Pumpkin Chickpea Pasta
with Brussels Sprouts + Parmesan
When out of fresh foods, there’s always pasta, canned goods and frozen veggies!
I made this recipe a while ago and had it in the back of my mind to make again. You guys know how much I love pumpkin! This time I swapped the mushrooms for frozen brussels sprouts (which I thawed in the microwave and cooked in a skillet with some olive oil) and added a cup of leftover chickpeas to the mix.
Pasta was 2 oz each of a mix of penne and the last of a bag of rigatoni. With grated Parmesan –
This pasta is “stick to your ribs” filling. I thought halfway through it would be interesting with nutritional yeast too! The husband said it was like “a strange version of mac ‘n cheese.” (He doesn’t really like pumpkin so that was a good response!)
Dessert
Chocolate craving alert! I decided to have a little Stonyfield After Dark Chocolate Frozen Yogurt with a crushed Trader Joe’s meringue. (Wasn’t craving any chocolately ice cream after lunch, but after dinner I was.) This glass was a wedding present to my grandmother, and she’s been married over 60 years!
Afternoon Tea
Because of our late lunch, I didn’t really need a snack (and knew we were having an earlier dinner). I did have a cup of tea with milk around 4:00 –
Caught In The Act
He really does eat nut butters almost every night for dessert. Naughty for eating straight from the jar! (Although he was finishing it off).
Wellsphere
KERF was recently added as a featured “wellsite” on the healthy community Wellsphere! I’m honored 🙂 The Wellsphere: Healthy Recipes page that I’m on has some really cool info – videos, community, tips, etc. I found the list of diet and health books interesting and the Q&A has some good info.
Suzanne says
Congrats on KERF’s feature on Wellsphere! It’s well-deserved!
oops – sorry, I forgot to ask a question in my last post:
I have a question about working out. I just started kickboxing on Monday. It’s an hour of high intensity kicking and punching with a partner on a boxing bag alternated with weight lifting. I’m drenched in sweat by the end.
The next day (Tues) I was very sore (I lifted with 12 lb weights for the first time). So I didn’t work out.
Yesterday (Wednesday) I went back to kickboxing, and this time our weight lifting concentrated on the back. And today I have new muscles in my arms and legs that are really sore.
Is it ok that I took a day off of working out completely on Tuesday and today? I always feel like I have to work out everyday, or I feel gross and down on myself – like I am losing out on the progress I have made.
Thanks, Kath!
Julie says
Hi Kath, I like what you said in one of your earlier posts today about “Fit From Within”…I’m dying to go to the bookstore and buy something…just not sure what. If you were to recommend ONE book, which one would you recommend? Thanks 🙂
Sidi says
No cravings lately. I am getting better. Off for the abs. Good evening everyone.
Megan says
Kath,
Don’t you just hate it that boys can eat nut butters right out of the container and still not gain weight?! Its not fair I tell you! 😉
ChocolateCoveredVegan says
Yum! Your husband has great taste– nut butter from the jar is one of my favorite snacks :o).
Romina says
Pumpkin, chickpeas and pasta?! I must be in heaven.
Ally says
I love Wellsphere, they added my site to the ‘high protein foods’ page a couple of weeks ago!
I had pasta tonight but it didn’t look half as good as yours! I’ll have to remember that combo
val says
kath-you eating out of that beautiful glass makes me regret not buying “fancy dessert glasses” that i wanted this past weekend! i’m going to have to go back to the store:D
also, your dinner kind of looks like indian food…have you ever tried to make anything indian? i may have missed it!
(i’m glad my computer no longer has me logged in as brownies…:)
Kristie says
Mmm pumpkiny pasta?! You’re so creative. I have a nice big container of pumpkin sitting in my fridge just waiting to now be made into this recipe!
VeggieGirl says
Oooh, Pumpkin-Chickpea pasta with Brussels Sprouts?? Fabulous pantry-ingredients dinner! And your dessert looks like a super-sweet way to call it a night :0)
Hooray for Wellsphere!
Allyson says
Congrats!
Man, how do you come up with these recipes?? They’re amazing! 🙂
Kelly L. says
Now that’s a much more flattering picture of the husband. Cutie patootie! He doesn’t look too skinny in this pic. Amazing what a funny angle will do. Makes you glad you aren’t a celebrtiy where paparazzi take shots from bad angles and call you fat.
Kelly L. says
Oh yea, I meant to ask- When is your next video going to be up? We are far past due for something good. Perhaps baking or grilling or something?
hk says
I like Wellsphere a lot, congrats!
Dinner looks delish, I love the combo…and the brussels sound like another great swap, yum!!
linds says
Hi Kath! You probably weigh your pasta serving, (or maybe just really good at guessing now) but I’m just wondering if you know how much 2 ounces is when measured out into cups? I’m sooo bad at measuring pasta! I love the pumpkin with pasta too, it really is so good 🙂
MizFit says
delurking again and HUGE congrats on KERF’s feature on Wellsphere!
PS says
Husband did a good job at the ‘anti-turtle neck’ photo! 😉
oatmeal says
Haha~canned and frozen foods save me every time as well! Love what you did with them though–would never have thought of having pumpkin with pasta!
Congrats on the feature–well-deserved indeed 😀
Korin says
Love how the husband made sure to “tuck in” for this photo. Be honest kath, this was set up. 🙂
That pasta looks killer, I am gonna try pumpkin with pasta, but I am scared. I get so worn out of pumpkin so easily if I have it even like, once a month.
Kath says
Suzanne ,
It’s always OK to take a day off if you need one. If I’m up for it, I try to get in some walking on days when I’m not getting a formal workout just to get up and moving a little. Or yoga if you do it. But every workout can’t be high intensity kickboxing or your muscles would never have time to recover. You might want to ask Kelly at Every Gym’s Nightmare her perspective too!
Julie ,
I can’t decide!! Both SuperFoods and FFW are great. Why don’t you get both used on Amazon? I thin FFW is pretty inexpensive.
val ,
I don’t know if I’ve made anything authentic Indian. Do you have any recipe recommendations?
Allyson ,
I just put together ingredients that I like! It’s easier than you think 🙂
linds ,
I think I read in a Cooking Light recipe that 2 oz of dry pasta is about 2/3 of a cup. I do use my scale to measure it because it’s tricky with all the different pasta shapes.
Kelly L.,
I know, I know – I’m WAY overdue for a video!!! I’m putting it in my calendar to do this week. The problem is the husband and I won’t see each other Mon-Thurs starting on Monday so I don’t have a videographer and then we’re going to the beach next weekend for our anniversary, but I promise I’m putting it on my to-do list right now. What would you like me to make?!
Korin,
I swear it wasn’t set up!! He was eating it and I said “Oh my gosh you’re eating PB – I need to document that for the blog!” So yes, the photo was posed, but the act of eating wasn’t at all!
Kath
Suzanne says
Thanks, Kath! Thanks for your reply.
That’s a good idea – I’ll ask Kelly! 🙂
val says
i’ve never made anything indian, unless you count heating up frozen naan bread! i always resort to fatty vegetarian indian buffets…worth it once in awhile:D
Betsy says
i’m going to bookmark this one–it looks so tasty!
christy says
My husband eats peanut butter every night for dessert too! Only he will mix in Craisins and eat it from the jar. I like to add cinnamon to the mix. 😉