How to make
The typical Neapolitan recipe where the pasta is cooked directly with the pumpkin in just 1 pot - very creamy and delicious.
Fry the garlic in a pan with a thick bottom with the oil and hot pepper, add the chopped pumpkin and the chopped parsley and cook for about 5 minutes, by stirring occasionally.
Remove the garlic and add about 1 cup (250 ml) of water, season with salt and cook, covered with a lid, over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes, until the pumpkin is boiled well, by stirring occasionally.
When the pumpkin is cooked, mash it a bit with a ladle, add about 4/5 cup (200 ml) of water, it will boil immediately and add the pasta of your choice. Cook the pasta according to package instructions and season with salt.
Stir occasionally with the wooden spoon to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot and check if the added water is correct or if you need a bit more.
The end result should be a moist but not watery pasta, almost as creamy as risotto. Turn off the heat, add some grated parmesan and mix well. Add fresh parsley on top, if you like and serve it. I skipped the parsley this time and used sage.
NOTE
I don't use vegetable broth, but regular tap water, which I don't heat, because everything is cooked at high temperatures, as soon as the room temperature water is added, it immediately boils.
The Neapolitan Pasta with Pumpkin is very good when freshly made, but if there's some left over, it is also excellent the next day.
