Pumpkin Seed Pasta

Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Servings: 5
Yield: 5 servings

Description

Roasted pumpkin seeds provide a spicy crunch on top of gemelli pasta sauced with roasted garlic roma tomatoes and goat cheese.

Ingredients

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
3 pounds roma (plum) tomatoes, halved
2 bunches green onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (10 ounce) package goat cheese
1 (16 ounce) package gemelli pasta

Directions

1 Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2 Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the seeds with cayenne pepper.
3 Roast in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Watch them carefully so that they do not burn. Set aside.
4 Place the tomatoes in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Scatter the green onion and garlic over the tomatoes. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil to coat.
5 Roast in the preheated oven 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly; remove the skins from the tomatoes.
6 Meanwhile, fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the gemelli, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.
7 Stir the goat cheese into the hot pasta until melted. Then, stir in the roasted peeled tomatoes. Place the pumpkin seeds on top of pasta to serve.