Pumpkin Pasta

Once again, it was a last minute night for dinner. What are we going to have? I had a few options in my head, but I seemed to be missing one main ingredient for each meal I was hoping to make. So, I turned to the great Martha Stewart online and found this interesting and healthy dish. I wasn't too sure it was going to be tasty by reading the ingredients, I mean, baked pasta and NO cheese? Is she crazy? But we gave it a go and we were all impressed without any cheese (though I did put a little Parmesan on top before serving ; ). It's a filling meal packed with vitamins, fiber and protein. Owen had two bowls, which made me very happy!

Pumpkin Pasta
Recipe by Martha Stewart

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound gemelli pasta, cooked and drained (I used whole wheat Penne instead)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch (about 8 ounces) kale, thick stems removed and leaves chopped into 1-inch pieces *I used 1/2 a bag of frozen spinach thawed and drained.
1 can (29 ounces) pumpkin puree, (not pumpkin-pie filling)
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced-sodium vegetable broth
2 tablespoons jarred sun-dried tomato pesto
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
1/2 cup unblanched almonds, sliced

Directions
1.Cook pasta, and drain; reserve. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add kale; cook, stirring, until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Add pumpkin, broth, and pesto, and nutritional yeast, if using; stir to combine. Bring to a simmer. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

2.Toss pasta with pumpkin-kale mixture. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or eight individual dishes. Top with almonds. Bake until top is golden, about 30 minutes.

3. Enjoy!!