After spending the week with Miss J in Sydney during RAFW, it was pressed upon me that cooking isn’t really all that hard and I should probably make more of an effort at times. I do love my microwave dinners (probably more than I should!) but there really isn’t anything like a home cooked meal (which is why I figure I go HOME for this. Hi Mum!).

Last Saturday night I stayed with a friend, and she cooked me dinner. We had a brilliant night in with wine and pasta, Twilight and New Moon, chocolate and gossip. I haven’t had so much fun in ages. One of the best parts about having Miss W cook for me was that she is on a super diet (and looking quite fabulous) so whatever she was going to cook would be super yum but also low on calories.

I have always thought of pasta as a no go zone during diets but this recipe proves you can have your cake and eat it too (or, you know, your pasta… I wouldn’t recommend pasta AND cake if you’re on a diet…). So here is that recipe. Super yum, super easy and not so bad on the hips either. Thanks to Miss W and cookbook, Symply Too Good To Be True, by Anne Symple.  

Creamy Pumpkin and Pinenut Sauce

21/2 tablespoons pinenuts
4 cups (580g) raw pumpkin, diced
Cooking spray
½ cup onion, finely diced
1 tsp crushed garlic (in jar)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tablespoon no added salt tomato paste
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried coriander
2 teaspoons salt reduced vegetable stock powder (MASSEL)
1x 375ml can evaporated light milk
Pepper to taste

Roast pinenuts on a sheet of foil placed under the griller. In a little water, microwave the diced pumpkin for about 6-7 minuted or until just cooked. Coat a non-stick saucepan with cooking spray and sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add turmeric, tomato paste, cumin, coriander and stock powder and cook 1 minute. Stir in evaporated milk and combine well. Add in drained cooked pumpkin, bring to the boil and serve over pasta. Sprinkle pinenuts over each serve.