if you prefer it creamier or a little soupier.
If you liked the recipe, subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me on Instagram to find more Italian recipes, tips, and dishes to enjoy at home. And if you prepare it, share the result with me. I’d love to see it!
Enjoy your meal!
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The card
Neapolitan-style pasta with pumpkin and smoked scamorza
Ingredients
- 300 g cleaned pumpkin
- 100 g pasta
- 80 g smoked scamorza or provola
- 15 g grated parmesan
- 1 clove garlic
- fresh parsley with stems
- cayenne pepper optional
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt
Instructions
- Cut the pumpkin into small cubes
- Cut the scamorza into small cubes
- Separate the parsley stems and chop the leaves
- Heat a good splash of extra virgin olive oil in a pot
- Add the garlic clove and the parsley stems
- Sauté gently to infuse the oil
- Remove the garlic and stems when they are golden
- Add the pumpkin and sauté for a few minutes
- Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste
- Stir the pumpkin a couple of times
- Cover with a little water
- Cook gently until the pumpkin is tender but some cubes remain whole
- Add the pasta directly into the pot
- Cook while stirring frequently
- Add hot water little by little as needed
- Taste and adjust the salt
- Cook until the pasta is al dente and part of the pumpkin has broken down to form a cream
- Turn off the heat
- Add the smoked scamorza
- Add the grated parmesan
- Add the chopped fresh parsley
- Mix until the cheeses melt and the dish becomes creamy
- Serve immediately
Video
