Tuscany Pumpkin Pasta Sauce

by Katie

I rarely get to Whole Foods, as it’s a little out of the way (and out of the budget) but when I do get there, I enjoy browsing the aisles checking out the interesting things. (Perhaps it’s good I don’t get there often- I can’t seem to get out of there without impulse purchasing a few things, and suddenly I’m spending $75 when I just walked in for a couple specific items.)

Last week, my impulse purchase was this:

(Picture from: Cucina Antica )

It was $8, which is absurd, but I was too intrigued by the idea of pumpkin pasta sauce to pass it up. I warmed up half the jar, tossed it with a package of fresh cheese tortellini and some frozen peas I’d thrown into the pasta water as it finished cooking to call it healthy.

(Picture from: me)

It was so, so good. I liked it, my husband liked it, our 18 month old liked it- the rare dinner that we can all agree upon, without modification. Unlike a lot of squash products and recipes, it wasn’t overly sweet or spiced, and it didn't taste too rich. There are plenty of tomatoes in the sauce, which gives it a nice acidity, and the pumpkin provides a nice mellow counterpoint that doesn’t cross the line into cloying. It went great with tortellini, and the jar says you can stir in a little cream and actually eat it as a soup! (I believe it. It was that good.)

I realize $8 for a jar of pasta sauce is a little ridiculous, but it lasted us two full meals for my little family of three, so I’d rate it as a worthy splurge.